Mark A. Brennan Ph.D.

Responsibilities

75% Teaching
25% Research

Research Interests

My research, teaching, writing, and program development concentrates on the role of community and leadership development in the community, youth, and rural development process.  In this context, much of my work has focused on community action, civic engagement, youth development, locally based natural resource management, economic development, and social justice.  This work has involved extensive comparative research throughout the United States, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Japan, Vietnam, Kenya, and Mexico. 

Honors/Awards

2012 Community of Teaching Excellence Award
Fulbright Scholar, 2011, National University of Ireland, Galway
Distinguished Honors Teaching Faculty. Schreyer Honors College/PSU. 2011-2014
Current Research Award from the Community Development Society, 2010
UNESCO Fellow, National University of Ireland-Galway, 2009
Visiting Research Fellow, National University of Ireland-Galway, 2007 & 2008
Richard Jones Outstanding New Faculty Research Award, University of Florida, 2008
Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiba University, Japan, 2007

Current/Recent Courses

• AEE 360, Leadership Development for Small Groups 
• AEE 460, Foundations of Leadership Development 
• AEE 465, Leadership Practices - Power, Influence, and Impact
• AEE/CEDEV 505, Leadership Development

Selected Publications

Buta, N., Brennan, M.A., Holland, S., and Kaplanidou, K.  2012.  “Rural Romanian Communities: A Mixed Method Investigation of Community Attachment.”  Journal of Rural Social Sciences. (in press).

Tobin, D., Brennan, M.A., Olsen, B., and Bruening, T.  2012.  “Agricultural Extension and Market-Led Agrarian Reform:  Findings from an Exploratory Case Study in Limpopo Province, South Africa.”  The Journal of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. (in press).

McGrath, B., Brennan, M.A., Dolan, P., and Barnett, R.  2012.  “Adolescents and their Networks of Social Support: Real Connections in Real Lives?”  Child and Family Social Work. (in press).

Matarrita-Cascante, D. and Brennan. M.A.  2012. “Conceptualizing Community Development in the 21st Century”. Journal of the Community Development Society. (in press). 

Radhakrishna, R., Tobin, D., Brennan, M.A., Thomson, J.  2012.  “Ensuring Data Quality in Extension Research and Evaluation Studies.”  Journal of Extension.  50(3): June 2012.

McGrath, B. and Brennan, M.A. 2011. “Tradition, Cultures and Communities: Exploring the Potentials of Music and the Arts for Community Development in Appalachia.”  Journal of the Community Development Society.  42(3): 332-350.

Matarrita-Cascante, D., Brennan, M.A., and Luloff, A.E. 2011. "Community Agency and Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of La Fortuna, Costa Rica." Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 22(1): 1-22.

Bates, S.L., Barnett, R.V., Brennan, M.A. and Israel, G.D.  2010.  “Understanding the link between gender role conflict, resilience, and propensity for suicide in adolescent and emerging adult males”. International Journal of Men's Health.  9(3): 201-210.

Kurihara, S., Maruyama, A., Shimoura, S. and Brennan, M. A. 2010. “A Structural Analysis of Environmental Preservation Consciousness and Behavior: Findings from a Survey of the Everglades Region.”  Japanese Journal of Farm Management. 48(2):  113-118.

Kurihara, S., Maruyama, A., Shimoura, S. and Brennan, M. A. 2010. “International Difference in Consumers' Food Safety Concern: Comparison between Japan, the United States, China, and Ireland.” HortResearch, 64: 67-75.

Bates, S.L., Barnett, R.V., Brennan, M.A. and Israel, G.D.  2010.  “Gender Role Conflict and Resiliency in Adolescent/Emerging Adult Males”. Journal of Men’s Studies.   18(1): 3-21.

Kurihara, S., Shimoura, S., Brennan, M. A., and Maruyama, A.  2009. “Purchasing Behavior of Co-op Members toward Food Safety: Using the Multinominal Logit Analysis which Introduced the Reference Point Concept.”  Japanese Journal of Farm Management 47(1):145-148．

Bridger, J.C., Brennan, M.A., and Luloff, A.E. 2009. “The Interactional Approach to Community”, Chapter 9, p. 85-100 included in J. Robinson and G. Green (eds.), New Perspectives in Community Development. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press.

Brennan, M.A., and Barnett, R. 2009. “Bridging Community and Youth Development: Exploring Theory, Research, and Application.” Journal of the Community Development Society. 44(4): 305-311.

Brennan, M.A., Barnett, R., and McGrath, B. 2009. “The Intersection of Youth & Community Development in Ireland and Florida: Building Stronger Communities through Youth Civic Engagement.” Journal of the Community Development Society . 44(4): 331-346. 

Bolton, E., Brennan, M.A. and Terry, B. 2009. "Students Learn How Nonprofits Utilize Volunteers through Inquiry-Based Learning." International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 21(3): 285-294.

McGrath, B., Brennan, M.A., Dolan, P., and Barnett, R. 2009. “Adolescent well-being and supporting contexts: a comparison of rural adolescents in Ireland and Florida.” Journal Community and Applied Social Psychology . 19: 299-320.

