Mary Jane Ingui received her PhD in History from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, after attending schools on Long Island throughout her life. Educated in the Bellmore-Merrick schools, she graduated 11th in her class from Calhoun HS, attended Adelphi University on a full scholarship for undergraduate and master’s degrees. Mary's inspiration was her 4th grade teacher, Ellenora Oberhofer, who also attended Adelphi in the 1930s.

 

She taught as an adjunct throughout Long Island; Molloy College, Dowling College, Nassau Community College, Adelphi University and Hofstra University during the 1980s and 90s. 

 

Mary moved to Sebastian, FL in 1999, with her husband, Bill, a retired Northport-East Northport JH / HS teacher, an adjunct at the local colleges, and most recently a 7th grade Civics teacher at Sebastian Charter JHS, with 36-years in teaching.

 

In addition to being an adjunct professor at IRSC and Brevard CC, she had a career as a newspaper correspondent in Indian River County, where she interviewed many people who had a special story to tell, including veterans from World War II and Vietnam. It was this experience that connected her with Dr. Sheldon Kushner, the subject of her book "Trauma and Tenacity in Vietnam: A Surgeon's Story," which explores the life he had as a doctor to the civilian population in Vinh Long, South Vietnam from 1968-69.