Elizabethtown College English Department

As an English professor at Elizabethtown College, Dr. Suzanne E. Webster has solidified her professional career specializing in British Romanticism.  The author she focuses on most, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was a leader of the British Romantic movement and is best known for his early poetry and later prose.

Coleridge as a Catalyst

“When I was about sixteen in school, I had a fantastic English teacher, Mr. Benjamin,” Webster recalled. “He had us reading ‘Kubla Khan’ by Coleridge. Ever since then, I was hooked!”

Coleridge intrigued her from an early age because he was a well-learned man who also battled an opium addiction.

“I realized that I wanted to study this man for the rest of my life,” she stated. “I’m very lucky that I figured that out early.”

Webster stated that this initial interest in Coleridge acted as a catalyst for a career in English Literature. However, it wasn’t until 2000, when she first taught a class at the University of Pennsylvania while earning her DPhil from Oxford University, that she realized she loved teaching.

“I always thought it was just the research aspect [of academia] that I loved, but I realized that [this aspect] wasn’t enough. I loved teaching.”

A Welcoming Department

Having originated from Liverpool, England, Webster has never looked back on her decision to come to America in 1999.

In 2004, after completing her doctoral degree and nearly four years of work as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Webster found her niche with Elizabethown College’s English department quickly. Everyone she met was very sociable.

The students within the English Department, too, make teaching worthwhile. Webster described various “a-ha!” moments within her classes when students would eagerly engage themselves with the work and gain new perspectives. She would also end up gathering new details about a piece herself within these “a-ha!” moments that her students would have.

Her colleagues come “from a wide variety of backgrounds,” she intoned, “and everyone is very eager to collaborate and share their ideas on their research.”

A Student’s Words on Webster

Katelyn Gebbia, senior English professional writing major at Elizabethtown College, expressed her admiration for Webster, stating that she was intensely passionate about the topics she taught. The excitement permeating the room was palatable and contagious for her.

Gebbia recalled her favorite memory while being in her EN430 “Byron and Shelley” authors course in the spring 2016 semester.

“My favorite memory of her class was when she was reminded of a song, [‘Wuthering Heights’ by Kate Bush],” Gebbia illustrated, “and she started interpretative dancing in class. It was never boring with her. She always found ways to keep us engaged in class.”

Engagement is Key

She advises students to be regularly engaged in their work to get the most information out of it.

“If you just sit there not having a clue what’s going on,” Webster warned, “you don’t learn anything. You’re just flying by your coattails.”

Author Bio:

Skye McDonald of West Chester, Pennsylvania is a senior at Elizabethtown College majoring in English Professional Writing and minoring in Communication. In 2015, Skye went spent a semester abroad in Cheltenham, England, where she continued studying English.

In 2016, Skye interned with the “Harrisburg Magazine,” writing feature stories, as well as profiles. Currently, she interns at the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, where she is web writing, feature writing, and assisting in global and community outreach. After graduation, Skye wants to continue her pursuit of a journalistic career, with an emphasis in the importance of travel.

 

 

Tags: Dr. Webster, literature