Turning the Page: Books SHU Faculty and Staff Penned, Contributed to or Edited in 2024

By Pamela Buck, Ph.D.

As associate professor in the languages & literature department, Pamela Buck focuses primarily on women’s writing and material culture in the late 18th- and early 19th-century British literature. For this work, Buck studied travel accounts of leading British women writers to show how the souvenirs they collected during travels were used in their writing to circulate revolutionary ideas and affect political thought in Britain, as well as contribute to conversations about individual and national identity.

By Sidney Gottlieb, Ph.D.

Sidney Gottlieb, a professor of communication & media, delves into the work of famed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. The annual publication highlights the best in critical and scholarly essays about Hitchcock’s life, work and influence, such as The Whole Hitchcock, and Nothing but the Parts. This volume also includes reviews of books that center on specific themes in Hitchcock’s films, including Psycho and Vertigo.

By Chelsea King, Ph.D.

In her new book, Chelsea King, an assistant professor in Catholic studies, explores the idea of sacrifice within feminist theology, with a focus on religious theorist’s René Girard’s understanding of sacrifice. Given women and other marginalized groups historically have been oppressed by the language of sacrifice, many reject it. In the book, King shows how the language of sacrifice can be reclaimed so that it is liberative for women and other marginalized groups.

By Eleni Mantas-Kourounis, Ph.D.

This book chronicles civic education advocacy since the early 2000s, including the national policy reform proposals that called for the widespread implementation of civic education programs. Even as questions linger about the programs’ effectiveness, Eleni Mantas-Kourounis, an assistant professor in political science & global affairs, analyzed school districts in Utah and Connecticut to show the profound influence local level politics have on the implementation of these policies.

By Kelly Marino, Ph.D.

Do we have an accurate picture of who led and organized the woman suffrage movement? Kelly Marino, an associate professor of history, shares her review of archival information and what it revealed about the outsized and dynamic role that young woman played in that movement. Between 1870 and 1910, the proportion of college women in the United States rose from 21 to 40 percent, which helped to spur a well-organized campaign for female voting rights on college campuses.

By Gary L. Rose, Ph.D.

Gary Rose, scholar-in-residence and professor in political science & global affairs, outlines how James Madison was a critical architect of the American Republic. Madison’s story is told from his early years to his pivotal role at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which immortalized him as “The Father of the Constitution.” In this concise but essential account of Madison’s public service, Rose outlines Madison’s impressive political career that included turns as a U.S. Congress member, secretary of state and president.

Editors: Anton Shufutinsky, Marita Svane and David Boje

Anton Shufutinsky, assistant professor of organization development, change & effectiveness at SHU, and his fellow editors provide exemplars of quantum storytelling that have disrupted qualitative inquiry only with the intention of providing expanded, improved and generative ways of understanding. They also present knowing narratives that emerge from qualitative interviews and observations during organizational research studies. Academics who work in business, management and organizational communication, and post-secondary teachers of business management, organizational behavior and organizational communication will find this work valuable.

By Jonas Zdanys, Ph.D.

Sacred Heart University professor emeritus and poet-in-residence Jonas Zdanys’ latest book continues his exploration of the lyrical-narrative voice in poetry. Continuing the thematic principle of several of his earlier books, this book asks the question of whether human experience is merely limited to the familiar or can all things be imagined? Through vivid imagery and textured language, he observes the immediate world through poetic imagination, as well as surrealist and magical realist perspectives.

Contributing author: Millie Hepburn, Ph.D., RN, SCRN, ACNS-BC

Chapter 33 in Population Health for Nurses covers nurse advocacy in public health and coalition building. Millie Hepburn, associate professor and assistant program director for second degree accelerated nursing, shares how nurses can be champions for better health for individuals, communities and large populations with a range of efforts, including raising awareness about social inequities and promoting better policies.

Contributing author: Millie Hepburn, Ph.D., RN, SCRN, ACNS-BC

Chapter 5 in Nutrition for Nurses covers many topics, including how nurses can play a critical role in the care of clients by assessing dietary habits to improve neurologic health and provide expertise and resources for diet modifications that support brain health and slow neurodegenerative decline. Chapter 6 covers specific nutrients needed throughout one’s lifetime for optimal physical health and neural development.

Throughout this book, examples of faculty learning communities are shared to show how this form of professional training for faculty in higher education can transcend different fields of study and work and provide dynamic and flexible teaching and learning models. The examples also show the impact on student learning and how this approach can lead to institutional change.

This work examines the collaborative and reciprocal practice of peer coaching, during which faculty members observe, reflect and improve their instructional practices with the goal of improving learning for all students. This book is a resource for leaders of faculty development initiatives, directors and staff from teaching and learning centers, department chairs, faculty, graduate students, deans, student services staff, chief academic officers and educational consultants.

This book delves deeper into the faculty learning community approach by examining its impact on diversity, equity and belonging in higher education—and how those communities can offer faculty space to explore antiracist and social justice-oriented teaching.

If you wonder how faculty learning communities support faculty retention, teaching and scholarship, this book explores those dimensions in many ways—from traditional instruction to online and virtual faculty learning communities. Other benefits to this approach are explored, including how to foster faculty belonging and integrate mindfulness.

By K. Kathy Dhanda, Ph.D.

Kanwalroop “Kathy” Dhanda, professor of management, is among a trio of authors who explore sustainability in the 21st century—specifically the responsibilities of corporations and society’s expectation of their accountability. This book explores how a fully realized and effectively implemented sustainability plan can help corporations to develop and retain creative, dedicated employees who will drive a bottom-line strategy to save costs and a top-line strategy to reach a new consumer base. This book is available at Waveland Press and Amazon. 

By Brent French, Ph.D.

In exploring how technology firm Next Jump navigated COVID-19 pandemic challenges, Brent French, associate dean for academics & assessment and an associate teaching professor in management, examines the firm’s organizational culture, in which employees are “workplace athletes” rather than staff. By engaging employees in the mental sport of honing their decision-making and judgment capabilities, Next Jump survived and thrived amid the uncertainty. This success is shown as a model to cultivate resilience and innovation.

By Richard Pate, JD

An associate professor of management, Richard Pate explores the issue of children becoming increasingly addicted to cellphones in his new children’s book. When three little animal friends lose their cellphones, they discover that being without them is actually fun. The book is meant for young readers or for parents to read to their children to shift the focus from cellphones to innate imagination and the physical world around them. A current SHU student, Julia Fernandez ’25, is the book’s illustrator.

By James Geisler, Ph.D.

As executive director of wellness services at Sacred Heart University, James Geisler’s book is a guide for students who are navigating the college experience. The book is based on his experience at SHU and as a licensed clinical mental health counselor. Readers will discover tools to build resilience, achieve balance and cultivate sustainable wellness throughout the college years. A SHU alum, Marisa Papa ’15, MA ’19, designed the book.