Rate My Professor Elizabeth Fauth

Elizabeth (Beth) Fauth, Ph.D., serves as Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies within Utah State University’s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, and as Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Syracuse University in 2000, a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies (Gerontology) from The Pennsylvania State University in 2002, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Family Studies (Gerontology) from the same institution in 2005. At Utah State University, Fauth teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in gerontology and research methods, and has coordinated the graduate program in Human Development and Family Studies. Her career includes recognition for excellence in teaching, research, and service, with contributions to mental health prevention in at-risk adult populations and leadership in state aging initiatives.

Fauth’s research employs biopsychosocial approaches to health and well-being across the lifespan, focusing on family caregiving for persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, quality of life and disease progression in dementia, functional ability and the transition to disability in late life, and stress, mood, and well-being among vulnerable adults. She investigates daily behavior problems in dementia and their effects on caregivers, evaluates interventions such as online self-guided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy programs, and examines predictors of dementia progression and psychosocial buffers in the disablement process. Collaborating with the Institute for Gerontology at Jönköping University in Sweden, she analyzes large longitudinal datasets on health decline in the oldest old. Key publications include book chapters like “Aging in Place or Long-term Care? Changing the Narrative to Promote Aging in Place in Long-term Care” (2025, Springer Nature), “Caregiver burden” (2008, Encyclopedia of Counseling, Sage), and “Elders as care receivers: Autonomy in the context of frailty” (2007, Baywood), alongside extension resources such as “A Healthy Brain: Use It or Lose It!” (2017), “Maximizing the Quality of Life for Persons with Dementia” (2017), and “Is Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia the Same Thing?” (2016). With over 60 peer-reviewed publications and more than 3,000 citations, her work impacts gerontology, dementia care, and caregiver support. Major awards include Fellowship in the Gerontological Society of America (2016), Strong Human Services Award (2020), Researcher of the Year (2014), multiple Teacher of the Year awards (2009, 2010), and pre-doctoral fellowships from the National Institute of Mental Health (2004) and National Institute on Aging (2001). She delivers public lectures, including at Utah State University’s Blue Plate Research series, and was honored as one of Utah Business magazine’s “30 Women to Watch” (2025).