David and Darlene Janovy

David Janovy, PhD, came to MNSU in 1968 as Chair of the Department of Sociology. In the ‘70s, he founded the Aging Studies Program which grew to offering a minor and a Master’s as well as providing training for future nursing home administrators. He did doctoral work in Sociology at the University of Nebraska and taught at Illinois State University before Mankato. Post-Graduate work in Aging was done at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Southern California. He is Past-President of the Minnesota Gerontological Society, served two terms on the Minnesota Board on Aging as well as on the original R9 Area Agency on Aging board.

Darlene Janovy, EdSp, enjoyed a long career in Elementary teaching and administration. She founded the Children’s House educational day-care center (still present on the MSU-M campus) as well as being instrumental in creating other early learning programs in the area. The last 15 years of her career were devoted to the leading of two Mankato elementary schools as Principal.