Wednesday, September 13, 2006
by: Jill Matthews

Donna Gaffney is an advisory board member for Families of September 11th. Christopher Sharrett offers his expertise to media regarding 9/11 films.

Since September 12, 2001, Donna Gaffney, professor of nursing, has been working with families directly affected by Sept. 11. As an advisory board member for Families of September 11th, Gaffney speaks weekly with Sept. 11 families, even recently accompanying them to a family members-only screening of Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center.

Besides sharing her compassion with these families, Gaffney also shares her unique expertise in psychiatric-mental health nursing and trauma in children’s lives with media outlets across the nation. Gaffney was recently interviewed about the impact of Sept. 11 five years later by Newhouse News Service, Star-Ledger, Poughkeepsie Journal, Arizona Republic, and NJN.

On Monday, Gaffney will discuss Sept. 11 and its impact in a live interview on Channel 9 at approximately 12:45 p.m. You can also see Gaffney interviewed on WNBC-TV Channel 4 and WCBS-TV Channel 2 that same day.

Gaffney has long addressed the issues of trauma in children's lives, working with schools following the Challenger explosion and with families following the Pan Am 103 crash in Scotland. Besides her direct work with Sept. 11 families, Gaffney has also provided training for schools, communities, and professionals in the aftermath of the events of September 11.

In addition to numerous academic publications, Dr. Gaffney is the author of The Seasons of Grief: Helping Children Grow Through Loss. Media-savvy, Gaffney has been interviewed in the past by Nightline, TODAY Show, Court TV and WNBC-TV.
9/11 Films and Pop Culture
Donna Gaffney isn’t the only Seton Hall faculty expert in the news.
Christopher Sharrett, professor of film and communication, has been offering his expertise to media interested in the pop culture and film angle of Sept. 11.
On Sept. 11, Sharrett will join Channel 9 anchor Brenda Blackmon for a live in-studio interview immediately after the end of the ceremony at Ground Zero. Sharrett will discuss the cultural impact of the films United 93 and World Trade Center with Blackmon.
Earlier this year, Sharrett gave numerous media interviews on Sept. 11-related films, including an interview with the Baltimore Sun on whether it was too soon for a film like United 93. Sharrett frequently works with media and has been interviewed by such widely known national news media as The History Channel, USA Today, Dallas Morning News and FOXNews.com. 

For more information please contact:
Jill Matthews
(973) 378-2695
mattheji@shu.edu