G’80s
Dr. Susan H. McFadden G’85 was recently featured on NPR’s Morning Edition in a story about Memory Cafes and her work to expand them across the country. Susan shares, “Memory Cafes are opportunities for people living with some type of dementia and their care partners to gather for enjoyable, meaningful social programs. They happen in actual cafes, libraries, senior centers, nature centers, etc. Research shows benefits for people with dementia and care partners since the stigma associated with dementia often produces social isolation and loneliness. There is a Memory Cafe in Summit and also in Montclair. My work has resulted in 14 Memory Cafes every month in a 4-county region of northeast Wisconsin; Wisconsin has over 100 Memory Cafes, the most of any state.” Susan is Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where she focused on dementia, aging, and spirituality. She co-founded the nonprofit Fox Valley Memory Project (www.foxvalleymemoryproject.org) in 2012 and continues to volunteer with its programs, all aimed at building a dementia-friendly community. Her most recent book is Dementia-Friendly Communities: Why We Need Them and How We Can Create Them (2020). Her doctoral work at Drew University focused on Psychology and Religion, with particular emphasis on the experiences of older adults. That has been a persistent theme in her scholarly work, and one chapter in the recent book addresses theological reflections on dementia and the human spirit. She also co-authored Aging Together: Dementia, Friendship, and Flourishing Communities (2011) with her husband, Rev. John McFadden T’74, who earned his M.Div. from Drew and served as a pastor in New Jersey and Wisconsin for more than 30 years. Read or listen to the full NPR story here.
G’90s
Dr. Stephen Finlan G’99 shares, “I want to let you know about my most recent book! The Drama of Job: Burning Questions and Incomplete Answers (Cascade Books) digs into the burning questions about suffering, justice, and mercy in the Book of Job. One of its features is a sympathetic exploration of the theology of mercy offered by the character Elihu.The appendix is an innovative stageplay that highlights Elihu’s role, and has a surprise ending. The book can be purchased at wipfandstock.com, Amazon.com, or ThriftBooks.com. This hopeful book needs to be read.”
