Focus on 40 Honorees/
Alumni Board of Trustees Members
Suzanne Lewis
UWF degree and year of graduation:
BA, History, 1978
Why did you choose to attend UWF?
I liked the smaller, intimate campus setting.
What were your goals as a student?
To have a great academic experience, to complete my degree, and to learn all I could and see where it would lead me.
What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
My relationships with the faculty. There was a very close relationship between the History faculty and the students. We interacted on a social level as well as an academic level. I remember going to dinners and fish frys with some of the faculty. They made you feel special.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
Dr. Elizabeth Hardwick in the History Department. She was a great person and a great role model for women. She had succeeded in male dominated programs. She was the first woman to win a prestigious fellowship with Stanford. She was anything but dull. She was very energetic and made an effort to really reach out to her students.
What do you do now?
I am Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park. It is 2.2 million acres of land.
How did UWF help you progress to this point?
UWF instilled confidence in me at an early age. I had academic relationships and personal interactions with faculty. I gained a good sense of self confidence to move on and pursue my career after graduation.
How do you stay connected to UWF?
I read the alumni newsletter. I married a native Pensacolian, so we stay connected to the area through family and friends.
What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
Take whatever UWF gives you and make it the best you can in your own personal life and apply the knowledge to your future development.
What quality makes UWF special or unique?
The size and location. It is not too big or too small. The panhandle is so beautiful and very unique.
Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
I am very involved with Habitat for Humanity. I am involved with Leadership programs and Protected Area Organizations. My hobbies are golfing, hiking, and fishing.