Portrait close-up indoor photo view of Richard J. Jones ’74, P’04 and T. Michael McCormick ’72, M’80 (pictured left to right) smiling as both of them have a orange Bucknell hat equipped as they are seated beside each other in front of a house chimney presumably

Photo: Courtesy of Richard J. Jones and T. Michael McCormick

Richard J. Jones ’74, P’04 and T. Michael McCormick ’72, M’80 (L to R) co-wrote Rogue Cells: A Conversation on the Myths and Mysteries of Cancer.

The C Word

by Matt Jones

“Cancer” is generally perceived as a scary word, so much so that it is sometimes referred to simply as the “C word,” as if refusing to utter its full name somehow deprives it of the all-too-real power that it exerts over so many lives. However, there is also power in naming something. In fact, when it comes to cancer, Richard J. Jones ’74, P’04 and T. Michael McCormick ’72, M’80 go a couple of steps further. Speaking with equal parts candor and humor, the duo has published Rogue Cells: A Conversation on the Myths and Mysteries of Cancer, a book that seeks “to make cancer as comprehensible as possible” and, in doing so, give patients and their families the knowledge to confront the disease head on.

“I want my patients to be as knowledgeable about this disease as I am,” says Jones, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University who also serves as the director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program and the co-director of the Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I think the topic is complicated, and so one of the things I’ve tried to do in my career is to come up with analogies that sort of make a complex issue more understandable to the layperson.”

That’s where McCormick came in. With degrees in religion and education and a long career in information technology management, McCormick didn’t have medical training. However, his background as the proverbial layperson made him an ideal candidate to co-write the book with Jones.

“I knew little about the subject to start with, so if I could understand it enough to get it down on paper accurately, then there is a good chance that others would understand it as well,” says McCormick. “The writing is largely in my voice, and the narrative is a conversation between us, so I’m learning things and questioning things along the way.”

Both Jones and McCormick have been personally affected by cancer, which was another motivating factor for writing the book. “Both my parents and Rick’s parents died of cancer,” says McCormick. “This book is very much a celebration of the breakthroughs in cancer treatments that people like Rick have helped advance, but it’s also an acknowledgment of the fact that cancer is still impacting so many lives.”

Over the course of 11 chapters, Jones and McCormick cover everything from cancer diagnosis and treatment to disease prevention, the basic biology behind cancer cells and what it means to live with cancer. The resultant Rogue Cells is a true collaboration between the pair and strikes a pleasing balance between the scientific and the personal while navigating weighty topics with a compelling blend of humor and dignity that ultimately makes cancer seem much less scary.

Rogue Cells: A Conversation on the Myths and Mysteries of Cancer was released by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2024 and can be found at press.jhu.edu.

Alumni Books

Robert A. Scott ’61
Letters to Students: What It Means to Be a College Graduate
(Rowman & Littlefield, 2024)

Letters to Students is a new book by Scott, president emeritus and professor emeritus of Adelphi University. Having worked on Bucknell’s admissions staff from 1965 until 1968 and then as a lifelong faculty member and administrator, Scott offers guidance to college students. The book serves as a resource for first-year seminar classes, as well as a gift for recent high school graduates. Structured as a series of letters from two former university presidents, Scott and his co-author, Drew Bogner, the book explores the purposes of college and its role in preparing individuals for a successful life. It provides advice on navigating college, career development, creativity, leadership, citizenship, compassion and the importance of leaving a legacy. Scott, who served as president of the Bucknell Alumni Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees, is the author, editor or contributor of 19 books. In 1991, he received Bucknell’s Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Chosen Profession.

Doug Nelson ’85
Diminishing (Your) Worry and Stress: Authentic Stories from Real Life
(ACTA Publications, 2024)

In Diminishing (Your) Worry and Stress, Nelson offers a personal exploration of managing life’s anxieties and pressures. Drawing on real-life stories from his experiences and those of others, Nelson uses his training and education as a counselor to share practical lessons on recognizing and coping with stress. His narrative is rooted in his journey as a student at Bucknell, where he was an active leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Nelson reflects on how his role as a counselor has allowed him to engage with clients on issues of faith and spirituality. Through his book, Nelson aims to help readers find their own path to managing stress and understanding personal challenges, while also addressing the broader themes of acceptance and self-discovery.

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