Susan Ray
Associate Professor
Communications, Arts & Humanities
Contact Information
Marple901 S. Media Line Road
Media, PA 19063
610-723-2000
Room Number: 4315
Phone: 610-723-1365
Contact Faculty
Degrees
- B.A. in English (Pennsylvania State University)
- M.A. in English, General Literature & Rhetoric (Binghamton University)
- Ph.D. in English, General Literature & Rhetoric (Binghamton University)
Academic Biography
SELECT PUBLICATIONS: •"Rethinking Madness and Marginality: A Neo-Victorian Reading of the Life of Isabella Thackeray," in the collection Resilience and Resistance: Embracing Disability Narratives in 19th-Century British Fiction (Vernon Press; forthcoming 2025) • "Disney’s Coco: The Power of Celebrity and its Impact on the Adolescent Mind." Social Order and Authority in Pixar Films. Rowan and Littlefield Publishers. (2023) • “The Experiment.” Prosopisia Journal of Creative Writing. Ed. Moizur Khan (Fall 2019) • “The Imprint of the Western Dime Novel on Hard-boiled Pulp Fiction.” Twentieth Century Literary Criticism Series. Gale Cenage. (2015) • “Empty Houses: Theatrical Failure and the Novel by David Kurnick.” (Book Review). George Eliot—George Henry Lewes Studies. (September 2012) • “Thackeray: Poking Holes in the Narrative of Empire.” Victorians: a Journal of Culture and Literature. (Spring 2011) SELECT CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS • “Translating Victorian Insanity.” Interdisciplinary Nineteenth-Century Studies. Cincinnati, OH (March 2024) • “The Complaints of an English Curmudgeon: William Thackeray’s International Travel.” Interdisciplinary Nineteenth-Century Studies. Knoxville, TN. (April 2023) • “Elwell’s Little Nell: The Monument Dickens Never Wanted.” INCS. Dallas, TX. (March 2019) • Conference Organizer and Co-Host. INCS. Philadelphia, PA. (March 2017).
Theoretical Approach, Experience, and Temperament
I have been passionate about writing and literature since childhood, but I recognize that not all of my students share my interests. I've learned that students put forth their most sincere efforts when they recognize how skills from our course will serve them outside the classroom. My goal as an educator is to equip students with the ability to think critically and communicate effectively—skills that will serve them beyond the classroom. Over my eighteen years of teaching, I have remained committed to student-centered learning. While I may begin class with a brief lecture, the heart of my teaching lies in active participation. Whether through guided discussions, peer workshops, or collaborative projects, I encourage students to take an active role in constructing knowledge rather. I also integrate contemporary cultural and technological issues into class discussions, encouraging students to connect their coursework to the world around them. This approach fosters engagement, builds confidence, and creates a dynamic, inclusive environment. In my composition courses, I emphasize the writing process through frequent, low-stakes writing assignments and opportunities for revision to remove the stigma of final deadlines and to reinforce the iterative nature of writing. I approach teaching literature with an emphasis on historical context and diverse voices, connecting canonical works to the broader cultural conversations in which they were written and continue to be reinterpreted today. By integrating a range of perspectives—including those from historically marginalized writers—I encourage students to see literature not as a static collection of texts but as a dynamic and evolving conversation. A lifelong love of fiction led me to academia, but teaching remains the most rewarding part of my career. As I continue to learn from my students and colleagues, I adapt my strategies to better meet the needs of my diverse student body, ensuring that my courses remain relevant, accessible, and transformative.
Scholarly Interests
- Composition studies; Victorian studies; Postcolonial studies; Pop culture studies.
