Susan Bowers 1941-2019
Susan Bowers, associate professor emeritus of English and co-founder of Susquehanna University’s Women’s Studies Program, died Jan. 21, 2019. She was 77.
Susan was born Dec. 2, 1941, in Oregon. She earned a B.A. degree in political science and philosophy from Willamette University in 1963, and an M.S. in political science and Ph.D. in English from the University of Oregon in 1974 and 1981, respectively. Prior to her teaching career, she worked for a brief time as a reporter in Coos Bay, Ore., and as a staff writer at the University of Oregon.
When Susan first came to Susquehanna in 1984, she described herself as “the token feminist” among only five female faculty members. Over her subsequent 30-year tenure at Susquehanna, the faculty evolved into a far more diverse group that, as Susan once said, “allowed for greater diversity of perspectives” and reflected “how our society and workplace have changed.” Just three years into her tenure at Susquehanna, Susan’s commitment to students and student learning was recognized by the Distinguished Teaching Award she received in 1987.
Upon her retirement in 2014, the faculty issued a resolution recognizing her for her distinguished teaching and research in the Department of English and Creative Writing; support of the Honors Program; and enrichment of the curriculum and campus by founding the Women’s Studies Program and serving as its first director. Susan also served as a faculty member on the university’s Board of Trustees from 1993 to 1999; as chair of the English Department for nine years; director of Diversity Studies; and as a long-time faculty participant in the Presidential Fellows Program. She also participated in numerous faculty and university committees.
The joy Susan wrought from teaching is perhaps best summed up in her own words, published in a 2015 Currents story: “I’ve worked with wonderful colleagues throughout the university and I’ve loved working with my students. It’s so fulfilling to be in the classroom; it’s one of the rare opportunities that humans have to interact freely and to think together.”
Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Susan’s family members, former colleagues and friends. Her legacy at Susquehanna endures in the lives of the many students she touched and in the meaningful programs she founded, which continue to provide students with the transformational education Susan so valued.
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Green President