"I was committed to helping people with disabilities. I just never imagined I would be one.” Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he was 54, Dennis O’Donnell has spent the time since adapting to its changes, but never giving up on living life to its fullest possibilities.

Dennis O’Donnell was born in Colorado and grew up in Colorado Springs. He received his B.S. and M.A. in economics from Colorado State University and his Ph.D in economics from Penn State University. A longtime resident of Montana, Dr. O’Donnell served as a professor of economics at the University of Montana in Missoula and as a nationally recognized economics expert witness for over three decades. His academic work took him to places throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Since his retirement, he has challenged his body and mind to do as much as he physically can, adopting his wife’s philosophy to do one thing a year that is scary. When not working to keep Parkinson’s at bay with the best medical, mental and physical tactics he can leverage or experiencing his latest adventure, he enjoys playing with his four grandchildren  

“Taking on Parkinson’s” is his first book.