We're all aging right now

When Tetyana Shippee, PhD, talks about aging, she often begins with a simple reminder:

"We're all aging right now."

It's a perspective that shapes both her research and her view of what it means to grow older. While aging is often associated with illness, loss, or decline, Shippee has spent her career listening to older adults whose experiences tell a much richer story.

“Aging is far more individual than many people realize,” she said.

Today, Shippee serves as associate director of research for the University of Minnesota's Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, where she works with researchers seeking to better understand what helps people age well. But the questions that drive her work began long before her academic career.

An experience that shaped a career 

As an undergraduate student, Shippee enrolled in a sociology of aging course that paired students with older adults for an autobiography project. She was matched with a retired professor in his 80s who was recovering from a stroke while caring for his wife, who was living with memory loss.

What began as an interview became a lasting friendship where she helped as a care partner and gained a firsthand view of the realities of aging and caregiving.

The experience challenged many of the assumptions she had encountered about older adulthood.

"I saw not just the dependency that we talk about in old age, but resiliency," she said.

She watched the family adapt creatively to challenges and continue building a meaningful life together despite significant health concerns. The experience ultimately inspired her to pursue a dual doctorate in gerontology and sociology and dedicate her career to improving quality of life for older adults.

What does it mean to age well?

That question followed Shippee into graduate school, where she joined an intergenerational living program and spent two years living in a retirement community.
"It was truly a life-changing experience for me," she said.

Living alongside residents gave her a unique opportunity to see aging not as a research topic, but as everyday life. She formed close relationships, shared meals and conversations, and learned what mattered most to the people around her.

Many residents spoke about wanting more than good medical care. They wanted purpose, connection, and the ability to continue making choices about their own lives.

Residents often told her they wanted "a reason to wake up in the morning."

Those conversations helped shape the focus of her future research: understanding quality of life from the perspective of older adults themselves.One of Shippee's key insights is that age alone doesn't tell the whole story. Two people who are both 70 years old may have different health needs, priorities, and goals, making the aging journey unique for each individual.

Bringing voices to research

Today, Shippee's work continues to be guided by the experiences of older adults.

She serves as a principal investigator for Minnesota's nursing home and assisted living report card programs, helping ensure that residents' perspectives are reflected in how care quality is measured.

"It's just been really important for me to bring the resident voice," she said.

Thousands of residents now participate in interviews that help inform quality-of-life measures across Minnesota's long-term care settings, bringing the realities of daily life into conversations about care quality alongside clinical outcomes.

Thriving throughout the aging journey

Over the years, Shippee has listened to thousands of older adults describe their lives, challenges, and hopes. Their stories have reinforced a simple but powerful lesson: aging is not defined by a number.

Many continue pursuing what matters most to them while adapting to new circumstances, maintaining meaningful relationships, contributing to their communities, and finding new ways to grow.

Supporting healthy aging goes beyond avoiding diseases. By focusing on quality of life, support can be about maintaining purpose and creating opportunities for people to thrive throughout the aging journey.

Today, researchers across the University of Minnesota are exploring many dimensions of healthy aging, from brain health and dementia care to caregiving, community support, and quality of life. Through StudyFinder, community members can explore opportunities to participate in research and help advance discoveries that support healthier aging for everyone.