Carly Roman-Woo

Program Officer

Carly Roman-Woo, PhD, (she/her) is a gerontologist who builds bridges across generations to advance equity, dignity, and power as we age. Grounded in both research and lived experience, her work centers on shifting aging from a story of decline to one of contribution, connection, and positivity.

Carly leads initiatives that strengthen the infrastructure, partnerships, and civic engagement needed to improve health and social care systems, enabling older adults across California to thrive. She works at the intersection of philanthropy, research, and community power-building, translating evidence into action and ensuring that older adults – especially those from historically marginalized communities – are positioned not just as recipients of care, but as architects of their own futures. She also oversees the Foundation’s partnership with Catchafire, expanding access to skills-based volunteering that helps aging service organizations grow and sustain their impact.

With expertise in positive psychology and intergenerational programming, Carly’s doctoral research, supported by the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship, examined how intergenerational connections enhance health and well-being in later life. Her research on generativity highlights the meaningful contributions older adults make to their families and communities and informs her broader efforts to advance narrative change in aging.

Prior to joining Archstone Foundation, Carly served as Innovation Manager at the Motion Picture & Television Fund, where she launched intergenerational mentorship and technology initiatives to support the well-being of older adults in the entertainment industry. She is also a three-time chapter founder and current Advisory Council member of GlamourGals, a national nonprofit that connects students with older adults in senior living homes for social engagement and complimentary makeovers and manicures.

Carly holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.