Who is Susan Harris from Jeopardy?

Susan Cannon Harris is a distinguished academic based in Chicago, Illinois, serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of English and the Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Her scholarly work centers on Irish literature and drama, with a particular emphasis on how literature intersects with performance, gender, and social politics. Harris’s expertise spans a wide range of fields including Irish and American drama, performance theory, gender studies, queer theory, comparative literature, and LGBTQ fiction.

Throughout her career, Harris has conducted extensive research on eighteenth-century Irish theater, contemporary Irish drama, and modern British fiction. Her scholarship often examines how literary and theatrical works engage with broader social and political movements, highlighting her ability to contextualize literature within complex historical and cultural frameworks. Archival investigations have been a key part of her work, allowing her to study prominent figures such as W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, J. M. Synge, Seán O’Casey, and Samuel Beckett, alongside socialists and sexual radicals including Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Morris, and Lorraine Hansberry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s72LusUlahA

Major Publications and Contributions

Harris’s first book, Gender and Modern Irish Drama (Indiana University Press, 2002), earned critical acclaim and was recognized with the Donald Murphy Prize for a Distinguished First Book and the Robert Rhodes Prize from the American Conference for Irish Studies. This work established Harris as a leading voice in Irish drama studies, analyzing the ways gender informs the creation and reception of modern Irish theater.

Her later publication, Irish Drama and the Other Revolutions: Playwrights, Sexual Politics, and the International Left, 1892–1964 (Edinburgh University Press, 2017), explores how Irish playwrights navigated sexual and socialist revolutions while influencing leftist theater movements across Europe and America. This work demonstrates her continued engagement with complex intersections of literature, politics, and performance, solidifying her reputation as a scholar who blends rigorous research with nuanced cultural analysis.

Research, Journals, and Current Projects

Harris has contributed to a wide array of scholarly journals including PMLA, Theatre Journal, Modern Drama, James Joyce Quarterly, Eire-Ireland, Victorian Literature and Culture, Twentieth-Century Literature, Breac, and The Emily Dickinson Journal. Her research consistently bridges literary analysis with social history, often highlighting how theater and literature interact with cultural movements and political ideologies.

Currently, Harris is exploring projects related to theater in the digital age, reflecting her interest in contemporary performance practices and the evolving ways audiences engage with dramatic works. Her ongoing scholarship demonstrates an adaptability to new media and an understanding of how digital platforms can transform both performance and literary interpretation.

Teaching Excellence and Pedagogical Impact

Susan Cannon Harris’s dedication to teaching has been widely recognized. She received the Kaneb Teaching Award in 2005, the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2015, and the Marian Mullin Hancock Award in Gender Studies in 2019. These honors reflect her commitment to student engagement and her ability to make complex literary and theoretical concepts accessible to learners.

Her teaching approach combines rigorous scholarship with interactive pedagogical strategies, fostering critical thinking and encouraging students to examine the intersections of literature, performance, and social issues. Harris’s mentorship and classroom leadership have influenced generations of students pursuing studies in Irish literature, drama, and related fields, further emphasizing her dual commitment to research and education.

Personal and Professional Profile

Harris’s professional identity is strongly tied to her American and likely European, particularly Irish, heritage, which aligns with her focus on Irish studies. Her work demonstrates both scholarly depth and a commitment to understanding the social and cultural dimensions of literature. Beyond her publications and teaching, she maintains an active presence in academic networks and conferences, contributing to ongoing discussions in Irish and comparative literary studies.

Susan Cannon Harris’s appearance on Jeopardy! highlights a remarkable intersection of scholarly rigor, literary knowledge, and intellectual curiosity. With a career grounded in research, teaching, and performance studies, she brings to the game show not only expertise in literature and drama but also an analytical and strategic approach honed through years of academic inquiry.