Faculty/Staff Achievements Roundup: Puccio and Yudess co-edit new book on creativity

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

Gerard J. Puccio, SUNY distinguished professor, chair of the Creativity and Change Leadership Department, , and leader of the Center for Applied Imagination, and Jo A. Yudess, adjunct assistant professor in the Creativity and Change Leadership Department, are among the editors of the recently published The Mid-Century Creativity Reader from Oxford University Press. The book brings together 27 previously unpublished speeches delivered between 1950 and 1970 by influential figures who helped shape the emerging field of creativity, along with commentary from contemporary scholars who connect these historical contributions to current creativity research and practice. Puccio served as the lead editor, with Yudess as the third editor, emphasizing Buffalo State’s continued contributions to the field of creativity.

The publication of The Mid-Century Creativity Reader by Oxford University Press highlights an important period in creative studies; it was during this time that creativity began to emerge as a recognized field of professional practice. The book brings together 27 previously unpublished speeches delivered by pioneering thinkers, along with contemporary commentaries from scholars. These contributions offer readers a closer look at the voices and ideas of those who helped launch the creativity movement.

“The publication is a source of great pride because Buffalo State has played such a central role in the development of applied creativity,” Puccio said. “Having Oxford University Press, one of the world’s most respected academic publishers, brings these historical contributions to a global audience is an important recognition of the intellectual heritage of our field.”

The publication of The Mid-Century Creativity Reader comes on the heels of the June opening of the Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection in Buffalo State University’s E. H. Butler Library. The collection features more than 5,000 books on creativity and creative problem-solving. It also provides collaborative spaces for students, scholars, and professionals to explore creative thinking and innovation, as well as a tangible connection to the people, publications, and ideas that helped shape the field. Both of these achievements preserve the history of creativity studies while also making it accessible to future generations.

Puccio said he sees these as complementary achievements, as well as investments in Buffalo State’s future.

“These achievements are part of a larger and exciting chapter in Buffalo State's history,” Puccio said. “With the opening of the AFO Brainstorming Room, the establishment of the Parnes Creativity Collection, and the launch of our new Doctor of Professional Studies in Creativity and Change Leadership—the first doctoral program at Buffalo State—we are simultaneously honoring our pioneering roots and creating new opportunities for scholarship, education, and the practical application of creativity.” 

In addition to Puccio and Yudess’ publication, here are some other recent outstanding achievements by Buffalo State faculty and staff members:

John Abromeit, professor of history and social studies education, is the lead editor of the book, The Internationalization of Critical Theory: Frankfurt School Receptions in Europe, the Americas and East Asia, which was just published by Bloomsbury Academic. The volume brings together 16 scholars from around the world, who write about the history of the reception of the critical social theory of the Frankfurt School in their respective countries.

Alexandra Allen, assistant professor of art education received word from Routledge’s editorial board regarding her book proposal, “Inclusion in Art Education: Reimagining Pedagogy Through Disability Studies,” and it was “enthusiastically accepted.” They offered a contract with a final manuscript deadline for September 2027.

Jozef Bajus, associate professor of fibers hosted a Shibori workshop on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a group interested in fibers. The group won the workshop experience for up to 10 people as a $500 prize during the Bengala 2026 Gala at Buffalo State University.

Byron Brown, Laurie Buonanno, and Frederick Floss, faculty in Buffalo State’s Business, Economics, and Public Administration Department, edited Governing New York State Through Crises, a new book published by SUNY Press. The book was featured in City and State magazine in August. Lisa Parshall of Daemen University and the Rockefeller Institute also contributed as an editor.

María Chesterton, professor of history and social studies education, has been speaking to the press about her experience with postpartum psychosis in 2019 after the birth of her daughter. She has shared her story to raise awareness and understanding surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial. Her experience has been covered by the Associated Press and featured on NEWS10 ABC in Albany. In October, Dr. Chesterton will chair a panel titled “Madness in the Family” at the American Studies Association meeting in Chicago, sharing her personal experience and insights to encourage greater awareness, understanding, and social change around this medical emergency.

