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Influential Books Selected by Tenure, Promotion or PIR Awardees

Awardees' Book Choices (N-R)

Rajeev NairNair, Rajeev: (2019 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, ME)

Laser Material Processing by William M. Steen and Jyotirmoy Mazumder

I selected this book because it is the great merit of this book to offer a compact survey on laser material processing. A useful and fascinating book, pleasant to read with many useful figures and examples of industrial applications. It is a textbook for advanced students in this field, but also a reference book for engineers. It is a clear and instructive textbook for students who will become the next generation of laser specialists, and it is a good source of updated knowledge for practicing engineers and technicians in optoelectronics, laser processing, materials treatment, and advanced manufacturing. The book also will be helpful as a reference source.

Vinod NamboodiriNamboodiri, Vinod: (2019 Promotion, EECS)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow

I selected this book because it drives home the point that life is finite and we must prioritize what we want to do with it. I liked this book because it was wrote by a computer science professor who knew that he only had a few months left to live and wanted to share his life lessons.

Vindo NamboordiriNamboodiri, Vinod: (2014 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

"I selected this book because it helped me manage my email inbox and organize tasks. It made me think of a plan to manage the constant barrage of tasks that come at me.”

 

Enrique NavarroNavarro, Enrique: (2020 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature)

Selected Poems by Bertolt Brecht

"I read an anthology of Brecht's poetry translated into Spanish when I was 15 or 16 years old. It's a book that I still have in my library. I don't remember when I brought it to the US, but here it is. These poems and songs have heavily influenced the way I see life, art, and politics."

Jeff NobleNoble, Jeff: (2017 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Sport Management)

The Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership by John Wooden and Steve Jamison

"It offers valuable lessons not only on leadership, but in life.”

 

Okafor, Chinyere: (2016 Professor Incentive Review, Women's Studies & Religion)

Hypatia's Daughters: Fifteen Hundred Years of Women Philosophers by Linda L. McAlister

Okafor, Chinyere: (2007 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Women's Studies)

Women Imagine Change by Eugenia Delamotte, Natania Meeker, and Jean O'Barr

"I selected this book because it is a collection of interdisplinary writings about gender and class struggles across the globe from 1600 BC to the present that inspires contemporary engagements.”

Robert OwensOwens, Robert M.: (2016 Promotion, History)

A Spirited Resistance: The North American Indian Struggle for Unity, 1745-1815 by Gregory Evans Dowd

"Professor Dowd’s work, with its breadth and depth of analysis, proved an inspiration.”

 

Robert OwensOwens, Robert: (2010 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of History)

The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650-1815 by Richard White

The Middle Ground proved to be a watershed book for me in graduate school, and continues to be one of the most influential books ever written about my area of interest, the Trans-Appalachian frontier.

 

Lisa ParcellParcell, Lisa: (2014 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Elliott School of Communication)

Food is Love: Advertising and Gender Roles in Modern America by Katherine J. Parkin

"This is the first scholarly book that addresses the incredible and enduring brand loyalty public relations and advertising professionals have created over decades of appealing to women shoppers. I find myself regularly buying the same brand-name food shelf staples that my mother did and her mother before her – a loyalty that began over 80 years ago. This book inspired my own research exploring the appeals and promotions used by advertising and public relations professionals to reflect the culture and concerns of women in the early Twentieth century.”

Douglas ParhamParham, Douglas: (2014 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders)

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn

"I selected this book because it is one of the most important attempts by a thinker to describe how scientific ideas happen.”

 

Susan ParsonsParsons, Susan: (2014 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, School of Nursing)

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

"I selected this book because it has truly influenced my life. It points readers to the Bible in a daily devotion for a year. I have read it each day for several years. Each sentence causes one to think deeply about life, including the purpose of life, essentials of life, and truth. Perseverance and peace are common themes that run through this book, which encourages strength for the reader. Regarding education, I am motivated by a thought from this book, that the author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.”

Jean PattersonPatterson, Jean: (2012 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership)

The Social Psychology of Organizing by Karl E. Weick

"It was difficult to narrow it down to a single book, but I selected this one because it had a profound influence on my thinking, not only about organizations, but also about the nature of reality. I was first exposed to the book in my first doctoral course in fall 1992 and was immediately challenged by Weick's thesis. I have reread the book many times and continue to find new insights in it – Weick's theorizing about organizations has stood the test of time.

Patterson, Jean: (2021 Successful Completion of Professor Incentive Review, Department of Counseling, Edu. Leadership and School Psychology)

Particularities: Collected Essays on Ethnography and Education by George W. Noblit

"I selected this book Because George Noblit was one of my mentors when I was a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina and he continued to provide mentorship until his recent retirement. This book embodies George's influence on my thinking and I saw this as a good opportunity to honor him, as I would not have this career in academia without his mentorship and friendship."

Patterson, Jeremy: (2010 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Human Performance Studies)

Consumption: How to Prevent It and How to Live With It by N.S. Davis, Jr.

Randomly came about this book when my interest was plant physiology, this book led to my research track in studying ‘Exercise as Medicine’. This is one of the first books to provide recommendations of an exercise program for treatment of a chronic disease. I keep a copy in my office and will often carry it to lecture.

