The Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging provides academic and administrative leadership to foster the development and implementation of activities that enhance productive aging. This University-wide Center promotes research, education, policy, and service initiatives that enable older adults to remain healthy, active, empowered, contributing, and independent for as long as possible.

The mission of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging thus is to promote productive aging. Productive aging can be defined in many ways. We use a broad definition of the term in which growing old is characterized by good health, vitality, and engagement. It thus is closely allied with the concept of successful aging as defined by Rowe and Kahn wherein disease and disability are avoided, good mental and physical function are maintained, and active engagement in life is supported.