Ikhee Cho, assistant professor of public administration, recently published the article “From Assistant to Principal: How Internal Promotion Improves School Accountability” in the journal Leadership and Policy in Schools

Ricky L. Fleming, professor of music, recently performed in the D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre’s production of A Night With Janis Joplin.

Frances Gage, associate professor of art and design, published the book chapter, “Climate, Snow Architecture and Machines in Federico Zuccari's Dimora di Parma and in the Reception of the Gonzaga Wedding Celebrations of 1608,” in Celebrations at Court: Ephemeral Objects, Materials, and Machinery in the Early Modern Period, ed. Anne Haack Christensen, Maria Fabricius Hansen, Jesper Svenningsen, and Lisbet Tarp (New Haven and Aarhus: Yale University Press and Aarhus University Press, 2026). 

Keira Hambrick, assistant professor in the College Writing Program and English Department, published a chapter titled “What Do Students Know? Investigating the Prior Knowledge Assumptions and Attitudes of First-Year Writing Instructors” in Radical Frameworks for Writing Transfer: Toward Epistemological Justice in Academic Writing Contexts. The chapter reports on a nationwide study of writing instructors’ assumptions about students’ prior knowledge and emphasizes the importance of recognizing students’ different learning experiences and backgrounds.

Dae-Young Kim, professor of criminal justice, wrote the article, “Pedestrian Stops and Shootings: A System GMM Analysis by Stop Initiation Type and Victim Fatality,” which was published in the July 2026 issue of the Journal of Experimental Criminology. 

Jason Knight, associate professor of government, planning, and philosophy, is leading a local team working with the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) on its Healthy Housing Innovations Project. The project brings together communities in six cities, including Buffalo, to promote healthier and more equitable housing by focusing on affordability, quality, and residential stability. The team aims to develop solutions that address local housing challenges and improve residents’ well-being. Knight organized a local stakeholder group that includes representatives from Heart of the City Neighborhoods, the City of Buffalo, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice. He will attend the ISUH Annual International Conference in Mexico City in October.

David Mawer, assistant professor of art and design, had his animated series Arrangements for Robotic Arm selected for presentation at Antimatter, a media arts festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Now in its 29th year, Antimatter is described by FilmFreeway as one of the most important media arts events in Canada and the world.

Andrea Nikischer, associate professor of adult education, presented at the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) Annual Conference on September 18, 2026. Her presentation, “Faculty Agency in the Age of A.I.: Defining and Enacting Your A.I. Teaching Philosophy,” was featured as part of the Commission of Professors of Adult Education program during the conference’s Virtual Day.

Brent Patterson, associate professor of art and design, will be presenting at the Blender Conference in Amsterdam about the content creation work he and his students are doing for the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium. Patterson has been running a meetup on campus for the past couple of months that brings designers and creatives and potential students from around Western New York for creative sessions to learn about Blender, 3D animation industry’s leading free and open-source software

Gary Solar, chair and professor of geosciences, co-authored a paper titled Structural, Geochemical and Temporal Relations in the Southern Maine Migmatite-Granite Complex, USA, published in a special issue of the Geological Society of London journal. The research explores the geological history of coastal Maine rocks from about 300 million years ago, when North America collided with what is now Africa. The paper builds on more than 30 years of geological research and includes findings from 23 student projects involving 27 undergraduate students, 11 of whom received summer research fellowships through Buffalo State University.

Shasti O’Leary Soudant , assistant professor of art and design, was one of the artists selected to create site-specific artwork for the new Highmark Stadium. The completed collection, including O’Leary Soudant’s piece, BILLS WIN!, was unveiled at the start of the season.

Lede photo by Buffalo State Marketing & Communications; headshots courtesy of subjects.