Faculty

Sue Saxon, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor (Ph.D., Florida State University, 1963) Physical Changes and Aging; Gerontological Counseling; Health Promotion and Aging

Dr. Sue Saxon joined USF in 1963. During her career she made important contributions to the teaching mission of the School of Aging Studies at USF and in the field of gerontology. Her impact on our students, our curriculum, and on the values of our faculty and department, are long-lasting. Dr. Saxon began as an Assistant Professor and rose to the rank of Professor in 1972. Dr. Saxon taught a variety of courses in the School, but her claim to fame was in teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in “Physical Change and Aging”. Dr. Saxon’s courses were famous for being rigorous and of practical value. Her reputation as one of the finest instructors at USF is borne out not only by many testimonials, but also by course evaluation statistics. Dr. Saxon was always helpful, friendly, and available to students for consultation about their courses, and their career plans. She received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching award, and the TIP award. Dr. Saxon developed and taught a course on a “hot topic” in gerontology—“Aging and Health Promotion”—that exposed students to all of the latest work on exercise and other health behaviors that promote successful aging. She also taught her famous Physical Change course via distance learning, a tribute to her flexibility (and to her patience).

Dr. Saxon and her colleague Dr. Mary Jean Etten wrote a highly praised textbook, “Physical change and aging”, that went through three editions and was named Book of the Year by the American Journal on Nursing in 1995. She was also an active contributor to numerous edited books on aging. Her work included such topics as pain management in the elderly, retirement planning, and nutritional issues.

Because of these many contributions, Dr. Saxon received the honor of designation as Emeritus Faculty upon her retirement in 2002.

Dr. Sue Saxon died on November 27, 2023 and was almost 92 years old. The School of Aging Studies dedicates the Sue Saxon Outstanding Teaching Award to honor her dedication to the field of gerontological higher education.