Jill Wurm has it all. So why does she want more?
Jill has a husband she adores and a son who is the light of her life. She has a job she loves, is the doting “mom” of two rare domestic cats imported from Russia, owns a toy collection that FAO Schwarz would envy and is an avid cyclist. What else is there? Let’s find out from Jill herself.
You’ve been a part of Wayne State University for more than 20 years. What have you been doing all that time?
I received my bachelor’s from Wayne State, and also two master’s degrees. After I graduated in 2001, I started working here and just never left. I met my husband, James, here and I’m now working toward my Ph.D. in communication.
You and James have a 9-year-old son, Alexander, who is autistic. How has that informed your education and research?
Alexander received an autism diagnosis when he was 3, and I soon realized how little information is out there that includes experiences from actual autistic people. So much research focuses on the diagnostic and therapy side, but very little research seeks to better understand who autistics are and how they experience the world — and these experiences are far more diverse than what we might learn from mass media.
Even what we see in fictional film or TV is a usually a neurotypical person’s view of how the creator thinks autism should be portrayed — usually a common trope of stereotypes — and those portrayals influence how the public perceives and understands autism. Many things that may seem positive to neurotypical people may be perceived very differently by autistic people, which is why it’s so important that autistic people are included in these conversations.
Through my research, I’m trying to bring these inconsistencies to light and amplify the voices of autistic people of all ages by examining their discourse around these issues. I’m hoping this research will help change the public conversation about autism, leading to a better understanding and lessen stigma around it.
What do you like most about your job?
The diversity that comes with it, both in student and staff interactions and in the wide range of duties my job entails. I love that, as the hub of campus, the libraries have these interdisciplinary connections with all of the schools and colleges on campus, and that creates constant opportunities for collaboration. We’ve brought in nationally known speakers, ran the campuswide STEAM challenge, and regularly partner with student groups and departments to hold events, provide resources and create programming.
Most recently, I’ve been working with Grace Serra, the curator of Wayne State’s art collection, to make the libraries, essentially, extensions of the art collection. Over the last few months, we’ve been adding art to the Purdy/Kresge Library that reflects the diverse student population of Wayne State. It’s completely changed the look and feel of the library and we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from students about how much they like it. My job is never dull and there’s always new cool and interesting things to work on.
On a lighter note, you appeared on an episode of the now-defunct game show The Weakest Link back in 2001. Talk a little bit about what that experience was like.
I learned that the show was auditioning potential contestants at a hotel in Southfield, and I went to give it a try. Sometime later, I got a call from one of the show’s producers telling me I had made the cut. So they flew me out to Los Angeles, put me up in a hotel and we taped the show, which took a ridiculous seven hours. I remember the host, Anne Robinson, was so tiny that a couple of people had to help her step up onto a platform that elevated her enough to reach the podium. I made it to the final three before they booted me. It was a lot of fun, and I’m still friends with someone I competed against on that show. It was also, hands down, the worst game of trivia that I’ve ever played and I didn’t even deserve to make it that far!