Episode 8: Prof. Ferguson from Department of History
The time has finally come: the finale of the “Focus on Faculty” project highlights Associate Professor of History Heather Ferguson. Professor Ferguson teaches courses about the history of the Middle East or Southwest Asia, focusing on a wide variety of topics ranging from the emergence of Islam in the late, antique world to contemporary protests. Our interview with Professor Ferguson was deeply insightful, and we hope that it inspires CMCers the same way it inspired us.
While Professor Ferguson currently teaches history, she did not study history in college. She found great interest in the comparative, global dynamics of religion and literature. When she went on an archaeological trip to Jordan, however, her interests changed. “I reinvested in what it means to [observe those who] study a place without paying attention to its contemporary lives and dynamics,” she explained. Under the mentorship of a professor at the University of Austin Texas, Professor Ferguson retrieved documents in Aleppo, Syria for him and became fascinated with the religions of the Ottoman Empire and Middle East.
When asked about the broader field of Middle East Studies, Professor Ferguson pointed out that there is a huge debate between modern historians and historians of earlier periods. Offering her own take, she said: “I am absolutely convinced that without studying the dynamics of earlier periods…we cannot have good traction in understanding more contemporary events.”
Professor Ferguson has applied this principle to her own courses. She explained that students who spend time learning about the historical structures and ideologies in Middle Eastern cultures are capable of understanding violence and insider/outsider interactions, important concepts that are often overlooked in the study of history. She added: “It is difficult to remind each of us whether we carry with us a set of assumptions.” Professor Ferguson encourages her students to read and amplify the voices that are often excluded from narratives. It is important to explore the background of sources as it gives rise to a unique vocabulary that can facilitate a greater understanding of unfamiliar topics.
Professor Ferguson also discussed the importance of the field of history. “History matters a lot,” she argued. It teaches careful analysis, encourages reading from different perspectives, and provides tools for synthesis. She put this point beautifully: “History allows us to think about the ‘deep reservoirs’ that influence our contemporary lives.” Professor Ferguson admitted that she is frustrated by discussions that do not consider the larger stakes involved in current dynamics. She argued that especially in the current context of political polarization, the field’s exploration of these larger stakes is important.
Our interview with Professor Ferguson concluded with her insights into some very interesting topics. When asked about conspiracy theories in the field of history, she explained that no one actually knows where Sultan Süleyman’s heart is buried. While it is known he died in Hungary and his body was buried in Istanbul, his heart’s location is unknown. When asked about her take on British museums possessing historical artifacts from other regions of the world, Professor Ferguson responded confidently: “Museums are sites of colonization themselves, and these artifacts are demonstrable of that.” This is problematic because we continue to use these museums as tourist attractions.
Professor Ferguson finally left us with some valuable advice to convey to the rest of CMC: “Don’t overload yourself with so many commitments that you can’t sit down with a book under a tree and read it from cover to cover…You should walk down the halls of the humanities departments and hug every professor you see.”
We would like to thank Professor Ferguson for giving us this opportunity to learn more about the amazing work she is doing for CMC. We would also like to thank you for following us on this journey of bringing light to the humanities professors of CMC. We hope that our interviews, blog posts, and social media have inspired you to engage in humanistic studies, even if it means taking a course in the humanities or talking to a humanities professor. Good luck with the rest of this semester, and we look forward to seeing you at the faculty-chat with Professor Ferguson!