Jenny PearsonPearson, Jenny: (2014 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Sociology)

Sexual Conduct: The Social Sources of Human Sexuality by John H. Gagnon and William Simon

"I selected this book because it has had such an influence on my work. In Sexual Conduct, Gagnon and Simon break down essentialist notions of sexuality (and of gender!), revealing how culture shapes our perceptions, desires, relationships, and well-being. Their description of sexual scripts illustrate how social context shapes the way we interpret and express sexual feelings as well as how we experience our sexuality (for example, whether it contributes to feelings of empowerment or of shame). Such an understanding is key to advocating for safe schools for LGBTQ youth, equality in heterosexual relationships, or promoting sexual well-being and reducing sexual violence.”

Debra PilePile, Debra: (2016 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Nursing)

What Would Florence Do? A Guide for New Nurse Managers by Sue Johnson

"When I entered Nursing School, I fell in love with the history and determination of Florence Nightingale. I accumulated every book about her and especially enjoyed her "Notes on Nursing” book. I took the Nightingale Pledge as I began my nursing career and recited it in my remarks as a speaker at the School of Nursing pinning ceremony when I received my Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree here at Wichita State University.

"I have found that the more nursing changes, the more her guiding principles remain true and imperative in our quest to provide optimal care for our patients. This new book, yes- evidently she is still publishing- offers great insight into working with others, managing the changes in healthcare, and leading and guiding others in the field of nursing. When I read this book, I thought how much easier my transition into management might have been had I had this resource. As was Florence’s way, it is short, precise, timely, and enduring.”

Jeff PulaskiPulaski, Jeff: (2014 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, School of Art and Design)

American Wood Type 1828-1900 by Rob Roy Kelly

"I selected this book because: I have a passion for wood type and letterpress printing. Mr. Kelly’s book shows the remarkable range of creativity within typographic design during the 1800s and clearly explains the industry as it existed. I find many of the specimens of type that he displays to be wonderfully creative. This book alongside Mac McGrew’s American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century paint an interesting picture of typographic design in America for the past 200 years.”

Rai, Atul: (2010 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, School of Accountancy)

Economics: An Introductory Analysis by Paul Samuelson

"Dr. Samuelson was the first American economist to win the Nobel Prize in Economics. This book influenced my eventual career choice. I came across this book in my senior year as a mechanical engineering student at IIT Kanpur. The book is so well written that I became interested in economics, and after completing my undergraduate studies, I thought of doing my MBA, rather than masters in engineering. Eventually, I ended up completing my PhD in accounting, an area where I used fundamental concepts of economics quite a bit."

Aaron RifeRife, Aaron: (2020 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, School of Education)

Experience and Education by John Dewey

"This is the sacred text for those who teach or want to teach. Based off his observations from running the University of Chicago’s lab school in the early 20th century, Dewey laid out a vision of progressive, experience-based and socially responsible teaching that is just as relevant and important today."

 

Gina RiggsRiggs, Gina: (2022 Promotion to Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders)

Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts by Brene Brown

“I selected this book because of Brene’s ideas in leadership which are summarized below. When I stepped into my leadership role, I wanted to become the leader that I knew I would want leading me. “When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work.”

Nicole RogersRogers, Nicole: (2018 Promotion, Department of Public Health Services)

ACSM's Exercise for Older Adults by Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko

"I selected this book because not only is the content of the textbook at the core of my academic and research interests, Dr. Chodzko-Zajko was an incredibly influential person in both my personal and academic career. I selected this book in honor of a mentor and friend, who saw in me the capacity and capability to achieve great things.”

Nicole RogersRogers, Nicole: (2013 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences)

Physical Dimensions of Aging by Waneen W. Spirduso, Karen L. Francis and Priscilla G. MacRae

"Physical Dimensions of Aging, embodies what I do as an aging studies professional. The main objective of the text is to discuss the impact of good health and physical exercise/activity on the aging process. The writing style and extensive referencing is useful for both graduate students and researchers with interest in medicine, nursing, therapy, exercise physiology, psychology, aging, health promotion and social work. Physical aging is multi-factorial and affects us cognitively, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. The text explores how people physically age and how this aging impacts other dimensions of life. The text provides comprehensive reviews dealing with the causes of ageing, how physical activity affects quality of life, individual differences and biological age, physiological changes with age, falls and cognitive function. The text examines gaps in knowledge and further discusses the science and implementation of a variety of interventions designed to positively impact all aspects of ageing. The text's finale is an inspirational chapter on the elite older athlete-reminding us that we should never underestimate the physical capabilities and potential of older people. A 'must read' for professional and student alike. At a time when many people are telling older adults what they can't do, professionals should be telling them what they can do. Physical Dimensions of Aging, will equip professionals to do so.”

Chris RogersRogers, Chris: (2012 Promotion to Professor, Department of Biological Sciences)

Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

"It was written by a brilliant natural historian.”

 

Chris RogersRogers, Chris: (2006 Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences)

Birds of Eastern and Central North America (5th edition) by Roger Tory Peterson

I selected this book because it is on illuminating and motivating exploration of natural biodiversity.

 

Dean RoushRoush, Dean: (2020 Professor Incentive Review, School of Music)

Random Symmetries: The Collected Poems of Tom Andrews by Tom Andrews

"This posthumous volume brings together the poems of Tom Andrews, whose untimely death in 2001 cut off a career marked by early achievement and remarkable innovation. It comprises two previously published books, The Brother’s Country and The Hemophiliac’s Motorcycle, and two unpublished manuscripts, closing with two late uncollected poems. Tom was my first cousin, and these works have given inspiration to my own musical compositions over many years."

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