Mark Cavanaugh

Mark Cavanaugh, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS). He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Literature from Iona College (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and Master's and Doctoral degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Cavanaugh has been at NSU since 1988 and was a founding member of the undergraduate faculty. He has taught a wide variety of courses in the Social Sciences, as well as many interdisciplinary courses, and has also taught in the Honors program (now College) since its inception. He has developed and taught both The Problem of Consciousness (a contemporary survey of brain science) and The Nuclear Dilemma (aka America at the Dawn of the Atomic Age). For the Sociology major program, Dr. Cavanaugh teaches classical and contemporary social theory as well as courses on the sociology of religion, sports, and the city. He is also a musician and has conducted orchestras in Europe and the United States. He composed music and lyrics for both the NSU Alma Mater and its Victory March. Dr. Cavanaugh also founded the NSU Festival Orchestra, which performs at commencements and other university ceremonies. Currently, he is working on a book combining neuroscience and the rise of Western classical music.