Bessie Young is a recent graduate of Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. While there, she majored in psychology, art, and an interdisciplinary major she designed on contemporary aging issues. As an artist, Bessie uses photography to investigate and document the experience of aging for individuals across varying contexts and cultures. She is currently conducting photographic and psychological research on the role of the living environment (e.g. nursing home, assisted living, or independent living) in psychosocial well being in later life. During the past two summers, Bessie traveled to Turkey to volunteer and photograph nursing homes in Istanbul.