Donald R. LaMagdeleine, Ph.D.

I have a varied – some might say strange – blend of interdisciplinary “tap roots.” As an undergraduate I was a double psychology and philosophy major. Besides a Ph. D. in sociology I have an M. A. in History and Phenomenology of Religion. My early academic research focused on the sociology off religion, mostly concerning U.S. Catholicism. More recently I focused on educational policy and leadership using mostly qualitative methods. My current research interest is the numerous ways in which key aspects of many types of professional work reflect strong cultural norms often associated with religious beliefs and rituals.

The beginning of my faculty career coincided with the UST Leadership Doctoral program’s founding. I have advised over 45 dissertations (all at UST) on a wide spectrum of topics. Most of these dissertations have used some variety of Chicago School/grounded theory, cultural ethnography and/or survey methods. I have co-published or presented with a number of authors whose dissertations I chaired.