Helen Wussow
Inducted Saturday, September 27, 2014
Helen Wussow graduated from Moorhead High School in 1978. In high school she played viola in orchestra and was creative writing editor for the newspaper. Wussow graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English and humanities from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 1982. She received a tuition award from the British government to Oxford University in England, where she earned her master’s degree in 1984 and doctorate in 1989 in English language and literature.
Wussow returned to MSUM for a year to serve as executive assistant to the president and instructor in English. In 1989, she was appointed as assistant professor in English at The University of Memphis. Following her promotion to associate professor in 1994, she served as assistant vice provost for academic affairs from 1995 to 1997.
After moving to Brooklyn, New York, in 1997, Wussow became assistant dean of adult degree programs and continuing education at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and associate professor of English, positions she held from 1998-2001. In 2002, she was appointed associate dean of the Paul McGhee Division, New York University’s evening and weekend undergraduate degree program, where she was responsible for 57 full-time faculty and staff, 650 part-time faculty, and annual revenues of $32 million.
After leaving New York University in 2005, Wussow spent four years studying fiction writing at the Unterberg Poetry Center in New York City. She also studied Hindustani classical vocal music at the American Academy of Classical Indian Music in New York.
Since 2010, Wussow has served as dean of lifelong learning and associate professor of English at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She oversees divisions with annual enrollments over 28,000 and operating budgets of $17 million.
Wussow has written, edited or reviewed numerous journal articles, books and book chapters, and she presents on modern British and European literature nationally and internationally. She oversees several endowments that support educational outreach initiatives for adult students. She is a mentor for the Vancouver YWCA’s Connect to Success program. Wussow is a member of the Canadian Association of University Continuing Education, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (USA), the Modern Language Association, and the Modern Studies Association.
Helen and her husband, Brien Williams, divide their time between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Brooklyn, New York.