Meet Some University Employees
Susan
She began her work as a copy editor, and two years later was promoted to her current job as
managing editor of the American Journal of Sociology. In this capacity, Susan works with
U of C sociology faculty, overseeing the process of receiving, reviewing and publishing
manuscripts for the 106-year-old journal. Although she has held the same position for eleven
years, she finds that the job has changed in many ways. "Technological changes have allowed
us to learn many new skills. The computer technology available to us in the Journals Division
is fabulous, and having the opportunity to re-learn your job keeps it interesting and fresh."
Susan feels challenged not only by her work, but by the people she works with. She is in
constant contact with faculty at the U of C as well as at other institutions. Being
immersed in an academic environment allows her to stay in an intellectually stimulating
atmosphere where she can continually explore new ideas.
Susan cherishes sharing this environment with her daughter, who recently graduated from the
U of C Laboratory School. While sitting in Rockefeller Memorial Chapel during the ceremony
and watching her daughter's class march in behind the faculty, bedecked in robes and, in
many cases, doctoral hoods, Susan felt she had provided her child with an enduring legacy
through her University employment. "I never thought I could manage the expense of a Lab
School education. But tuition remission has made it possible."
In 1991, Susan became an educator herself. She teaches two editing courses at the University's
Graham School. This adds a new perspective to her own work in the Press. "Teaching is a
learning experience. I learn from my students, of course, who tell me things I didn't know
before, but I also learn when I am forced to articulate ideas about those processes that I
perform routinely at work. It throws my job into a whole new light."
Finally, Susan loves being located in Hyde Park. She finds that the large number of people
who live and work in the same neighborhood distinguishes it from workplaces downtown or
located in more distant communities. "The ability to live, work and send your kids to school
in one neighborhood in a city is rare. It makes Hyde Park a very special place."
Susan was drawn to the University of Chicago thirteen years ago. She knew she wanted to work
in scholarly publishing, and she also knew the U of C was the best place to do it. As the
largest American university press, the University of Chicago Press offered more options on
a university campus than any of its peer organizations. "I knew I needed a career, not a
job, in an organization that could give me opportunities for mobility and learning."
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