Dr. Susan Higgins, Associate Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Education, Area Chair of Social Learning and Professor of Sociology and Missions, is retiring at the end of the 2021 spring semester. Dr. Higgins has been on the Milligan faculty and staff since 1977.
When asked about what her favorite part about teaching at Milligan was, she chuckled and answered immediately:
“Oh, always the students. The challenge of the classroom is always the most invigorating,” said Dr. Higgins, “The energy and the interest that students bring, trying to find an end road with topics that are difficult to talk about that students can connect with, helping students fulfill their potential, helping students that struggle and encouraging them; I find all of these aspects very rewarding.”
Her areas of expertise include aspects of translation and translation theory, current trends in modern missions, and interrelations of language and culture. She does not have a favorite among them, because she enjoys teaching them all, no matter the course curriculum.
“The class that I enjoy teaching the most is always the one I am teaching at that moment,” said Dr. Higgins, “I’ve just had the joy of teaching in the areas that I love. Whether we are translating the book of Mark in my beginning Greek class or we are talking about things from all over the world in my Anthropology class, when you can talk about these things with people that are interested, it’s fun!”
As her time at Milligan comes to an end, Dr. Higgins reflects on what kind of impact the Milligan community has had on her.
“Milligan has formed me in many ways that I recognize and also many that I’m unaware of,” said Dr. Higgins, “It’s been very supportive and encouraging. It’s been a place where there’s a lot of shared life, and just being able to grow, develop, and feel supported and encouraged in the kind of environment Milligan provides is a wonderful thing for any person.”
Similarly, Dr. Higgins has made a lasting impact with the students that she teaches, like sophomores Matt Huff and Maddie Manear.
“Dr. Higgins is nothing short of an amazing professor. She is the perfect balance of having fun and making sure we always work hard in class,” Huff said, “She always makes sure I’m having a good day as I walk into class and tells us about her day as well. She’s been a bright light in this strange time of COVID-19. I’ve been grateful to have her as a teacher in my short time at Milligan.”
Manear expressed similar words of praise.
“Dr. Higgins is a fantastic professor. She is very knowledgeable, confident, and has inspired me in so many ways,” said Manear, “When we are stressed she shows wonderful compassion and when we finally understand a concept, she celebrates with us. I couldn’t ask for a better professor and mentor.”
As Milligan’s longest-serving professor, Dr. Higgins not only has created a lasting impact on the Milligan faculty, staff, and student body, but she also has created a legacy of great significance and is a true example of the servant leader Milligan strives to cultivate.
“All any of us can do is to do our best at any one particular time, and I hope that my contribution in my time here at Milligan has been a positive and helpful one in the long run.”
While serving as a Milligan faculty member, Dr. Higgins worked summers with the Toronto Institute of Linguistics, a missionary training program held at Victoria University that trained pre-field missionaries on learning languages, focusing on phonetics, sentence structures, and meaning tied to language. In 1990 and 1991, Dr. Higgins completed post-graduate work on linguistics and the New Testament while on sabbatical at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Divinity.
She has also written numerous articles and papers, a few of which highlight topics of personal interest that include the role of women in the churches and the importance of translation and linguistics in the church and its mission.
Prior to Milligan, Dr. Higgins had completed a bachelor of arts degree from Lincoln Christian College, where she worked as research librarian and lecturer. She then went on to receive her master of arts degree and doctorate from Indiana University. She also served as a translation consultant and research associate for United Bible Studies, where she supervised translation projects of scripture in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Headline photo: Milligan’s longest-serving professor, Dr. Susan Higgins, retires after 44 years of service.