News & Events

Professor and Student Write Book Together

University Center sociology instructor Dr. Doug O'Neill has teamed up with a former student to write a book on experiencing the loss of a loved one – especially through the eyes of a widowed father.  

Dr. O'Neill is an associate professor of sociology at South Dakota State University; he teaches primarily at University Center in Sioux Falls.  His co-author and former student, Dan Gilbertson is the vice president of Summit Wealth Group, a financial planning company in Denver, Colorado.

The two men each lost their wives to cancer more than twenty years ago, and found themselves alone with young children to raise.  In "Grief Odyssey" they share their personal journeys – from the fateful diagnosis to the long years of emotional recovery.  They offer wisdom on preparing for a spouse's death, adjusting to being a single parent, and eventually finding healing.

"Grief Odyssey" is available at WinePress Publishing in both print and eBook versions.  It can be purchased online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the SDSU Bookstore.

A video trailer for Grief Odyssey can be viewed here.