Expertise

• Elder Abuse/Mistreatment 
• Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement
• Ageism

Education

• Ph.D. in Research & Evaluation, Virginia Commonwealth University
• MA in Psychological Sciences, James Madison University
• BS in Psychology, Virginia Tech

Research Interests

• The Intersection of Elder Abuse and Ageism
• Structural Ageism
• Interprofessional Geriatric Workforce Enhancement

Bio

Dr. Marrs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gerontology and the Director of Research for the Virginia Center on Aging. Her work focuses on the intersection of elder abuse and ageism, examining its impact on society’s recognition of and response to elder mistreatment. She also teaches research methods.

Dr. Marrs is a key contributor to Virginia’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). Notably, she oversees CIRCAA, a faculty and clinician professional development program focused on interprofessional geriatrics. She is also Co-Principal Investigator of the Greater Richmond Elder Justice Shelter Initiative, a federally funded project awarded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Highlights

• Distinguished Faculty Award for Research, 2025
• Commonwealth Council on Aging’s Best Practices Award, 3rd Place, 2025
• SGS Best Practices Award (CIRCAA)
• Visiting Scholar, University of Oxford, 2016

Publications/Projects