Turning the Page: Books SHU Faculty and Staff Penned, Contributed to or Edited in 2025

By Stephanie Carnes, Ph.D., LCSW, LLM

In her new book, Stephanie Carnes, a professor in the School of Social Work, offers practical strategies and techniques to help school social workers implement practices that better recognize and value the unique cultural backgrounds of Central American immigrant students. By honoring and respecting the lived experiences of this rapidly growing sub-demographic of U.S. students, school social workers are poised to create bridges between cultures rather than perpetuate enduring institutional practices rooted in assimilation.

Editors & Contributors: Mark Congdon, Jr., Ph.D., and Ahmet Atay

Mark Congdon, Jr., professor of communication & media, is one of several editors (and a chapter contributor) for this anthology, which looks at the types of crises that escalate quickly in higher education and the communication responses used to address them. Intended for an interdisciplinary audience, the book is about weathering crises as well as reimaging higher education as a space where these situations are opportunities for transformative and systemic change. Additional SHU faculty contributed, authoring or coauthoring chapters, including Foluke Omosun, Ph.D., professor of communication & media; Kelly Marino, Ph.D., history professor, Emily Bryan, Ph.D., professor of English; Charles Gillespie, Ph.D., Catholic studies department professor and co-director of the Pioneer Journey; and Rachel Bauer, Ph.D., theatre arts professor.

By Charles Gillespie, Ph.D.

If you thought the Great White Way was only about the next hot ticket, Charles Gillespie, the recently named associate dean of SHU’s new School of Performing Arts and professor of Catholic studies, is here to tell you that God is ready to be and has always been part of the show. Here’s your ticket to an exploration about the theological questions raised by commercial theater and its power to draw God outside of the walls of an institutional church and eternally “into the wings.”

Editors & Contributors: Kevin Gledhill, Ph.D., Abbas Amanat and Kayhan A. Nejad

In this book, Kevin Gledhill, a history professor, and his fellow editors explore the strategic, political and commercial significance of the Caspian Sea, a site where empires—Russian, Persian, Ottoman and British—competed, warred and collaborated. Through essays, multiple contributors address the Caspian Sea’s unique political dynamics and possibilities, to shape commercial, intellectual, diplomatic and imperial projects, as well as serve as a source of connections and contestations for the states on the Caspian’s shores.

Editor & Contributor: Steven Michels, Ph.D.

Steven Michels, chair of the political science & global affairs department, delves into depictions of the working class in popular culture and how those scenes have influenced our perception of Americans’ professional lives. In a book that draws insights and answers from Bruce Springsteen’s music to the storylines of televisions shows including The Wire and Mad Men, as well as impactful novels, films and poems, Michels and other contributors reflect on what work means to us and how it has changed through the centuries. Christine Susienka, Ph.D., a philosophy professor, was among the book’s contributors.

By Daniel O'Keefe, Ph.D.

In this book, philosophy professor Daniel O’Keefe brings a fresh approach to the field of contemporary populism. He explores cultural decadence and postmodern communication technology to draw insights that lead to concrete recommendations to get Americans from different ends of the political spectrum to start talking again. Progressive and traditional-minded readers will be better equipped to engage with and understand the causes and draws of populism in today's increasingly polarized political culture.

By Anna Ramirez, MA

Anna Ramirez, theology & religious studies professor, finds inspiration for this picture book from her ancestral beginnings, as well as the sights and culture of Oaxaca, Mexico. As author and illustrator, she narrates the story in English and Spanish, encouraging readers to create their own art along the way. As she sets readers on a walking journey, she encourages creations that reflect love, memory and community.

By Amie Souza Reilly, MFA

Imagine moving into a new neighborhood only to discover your next-door neighbors didn’t want you there. For Amie Souza Reilly, an English professor, this was no supposition but rather an intense struggle with intrusive neighbors on a crusade to push out her and her family. In her book, Reilly merges personal narrative and cultural criticism, asking larger questions about civility, care and the line between human and animal. Illustrated with her own sketches, Human/Animal grapples with Reilly’s place in her neighborhood and America’s past and current political climate.

