Natalie E. Pope

Natalie E. Pope is a doctoral candidate at the Rutgers School of Social Work. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work with a specialization in gerontology and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Louisville. Natalie’s professional and research experiences seek to catalyze community-level organizations for impact on aging. Natalie is currently the Senior Program Coordinator at the Rutgers Hub for Aging Collaboration, where she is responsible for advancing research projects and organizational operations. This position integrates her doctoral research training and her 5+ years of professional experience in marketing and business development for a variety of organizations, including academic research centers, non-profits, and community initiatives. 
 
Natalie’s scholarly and research interests explore community-level interventions on aging as an area of academic inquiry and expertise situated at the intersection of gerontological social work, community practice, and implementation science. In particular, her research focuses on the development and implementation of age-friendly community (AFC) initiatives spanning three main strands of inquiry: 1) practices and processes, 2) organizational contexts and collaboration, and 3) sustainability and outcomes. Demonstrating these interests, she is currently working on her dissertation exploring implementation dimensions of AFC initiatives across three empirical studies investigating older adult involvement, partnership networks, and program sustainability. Natalie grounds her studies of age-friendly community practice in a community-engaged, action research approach that integrates her prior practice experience as an age-friendly initiative leader and her scholarly expertise to generate practice-relevant research that is grounded in respect and trust with community practitioners. 

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Rutgers School of Social Work, 2026 (Expected)
• Master of Science of Social Work (MSSW), Univeristy of Louisville Kent School of Social Work, 2017
• Master of Business Administration (MBA), University of Louisville College of Business, 2015
• Bachelor of Arts, Center College, 2013