Originally from Toronto, Canada, Suzanne Ferriss always loved reading but never thought that it would one day lead her to a career teaching literature.
“I had originally thought of studying economics or finance,” said Ferriss. “I was really good at math and I liked numbers and thought that was what I was going to do.”
In 1981, Ferriss’ family moved to South Florida after her father, who was working in the finance industry, got a new job.
Once here, Ferriss thought about attending the University of Tampa. However, she disliked the large class sizes and didn’t feel she would be getting the attention that a student deserved.
She started looking for schools in the Fort Lauderdale area and visited NSU’s campus. After talking with the admissions director and the dean, she decided to attend NSU, then called Nova University.
“I thought the curriculum and programs all sounded interesting so that was what attracted me to NSU. They also had the commitment to small classes, which we still have even though the undergrad is much bigger,” said Ferriss.
During her undergraduate years, Ferriss studied business, while also taking literature courses. With the influence of her professors, she really found her passion for literature and teaching.
“Several of my professors said ‘Well, why are you studying business?’ because I seemed to be good at literature and had a talent for it. So I credit the professors I had when I was studying for turning me onto the path that I eventually followed,” said Ferriss.
After earning her bachelor’s in general studies, Ferriss attended the University of Miami. There, she completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in English.
In 1990, Ferriss applied for an open teaching position at NSU. She is now a professor in the Division of Humanities in the Farquhar College of Arts and Science and teaches the courses in World Literature, British Literature, and Literary Criticism and Theory.
Ferriss said she loves teaching everything about literature because, even though it’s the same texts, every time she teaches it, there is something new to learn. To Ferriss, literature is an immersive experience that alters readers’ perception of the world and gives insight into the ways of being a human.
“Through literature, you can vicariously experience something that, unless you had all the time and money in the world, you would never be able to. You can go back in time or into the future,” said Ferriss. “You can be in different countries and really travel the world through your imagination and the imagination of other people.”
Ferriss, along with Professor Steven Alford, also teaches an honors seminar course on motorcycles. The course focuses on the cultural aspects of motorcycling, how motorcycles are designed, how people have formed communities around them, how they have influenced films, and how they are seen as aesthetic artist objects.
As a motorcycle rider herself, Ferriss said it is a great way to get around. You may not be as isolated from the elements as you are in a car, but to Ferriss, riding a motorcycle makes you feel like you are more part of the landscape and places you are riding through.
“Whoever rides has to have a healthy fear of what could possibly happen because, as a rider, you are more exposed. So you learn to become a really defensive driver,” Ferriss said. “You are always watching what everyone else is doing in order to avoid accidents and always wear protective gear to keep yourself as safe as possible.”
Ferriss has really found her passion in teaching and advises students to only pursue it if they truly love teaching others and believe they can be successful at it.
“Teaching is incredibly rewarding. It is always changing and there is always something new to learn,” said Ferriss. “It’s also great to have that interaction with teachers and students. When I was a student, that is something I benefited from and I hope my students benefit from too.”
