Cal J. Halvorsen is a gerontological social work scholar whose work is at the confluence of aging societies, paid and unpaid work, and social purpose and impact. With expertise on self-employment, job-training programs, volunteering in later life, and intergenerational initiatives, his national reputation continues to grow.

His scholarship has been published in top peer-reviewed journals in gerontology, social work, and public health, and his op-eds have been published in Fast Company, Forbes, and Next Avenue. His expertise on older workers has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, and more. Cal’s research has been funded by both public and private sources, including the U.S. Social Security Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Institutes of Health, and AARP. In recognition for his research and public scholarship, he received the Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award from the Gerontological Society of America.

Cal has ongoing capacity-building collaborations with social purpose organizations to evaluate the impact of their work. These include CoGenerate, which works to accelerate multigenerational solutions to pressing social problems, and Olga’s List, which helps refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere find housing, services, and employment. He has served as a research advisor for AmeriCorps Seniors and the Urban Institute. 

In addition to his work at the Brown School, Cal is a project lead and investigator at the Center for Work, Health, and Well-being at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He joined the Brown School from the Boston College School of Social Work, where he was an assistant professor.