Beverly S. Patnaik has been appointed director of academics for the School for TransformAging at Lipscomb University.

The Southern Gerontological Society recently honored Patnaik, who has more than 30 years of experience, with the Applied Gerontologist Award for her lifetime achievement in the field of aging services.

“Beverly brings a unique perspective … through her diverse experience in the government and nonprofit sectors,” Charla Long, dean of Lipscomb’s College of Professional Studies (which houses the School for TransformAging), said in a release. “She has also actively engaged corporate America on aging-related topics and has traveled extensively across the United States helping to replicate best practice service models.”

More than 6,000 Nashvillians 66 and older live within a 1.5-mile radius of the Lipscomb campus, according to LU officials. Patnaik, who has served Lipscomb as a consultant since August 2011, plans to develop programs to integrate academic programs and learning opportunities with community service.

Patnaik’s career experience includes serving as director of technical assistance for the Community Partnerships for Older Adults, a program housed at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine, and funded by a $25 million Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant. She has served on the faculty at Duke University Medical School, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College and Livingstone College. Patnaik also was executive director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Council on Aging and assistant director of services for adults at the Department of Social Services in Charlotte.

Patnaik (pictured here) currently serves as president-elect of the Council on Aging of Greater Nashville, for which she chairs its Leadership Council, and is on the advisory board of the Martin Center in Brentwood.

Patnaik received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Wesleyan University and a master of arts degree in studies in aging from the University of North Texas.