INFORMATION FOR
Every month during the academic year, we will spotlight a different member of the WP faculty or staff who plays a powerful role in student success.
Name: Sharmila Pixy Ferris
Title: Professor of Communication
Years at WP: 31
Tell us about yourself: Who am I? I don’t define myself by a single role so much as by the combination of interests and values that shape my work and life. That combination includes my work as a teacher and scholar of organizational communication, alongside commitments and interests that extend well beyond the classroom: a lifelong reader and writer, an animal and nature lover, a hiker, an executive coach, a Zen practitioner, and a foodie. I’m married to an environmental scientist whom I met while we were both earning graduate degrees at Penn State. At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to teaching and learning, and in my spare time I volunteer in animal rescue and with the New Jersey Botanical Gardens.
Describe your role on campus: I am a Professor of Communication, teaching and conducting research in Communication Studies, a field that examines how meaning is created, negotiated, and contested across interpersonal, group, organizational, cultural, and mediated contexts. These skills are foundational to every discipline and every profession. At William Paterson University, I have served as Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, Director of three graduate programs, Faculty Lead for the WP Online Communication program, and Chair of the Institutional Review Board. In these roles, I have worked closely with faculty and administrators on curriculum design, mentoring, inclusive and evidence-based teaching, and the ethical dimensions of research and learning, particularly during periods of institutional uncertainty and technological change.
A defining moment at WP: There have been many defining moments over the years, but two stand out. One was when a former student, John Rivera, was hired as Director of Annual Giving and took the time to tell me how much my teaching and mentoring had shaped his life and career. Another was learning that a former student, Jessica Hand, helped found Tabby’s Place, an extraordinary cat sanctuary whose mission reflects compassion, care, and sustained commitment. Moments like these remind me that teaching is not only about what happens in the classroom, but about the lives students go on to build and the values they carry forward.
Favorite part about your job: What I love most about working at William Paterson University is the opportunity to integrate research, teaching, and service in meaningful ways. I care deeply about my students and about scholarship, and WP has always been a place where both commitments are genuinely valued. My research agenda, which explores multiple facets of organizational communication, from leadership and mentoring to institutional change in complex, technology-rich environments, informs my teaching, and my teaching, in turn, informs my research. It’s a rare and deeply rewarding balance.
Fun fact: I love food! For me food has always been a form of communication; what we cook, share, and eat tells stories about who we are, where we come from, and how we make meaning together. Traveling through 43 countries and across 45 states in America has only deepened my love for food.
Finish this sentence: "WP is a powerhouse of opportunity." For me, that’s reflected in the 360 support students receive and the success I see after they leave campus.
