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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Congratulations to Dr. Emily Hardman (PhD will be conferred this month) for her dissertation:
<b><i>Aging in Context: The Interplay of Mental Health, Cultural Narratives, and Personal Experiences in Later Life.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Committee: Dr. Bilal Urkmez (Chair), Dr. Yegan Pillay, Dr. Krisanna Machtmes, and Dr. Chris Bhat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="2" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Emily Hardman is a recipient of the prestigious
<b>Fulbright-Schuman Program</b>. Only three are granted each year, and the grant duration is nine months. The program focuses on U.S.–EU relations, EU institutions, and EU policy. It is one of the few multi-country Fulbright awards that allows recipients to
 conduct research in any EU member state.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Emily’s project explores cultural narratives around aging and their emotional impact. Both the EU and the U.S. have recently introduced policies addressing older adult mental health.
 The EU launched an initiative in 2023–24 targeting this area, and the U.S. expanded Medicare coverage to include counselors beginning in 2024.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Emily will spend time conducting qualitative research via focus groups in Germany, Greece, and Croatia. Each of these countries has unique variations in geriatric suicide rates and
 aging populations—Greece, for instance, has the lowest geriatric suicide rate in the EU. Emily will leave the U.S. around Oct 15 and plans to return in July, 2026. She plans to make Germany her primary research base and will make shorter visits to Greece and
 Croatia for collaboration with local researchers and graduate students.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><a href="https://www.ohio.edu/news/2025/08/ohio-students-faculty-alumni-participate-cultural-exchange-after-being-selected?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=https%3A//www.ohio.edu/news/2025/08/ohio-students-faculty-alumni-participate-cultural-exchange-after-being-selected%20%5BOutlook%20Button%5D&utm_campaign=OEN-080425_UCM">OHIO
 students, faculty and alumni to participate in cultural exchange after being selected for prestigious awards</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">(Emily is featured at number 5 in this article)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
Christine Suniti Bhat (she/her), PhD, LPC, LSC (OH)</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Professor, Department of Counseling & Higher Education</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The Patton College of Education</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">OHIO University, Athens, OH 45701</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Past-President, American Counseling Association, 2025-2026</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Fellow, American Counseling Association<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Fellow, Association for Specialists in Group Work<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Office: Patton Hall, 432F</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Phone: 740-593-4425; Email:
<a href="mailto:bhatc@ohio.edu"><span style="color:blue">bhatc@ohio.edu</span></a><br>
Website: <a href="https://www.ohio.edu/education/bhatc"><span style="color:blue">https://www.ohio.edu/education/bhatc</span></a><br>
Media: <a href="https://www.ohio.edu/experts/expert/christine-suniti-bhat"><span style="color:blue">https://www.ohio.edu/experts/expert/christine-suniti-bhat</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Note:<i> I may send emails outside typical working hours. Please respond during your workday or when it is most convenient for you to do so.</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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