By Kelly Frailing, Bethany Van Brown, Ph.D., Dee Wood Harper

Bethany Van Brown, professor of sociology, criminology & criminal justice, joins her co-authors in creating the latest edition of this comprehensive textbook, which covers the fundamentals of criminology, including the major theories of crime causation, classic and current empirical tests of those theories, and the strengths and weaknesses and policy implications of each. This latest edition also includes several significant historic events that happened since the previous edition was released that have influenced developing new criminologies and analytical approaches.

Contributor: Gregory Viggiano, Ph.D.

Gregory Viggiano, history professor, provides the introduction in this sprawling six-volume set that looks at the role war has played in the historical and contemporary formation of societies across the globe over the last 2,500 years. Fifty-four experts weigh in, incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives, about how war has emerged. The six volumes span the age of antiquity to modern times across more than 1,700 pages and about 240 illustrations. Mary Kathryn Barbier and Dennis Showalter co-edited the series.

By Jonas Zdanys, Ph.D.

Sacred Heart University professor emeritus and poet in residence Jonas Zdanys was busy in 2025, publishing or contributing to many books, including the international anthology Weaving Shade: Contemporary Dream Poetry, My Uncle’s Watch (a 24-section poem to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Zdanys’ family’s arrival in America and the 65th anniversary of his uncle’s death), the forthcoming Ekphrastic Poetry: An Introduction by Cassandra Atherton (who includes Zdanys’ poetry) and Išeivystės fragmentai, or Immigration Fragments, (his sixth poetry book in Lithuanian).

Learn more about Išeivystės fragmentai (Immigration Fragments) or his other works on Grey Willow Press.

By Lisa Kathleen McManus

The journey of a flower from seed to bloom is the conduit through which Lisa Kathleen McManus, an academic adviser for nursing students, offers the lesson of how important the right support is when it comes to dispelling doubt or derision. This children’s book reflects the author’s personal passion to support students in their academic and personal growth and help them come into bloom.

Editors: Nancy Dennert, MS, MSN, FNP-BC, CDE, BC-ADM and Susan DeNisco, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP (Multiple Sacred Heart University contributors)

Many members of the Sacred Heart’s nursing faculty made contributions to this updated study guide, including editors Susan DeNisco, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, professor emerita, and Nancy Dennert, MS, MSN, FNP-BC, CDE, BC-ADM. The book provides content outlines and practice questions, as well as study and organizing tips for students preparing to pass their Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification exam administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP). Faculty wrote many of the chapters, including Cynthia K. O'Sullivan, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, who covered professional and legal-ethical Issues; DeNisco, an MSN/FNP alumnus, who, in addition to editing, wrote about several topics including respiratory conditions, hematology and immunology, achieving success on the national exam, renal/genitourinary system and women’s health. Melissa Scollan-Koliopoulous, Ed.D., DNP, FNP, PMHMP, CDCES, covered mental health. Chrystyne Olivieri, DNP, FNP-BC, CDCES, wrote about pharmacology review. Marguerite Lawrence, DNP, FNP-BC, PHCNS-BC, MA, wrote about head, ears, nose, throat, eyes disorders. Heather Ferrillo, Ph.D., MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE, wrote about the cardiovascular system.

By Earl Valencia and Dan Gonzales

This book reveals the mindsets that differentiate the leaders trained by the industrial economy of the past from those who transcended into a digital-first word. Earl Valencia, a management instructor at SHU, an award-winning tech leader and venture-backed startup founder, along with investor and host of the Startup Mindsets podcast Dan Gonzales have distilled lessons from hundreds of conversations with founders, venture capitalists and ecosystem builders to share compelling stories and actionable strategies to bring the Startup Mindset to you.