Brenda Gaydosh

Brenda Gaydosh
  • Professor of History
  • Graduate Coordinator
  • Department: History
  • Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • Email: BGaydosh@wcupa.edu

Education

  • B.S., Mathematics, 1980
  • M.A., History, West Chester University, 1999
  • Ph.D., History, American University, 2010

Research Interests

Catholic Church20th-century GermanyCatholic bishop of Berlin

Opportunities

Work Study Positions Available: No

Grant Funded Positions Available: No

Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: No

Volunteer Research Positions Available: No

Biography

This is Professor Gaydosh's second career. She earned a B.S. degree in Mathematics in 1980 and worked as an actuarial analyst for 15 years. In her late 30s, Brenda returned to school, earning her M.A. in history from West Chester University (1999) and Ph.D. in history from American University (2010). Dr. Gaydosh has presented numerous papers including several internationally. She was the group leader for two EF College Study Tours: "The Holocaust in Europe," in summer 2012 and "WWII in Western Europe" in summer 2013. She also traveled with students to Rwanda in 2014 and 2019. Dr. Gaydosh was promoted to Associate Professor of History in 2014 and Professor in 2020. Dr. Gaydosh's research interests lie in the history of the Catholic Church in 20th-century Germany. She published a biography, Bernhard Lichtenberg: Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr of the Nazi Regime, in 2017 and edited Connections: Memoirs of an American Historian in the Communist East Bloc in 2019. Her current research focuses on the Catholic bishop of Berlin from 1961-1979.

Contact Information

Phone: 610-436-0734

List of Publications

  • Bernhard Lichtenberg: Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr of the Nazi Regime, 2017 Connections: Memoirs of an American Historian in the Communist East Bloc, 2019