Faculty and Staff Achievements Roundup: Mathien Publishes Book on Cancer Journey

This is part of a monthly series highlighting the honors and achievements of Buffalo State University faculty and staff. The roundup is compiled from the previous months’ submissions to the Daily Bulletin and department newsletters.

Lorena D. Mathien, chair and associate professor in the Business Department, has published a book titled Why NOT Me? How to Pick Yourself Up by Your Bra Straps and Keep Living after Breast Cancer Diagnosis. Mathien’s mother and sister were both diagnosed with breast cancer in their 40s and, four months after her 40th birthday, a routine scan revealed Mathien herself had cancer. Nine years later, as a two-time survivor, Mathien shares her story.

“Dr. Mathien is well-respected in her field and inspires students by creating an environment of critical thinking and love for learning,” said Carol DeNysschen, dean of the School of the Professions. “This book is an example of her service to society, and I am certain it will have a great impact on those going through the tough diagnosis of breast cancer.”

All proceeds from the book go to After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, a cancer mentoring program, and the Sister Study, a research organization on hereditary breast cancer.

In addition to Mathien’s book publication, here are some other recent outstanding achievements by Buffalo State faculty members:

Kathy R. Doody, professor of exceptional education, coauthored the book Medical and Educational Needs for Autism, which provides a comprehensive look at evidence-based, effective interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Joy Guarino, professor of dance and director of the Center for Global Engagement, received the National Dance Education Organization 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in creating innovative programs, curriculum, and/or projects that have had a significant impact on the field of dance education and who has demonstrated leadership on a national level. 

Curtis Haynes Jr., associate professor of economics and finance, was invited to speak as part of a panel for the Cooperative Academy, a 13 week-course facilitated by Cooperation Buffalo, a community-led resource center whose mission is to train and educate in cooperative enterprise development. Haynes was also invited to speak as part of an entrepreneurial panel, “What Does It Take to Be the Boss?” during M&T Bank College Day.

Margaret M. “Maggie” Herb, associate professor of English, has been elected vice president of the International Writing Centers Association. In October, Herb also attended the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, held in Tacoma, Washington, where she presented on the panel “Writing Centers in an Age of Austerity and Precarity: The Impact of Institutional Upheaval on the Working Lives of Peer Tutors” and cohosted the roundtable “Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going: A Roundtable Discussion on the Working Conditions of Peer Tutors.”

Dwight Hennessy, professor and chair of the Psychology Department, was an invited guest speaker on the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association, Speaking of Psychology, Episode 299: “Road Rage, Traffic Jams, and Why Driving Stresses Us Out.” This weekly podcast series highlights some of the latest and most relevant psychological research in the field, with an emphasis on helping listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.

Victor Kasper Jr., associate professor of economics and finance, presented his paper “A Comparison of Approaches to Estimating the Rate of Surplus Value, Rate of Profit, and the Net Operating Rate of Profit: The Issue of Capital” at the 14th annual conference of the International Initiative for Promoting Political Economy, held at Bilgi University in Istanbul, Turkey. The paper is a collaborative work with Nikos Stravelakis of the Department of Economics at National Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Joelle Leclaire, professor and chair of the Economics and Finance Department, published the chapter “Government Debt in the Modern Money System” in The Elgar Companion to Modern Monetary Theory. Leclaire was also interviewed by Jeff Shober about the impact of Lake Erie on the regional economy for the article “Local Innovation Strengthens the Great Lakes Ecosystem,” published on the website Buffalo Tales.

Lorna Perez, associate professor of English, was selected to continue her work as a SUNY Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Fellow for 2024–2025. Perez also presented two community talks for Just Buffalo Literary Center in anticipation of Sandra Cisneros’s visit to Buffalo on October 10. On October 2, she led an online virtual discussion of The House on Mango Street, which she has published two articles on, and on October 7, she led an in-person discussion at Tipico Coffee. 

Xingwang Qian, professor of economics and finance, presented his research paper “Cyclicality of International Reserves, Exchange Rate Flexibility, and Output Volatility” at the French/Japanese Conference on Asian and International Economies in an Era of Globalization, held at Sciences Po Aix in Aix-en-Provence, France. With Vida Vanchan, interim associate dean of the School of the Professions and director of the Global Studies Institute, Qian presented the research paper, “Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in ASEAN Countries: US Decoupling Strategies?” at the annual New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS), hosted by the University at Buffalo. 

Dana Faye Serure, assistant professor of history and social studies education, and her coauthors published the article “Why Wasn’t Participation in Government Enough? A Historical Policy Analysis of PIG and the Seal of Civic Readiness” in the August 2024 issue of the Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education 13.

Deborah Silverman, associate professor and chair of the Communication Department, was elected to a two-year term as secretary of the national Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) for 2025 and 2026 at CPRE’s annual meeting October 14 in Fullerton, California. Silverman is serving as commission secretary in 2024, the commission’s first year as a 501(c)(3) organization. CPRE provides recommendations on undergraduate and graduate PR curriculum, through periodic reports, to public relations programs at colleges and universities across the U.S.

Angela C. Thering, lecturer in the Higher Education Administration and Adult Education Department, presented in two sessions at the SUNY OER Summit 2024, supported by SUNY CPD: “Instructor Reflections on Torus and OLI at Carnegie Mellon: Gathering and Using Data as Part of the Iterative Design Process” and with a panel of DS4EDU fellows in a session titled “Learning about Learning: Opportunities and Experiences in OLI Professional Development.”

Jie Zhang, SUNY Distinguished Professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies, coauthored and published the articles “Orbital Frontal Cortex Functional Connectivity during Gain Anticipation Linking the Rumination and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Late Adolescence” and “Declining Suicide Rates in China (1990–2017): Gender and Age Specific Analyses” in the Journal of Affective Disorders. He also coauthored and published the chapter “Suicidal Ideation among Chinese College Students over a Decade” in Global Perspectives on Adolescents and Their Families; published his research paper “Some Reflections on the Role of Science in Human Civilizations” (PDF, 350 KB) in the Archives of Humanities & Social Sciences Research; and coauthored and published the research study “Religion, Religiosity, and Health in China.”

Photo courtesy of Lorena Mathien.