Ying-Ling Jao is Associate Professor at Pennsylvania State University Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Dr. Jao’s research focuses on measuring and improving care environments to alleviate neurobehavioral symptoms in long-term care residents with dementia. She developed and validated the Person-Environment Apathy Rating (PEAR) scale - one of the first tools to assess apathy in the context of environmental factors - enabling more precise investigations and support for person-environment fit. The PEAR scale has been used across disciplines and in multiple countries. Dr. Jao has led NIH-funded research exploring dementia care in nursing homes. Her research identified protective environmental factors and communication strategies associated with neurobehavioral symptoms, such as apathy. Her research also identified and developed innovative, technology-based solutions to support dementia care. Notably, Dr. Jao co-developed a smart lighting system to improve care environments and neurobehavioral symptoms for nursing home residents with dementia. In addition to her research, Dr. Jao has provided education and consultation on dementia care practices in Pennsylvania nursing homes, and has mentored emerging scholars, contributing to international, multidisciplinary academic pipelines. As a recognized leader in gerontological nursing, she was named a Distinguished Gerontological Nurse Educator and played an active role in developing the National Gerontological Nursing Competencies. Dr. Jao earned her BSN from the National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences in Taiwan, and her MSN and PhD from the University of Iowa.