facultynotes New Releases The expertise of several Canisius faculty is showcased in a series of new books they authored this summer. Margaret C. McCarthy, PhD, associate professor of graduate education and leadership, published History of American Higher Education. The book documents the evolution of American colleges and universities, from the colonial era through the early 21st century. Specifically, it details how higher education institutions evolved to prepare leaders with the intellectual and practical skills necessary to build a nation. Mary E. Shea, PhD, professor of graduate education and leadership, outlines approaches for children to practice and explore language in Parallel Learning of Reading and Writing in Early Childhood. Through analysis of writing samples, research and best practice principles, the director of the Canisius Literacy Program provides the essential ingredients for early language learning and a developmentally appropriate approach to language learning. Nicolas Lorgnier, PhD, assistant professor of graduate education and leadership (sport administration), explores the change theory behind organizational behaviors and strategies in Conatus and Complexity of the Organization. Originally published in French, the book examines the five models of an organization and how these models can evolve during an organization’s lifetime, particularly as it grows more complex. All three books are available at amazon.com. English Professor Sandra Cookson, PhD, authored her first book of poetry this summer. Two Loons Taken for Vultures is a collection of poems that examines the various manifestations of desire in nature, in love and in art. Cookson’s scholarship focuses on critical essays on 20th century American poets. Two Loons Taken for Vultures is available at finishinglinepress.com.
Michael J. Forest, PhD, traveled with students to the Fujian Province this summer to study the classics of Chinese philosophy. During their three-week stay, the associate professor immersed students in Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. The group visited the various temples of all the different traditions, and met with Buddhist and Daoist monks and priests.
Michael Forest poses with Canisius students and their hosts outside a Tong’an Daoist temple in the Fujian Province.
“This trip enabled students to witness and experience how the influences of these philosophical traditions permeate Chinese society,” explains Forest. A 2007 Fulbright scholar, Forest taught for 10 months at Xiamen University. He instructed such courses as introduction to philosophy, modern philosophy and American philosophy, and helped students understand American philosophical ideas and the major philosophers. Forest’s recent student trip to the Fujian Province was sponsored by the Institute for the Global Study of Religion. It is the first time a Canisius philosophy class has traveled to China.
Gansworth Debuts Two New Plays Audiences raved about Eric Gansworth’s two recently debuted plays. The English professor and Lowery Writer-in-Residence unveiled Rabbit Dance, a one-act play, at Ohio Northern University’s Freed Center for the Performing Arts. The play explores the long history of Native American treaty rights and attempted violations. The setting for the story is Niagara Falls State Park, where two white teenagers encounter Native Americans selling beadwork; a centuries-old tradition of Tuscarora women.
Eric Gansworth
Gansworth also debuted a staged reading of Patriot Act at the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Oneonta. Adapted from a short story by Gansworth, Patriot Act tells the story of the Jay Treaty, which allows Native Americans to cross between the United States and Canadian borders as they please. “The main character in the play, Bonnie Door, holds great value in the treaty and is somewhat crushed when she discovers that the events of September 11, 2001 changed the meaning of the treaty,” explains Gansworth. Grammy winner Joanne Shenandoah played the lead role of Bonnie Door. Gansworth is a nationally-recognized, award-winning writer, visual artist and playwright whose impressive works range from poetry and painting, to novels and collaborative multi-media theater performances.
Catherine Parker, "Love" (2009). Photo by Todd Treat
C ANI SIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • SUMMER 2011 |
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