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Alumni Newsmakers

Alumni Bookshelf

Rodney S. Birney, MD '85, wrote Cities of the Soul (AuthorHouse, 2007), which centers on a spiritual journey through seven cities representing challenges and areas of spiritual growth. Birney is a psychiatrist specializing in psychotherapy, meditation instruction, mind-body medicine, and spiritual guidance. He is also the co-director of the Self & Soul Center in southern Oregon.

Ira Brenner, BA '72, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College, continues his in-depth studies of psychological trauma with his fourth book, Injured Men: Trauma, Healing, and the Masculine Self (Jason Aronson, 2009). This volume offers a unique study of clinical and interview material pertaining to the psychological effects of Sept. 11, abuse, grief, genocide, combat, and persecution-related trauma on men and masculinity.

Dino A. Brugioni, BA '47, MA '48, wrote Eyes in the Sky: Eisenhower, the CIA, and Cold War Aerial Espionage (Naval Institute Press, 2010), which draws on his long CIA career to detail President Eisenhower's push to use spy planes and satellites for military intelligence. Brugioni is a CIA retired senior analyst who briefed Presidents Eisenhower to Ford. He lives in Hartwood, Va. 

Bettye Collier-Thomas, PhD '74, wrote Jesus, Jobs, and Justice: African American Women and Religion (Knopf, 2010), which recounts the faith and activism black women have exhibited throughout American history. The book highlights the ways in which religion has been a guiding force for many black women. Collier-Thomas is a history professor at Temple University.

Marketing for the Mental Health Professional (John Wiley & Sons, 2010) by David P. Diana, MA '94, looks at business opportunities within the profession and proposes new strategies for achieving long-term success. The book offers a hands-on guide to building a successful mental health practice. Learn more at www.davidpdiana.com.

Steven Fujita, BA '88, wrote Sword of the Undead (Llumina Press, 2010), which presents a twist on Dracula by telling the story of a different kind of vampire and vampire slayer: a Japanese samurai lord and a legendary swordsman.  

Annie Green, BA '87, MA '88, PhD '04, Michael Stankosky, PhD '97, and Linda Vandergriff, PhD '06, wrote In Search of Knowledge Management: Pursuing Primary Principles (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2009). The book offers research and practice insights into the emerging field of knowledge management and aims to accelerate a global adoption of knowledge management as a distinct field of study. 

Journalism's Roving Eye (LSU Press, 2009) by John Maxwell Hamilton, PhD '83, provides a history of American foreign news reporting. The book focuses on the ways economic and technological advances have influenced overseas coverage, as well as the personalities that have shaped readers' perceptions of the world.  

Pam Jenoff, BA '92, wrote her fourth book, Hidden Things (Simon and Schuster, 2010), which is a follow-up to her last novel, Almost Home. Hidden Things chronicles main character Jordan Weiss's journey to find her college boyfriend, who she previously thought to be dead. The journey begins with her resignation from the State Department and follows her as she becomes entangled in a wine counterfeiting ring and a romance with an Israeli operative. Jenoff lives in Philadelphia and teaches law school.  

Michael Kammen, BA '58, HON Doctor of Letters '91, wrote Digging Up the Dead: A History of Notable American Reburials (University of Chicago Press, 2010). The book profiles the battles over the burial sites of famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone, and Frank Lloyd Wright. He is an American history and culture professor emeritus at Cornell University.

Carol Stock Kranowitz, MA '95, and Joye Newman, BA '73, MA '79, wrote Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow. The authors outline simple activities that can enhance a child's motor development and provide the foundation for physical, emotional, and academic success. Kranowitz is a leader in treating sensory process disorder. Newman founded Kids Moving Company, which addresses perceptual motor therapy.

Angela Michele Leonard, MA '87, MPhil '87, PhD '94, wrote Political Poetry as Discourse: Rereading John Greenleaf Whittier, Ebenezer Elliott, and Hiphopology (Lexington Books, 2010). Her book analyzes the works of political poets John Greenleaf Whittier and Ebenezer Elliot, drawing comparisons to contemporary hip-hop artists who take their words from local newspapers and other discursive sources that they read, hear, and observe. Leonard is a history professor at Loyola College in Maryland.

Donna Malvey, MHSA '86, co-wrote The Retail Revolution in Health Care (Praeger, 2010), which examines the phenomenon of retail health care from an entrepreneurial perspective. It discusses retail clinics as a component of health reform and furthering the availability of health care for all Americans. Malvey is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida.  

Christopher Myers, BA '84, is the author of Taylor's Way: A Father's Very Special Relationship With His Son (PublishAmerica, 2009). Myers provides candid, personal stories of raising a child with special needs and provides recommendations on resources for parents.

Wench (Amistad, 2010) by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, PhD '03, follows four slave women in the 1850s as they travel to a free state on vacation with their masters. The novel explores not only the relationships among the four women, but also the power of the emotional and psychological ties that bind the women to their masters. 

Janet (Goldman) Price, BA '86, co-wrote Take Control of Asperger's Syndrome: The Official Strategy Guide for Teens with Asperger's Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorder (Prufrock Press, 2010). Price provides a handbook for understanding the disorders and living successful lives with them. She is director of transition services for the Weinfeld Education Group.

John Ragosta, MA '04, has released his first book, Wellspring of Liberty: How Virginia's Religious Dissenters Helped Win the American Revolution and Secured Religious Liberty (Oxford University Press, 2010). The book covers the contributions of religious dissenters—especially Baptists and Presbyterians—to religious freedom in late 18th-century Virginia.

Peter Schmelz, BA '95, wrote Such Freedom, If Only Musical: Unofficial Soviet Music During the Thaw (Oxford University Press, 2009), which explores a period known as the Thaw, when Nikita Khrushchev allowed greater cultural and intellectual freedom following Joseph Stalin's death. The book describes students at Soviet conservatories as they discovered new sounds and compositions through channels that were previously closed off to them.

Peg Boyle Single, BA '85, wrote Demystifying Dissertation Writing: A Streamlined Process from Choice of Topic to Final Text (Stylus Publishing, 2010). The book provides step-by-step instructions for completing a dissertation in the humanities and social sciences.  

Ken Siri, BA '89, wrote Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010), which compiles the latest in autism theory, research, and treatment. More than 80 experts contributed to the book.

Paul Sochaczewski, BA '69, edited The Sultan and the Mermaid Queen (Didier Millet, 2009), a compilation of essays and articles about Asian people, places, and events.     

James A. Vedda, MA '86, wrote Choice, Not Fate (Xlibris, 2009), which challenges the traditional paradigm in which space goals are equated with destinations. He suggests that spaceflight programs should target advanced capabilities that bring direct benefits to Earth and enable exploration and development of the solar system. The book presents a revised rationale for spaceflight directly tied to societal needs and ambitions, with a greater role for the commercial sector. 

Mahogany Woodland, MA '08, wrote Freshman Honeys (Haci Publishing, 2010). It is the first in a series of books that chronicles seven college-aged women, taking readers through the first-year college experience. Woodland is a special education teacher in Prince George's County, Md. 

Carolyn Züttel, BA '78, wrote Mabel's Letters (BookSurge Publishing, 2009) a non-fiction account of a correspondence between a brother and his sister during the mid-20th century. The letters are an intimate look into a young man's experience trying to "make it big" on the Broadway stage in the late 1930s, and reassuring his family that he is safe when he enlists in World War II