A new book edited by Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano, EdD, PhD, associate dean of innovative and collaborative pedagogy at the George Washington University (GW) and associate professor of clinical research and leadership and of pediatrics at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Shalini Misra, PhD, of Virginia Tech, looks at the relationship between team science and cross-disciplinary studies through the lens of team communications.
The book, “Communication in Transdisciplinary Teams,” provides a variety of perspectives on how these fields converge using specific cases, said Lotrecchiano. “The chapters illustrate how competence and skill, philosophy, leadership, knowledge, technology, complexity, culture, and entrepreneurship studies all contribute to unique perspectives that answer the question: What is communication in teams?”
Lotrecchiano said that he and Misra, in seeking to contribute to the discourse on team science and transdisciplinary theory and education, decided to produce a volume of articles that were specifically positioned to embrace team-science principles through the exploration of cross-disciplinary research, practice, and engagement.
The audience for the book includes practicing team scientists, as well as those who are curious about engaging in transdisciplinary work, Lotrecchiano said.
“Both students and professionals can learn from this volume by exploring the theory, research, and contemporary responses to the problem of mapping what is communication,” he said. “We were careful to include discussion questions and lists of seminal works in every chapter, in addition to our own scholarship, so that the volume can be a catalyst to motivate others to draw from their own research and practice contexts.”
He added that he hopes the book highlights the mechanisms and processes of team communication and not simply the outcomes and goals of teams.