Brennan, M.A., and Dodd, A. 2009. “Exploring Citizen Involvement in the Restoration of the Florida Everglades.” Society and Natural Resources. 22(4): 324-338.

Brennan, M.A., C. Flint, and Luloff, A.E. 2009. “Bringing Together Local Culture and Rural Development: Findings from Ireland, Pennsylvania, and Alaska.” Sociologia Ruralis. 49(1): 97-112.

Brennan, M.A. and Israel, G. 2008. “The Power of Community: Advancing Community Theory by Understanding Community Power.” Journal of the Community Development Society . 39(2): 82-98.

Brennan, M. A. and Brown, R. 2008. “Standing at the Crossroads: Advances, Obstacles, and Future Directions for Community Theory.” Journal of the Community Development Society . 39(2): 1-5.

Barnett, R.V. and Brennan, M.A. 2008. “Youth Volunteers: The Effects of Influences, Motivations, and Receptivity on Volunteerism.” International Journal of Volunteer Administration. 25(1): 39-51.

Brennan, M.A. 2008. “Conceptualizing Resiliency: An Interactional Perspective for Community and Youth Development.” Special issue of Child Care in Practice Building - Resilience in Children, Families, and Communities. 14(1): 55-64.

Brennan, M.A., Barnett, R., and Lesmeister, M. 2007. “Enhancing Leadership, Local Capacity, and Youth Involvement in the Community Development Process: Findings from a Survey of Florida Youth.” Journal of the Community Development Society . 38(4): 13-27.

Brennan, M.A. and Flint, C. 2007. “Uncovering the Hidden Dimensions of Rural Disaster Mitigation: Capacity Building through Community Emergency Response Teams.” Southern Rural Sociology. 22(2): 104-118.

Flint, C. and Brennan, M.A. 2007. “Rural Communities and Disaster: Research from the US Gulf States and Beyond.” Southern Rural Sociology. 22(2): 1-4.

Brennan, M.A., Barnett, R., and Baugh, E. 2007. “Youth Involvement in Community Development: Implications and Possibilities for Extension.” Journal of Extension 45(4): http://www.joe.org/joe/2007august/a3.shtml.

Brennan, M.A. 2007. “Placing Volunteers at the Center of Community Development.” International Journal of Volunteer Administration. 24(4): 5-13.

Brennan, M.A., Luloff, A.E., and Ricketts, K. D. 2007. “A Comparison of Agency at the Community Level: Findings from Rural Ireland and Pennsylvania.” International Review of Modern Sociology. 33(1): 97-116.

Brennan, M.A. and Luloff, A.E. 2007. “Exploring Rural Community Agency Differences in Ireland and Pennsylvania.” Journal of Rural Studies 23: 52-61.

Brennan, M.A. 2007. “The Development of Community in the West of Ireland: A Return to Killala Twenty Years On.” Community Development Journal. 42(3): 330-374.

Barnett, R. and Brennan, M.A. 2006. “Integrating Youth into Community Development: Implications for Policy Planning and Program Evaluation.” Journal of Youth Development. 1(2): 2-16.

Flint, C. and Brennan, M.A. 2006. “Community Emergency Response Teams: From disaster responders to community builders.” Rural Realities. 1(3): 1-9.

Luloff, A.E., Bridger, J.C., and Brennan, M.A. 2006. “Achieving Sustainable Communities,” p. 393-416 included in R B. McKinstry, C. M. Ripp, E. Lisy (eds.), Biological Conservation Handbook: State, Local, and Private Protection of Biological Diversity. Washington, DC: Environmental Law Institute.

Brennan, M.A., Flint, C., and Barnett, R. 2005. “Community Volunteers: The Front Line of Disaster Response.” Journal of Volunteer Administration. 23(4): 52-56.

Brennan, M.A., Luloff, A.E., and Finley, J.C. 2005. “Building Sustainable Communities in Forested Regions.” Society and Natural Resources. 18(9): 1-11.

Brennan, M.A. 2005. “Volunteerism and Community Development: A Comparison of Factors Shaping Volunteer Behavior in Ireland and America.” Journal of Volunteer Administration. 23(2): 20-28.

Brennan, M.A. and Luloff, A.E. 2005. “A Cooperative Approach to Rural Development in Ireland: Cultural Artifacts and the Irish Diaspora as an Example.” Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education. 12(1): 15-25.

Luloff, A.E., Brennan, M.A., and Bridger, J.C. 2004. “The Economic Impact of Tourism in Adams County: The Influence of Gettysburg National Military Park and the Eisenhower National Historic Site,” p. 349-355 included in Camarda et al. (eds.) Global Challenges of Parks and Protective Area Management. Carlo Delfino Publishers: Sassari, IT.

Books

Brennan, M.A., (ed.)  2013. Community Leadership Development:  A Compendium of Theory, Research, and Application.  Routledge/Taylor & Francis Publishers.

Brennan, M.A., Bridger, J.C., and Alter, T. (eds.)  2013.  Theory, Practice, and Community Development.  Routledge/Taylor & Francis Publishers.