Dr. O’Dea is a scholar and teacher of Irish literature and culture whose work examines the cultural legacy of the Irish Literary Revival and its influence on modern and contemporary Irish writing. Her research traces how revivalist ideals of place and tradition shaped modernist experimentation and continue to inform the work of contemporary authors—including Kevin Barry, Sara Baume, and Mike McCormack—grappling with economic destabilization and climate change. 

At Marist, she has taught first-year writing and core literature courses and has led short-term study abroad programs to Ireland. Her courses emphasize close reading, critical thinking, and the connections between literature and students’ own lives.