Colleagues Celebrate James McNally's Impactful Career as He Retires from NACDA Directorship at ICPSR
L to R, James McNally, with longtime NACDA project managers Martha Sayre and Kathryn Lavender, at McNally’s retirement celebration on Feb. 25, 2025, at ICPSR.
ANN ARBOR— ICPSR’s staff gathered Feb. 25 to celebrate James McNally’s illustrious career as he retires from his role as Director of the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA). Since 1998, McNally has played a pivotal role in advancing aging research and data dissemination during his tenure at ICPSR.
During the celebration, McNally shared his reflections on his time at ICPSR, saying, "You see all these young students succeed and build careers over the years, and you get to play with some of the best data in the world, and it’s been a lot of fun."
McNally reminisced about his early days, noting that he was hired as a senior research associate. “At that time, ICPSR was so small that Richard Rockwell, the director, was a PI of all the grants for ICPSR. We’ve progressed significantly since then." Under McNally’s leadership, NACDA has grown to include 1,643 studies, 1.2M variables, and 37.8K publications in the ICPSR Bibliography.
"On behalf of the many directors of ICPSR who you have worked with, the hundreds of ICPSR staffers, and the thousands of aging researchers whose work has benefited from your leadership, I offer my congratulations and best wishes on your retirement," said ICPSR Director Maggie Levenstein.
McNally acknowledged the supportive environment at ICPSR, remarking, "There’s a strong family support focus here that you don’t find in many other places. This is, by and large, one of the nicest life-balance organizations I've ever been in," he said.
Colleagues from ICPSR and beyond expressed their gratitude for McNally's leadership and contributions, both in-person and through a digital memory book deck displayed on screens around the room. "Jim, your advocacy of well-documented research data and support for metadata standards in aging research have left an indelible mark on the field," wrote Barry Radler.
"Your leadership has been pivotal in advancing the community of aging researchers, shaping the trajectories of future scholars in meaningful ways," wrote George Rebok.
"Your legacy as a mentor and cheerleader for so many of us in this work will continue to shine brightly," wrote Margarett McBride.
"Thank you for your long and constant dedication to preserving and making accessible so many studies of aging. Your work has contributed to assuring availability of valuable data for new researchers," wrote Margaret Gatz.
Several colleagues, like longtime NACDA project manager Kathryn Lavender, noted McNally’s consistent encouragement, colorful Hawaiian shirts, and infamous dry humor. To so many, McNally has been the face of NACDA. “Jim is NACDA,” Lavender said.
Looking to the future, McNally mused on emeritus life. "You’ll see me tottering around the building from time to time. There’s lots of work that still needs to be done, he said. “Every one of you contributes to social science and the growth of science. Right now, we’re going through a particularly challenging period for science, and places like ICPSR are rare. Keep up the good work."
On his way out, McNally told the ICPSR staff, offering some of his trademark encouragement: “Every one of you contributes to social science and the growth of science. Right now, we’re going through a particularly challenging period for science, and places like ICPSR are rare. Keep up the good work.”
Contact: Dory Knight-Ingram
Mar 4, 2025