Coastal Carolina University's newly established Center for the Study of Aging and Active Retirement has received a $2,000 grant from the Waccamaw Community Foundation to fund a study examining the diversity of research activities conducted by college and university aging centers throughout the United States. This information will assist Coastal faculty and students seeking federal, state and foundation grants to develop and enhance research and outreach projects relating to aging and gerontology.

"This study will provide important basic information for the new center," said Peter Balsamo, dean of Coastal's School of Continuing Studies. "It will indicate themes or trends in research which we can apply in the Myrtle Beach area. This study will also provide information on sources of funding for future research."

The grant will be coordinated through Coastal's School of Continuing Studies. Rocky Cartisano, a retired Lucent Company executive and former president of Coastal's Lifelong Learning Society Board of Advisers, will be the project director of the Waccamaw Community Foundation grant.

The Center for the Study of Aging and Active Retirement is a joint effort of Coastal's College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the School of Continuing Studies. The center was established to encourage faculty and student research in aging and retirement issues and to provide continuing education programs for aging network professionals.

The center will host its first workshop, "Successful Aging: Good News for the 21st Century," on Sept. 26 and 27. The presenter is Richard Tucker, director of the Initiative on Aging and Longevity at the University of Central Florida.

The Waccamaw Community Foundation is a public foundation with the mission of mobilizing resources for the benefit of Waccamaw area communities.

For more information, contact Balsamo at 349-2648.