Gillian Ferris

News Director and Managing Editor

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Gillian came to KNAU in 2001 as a freelance reporter after careers as a river cook, baker and teacher. Her first story won an Arizona Associated Press Award. Since then, Gillian has won more than a dozen regional and national Edward R. Murrow Awards for Excellence in feature reporting, writing, editing and documentary work. She served as the local anchor for NPR’s Morning Edition for well over a decade before becoming news director and managing editor at KNAU. As much as she loves reporting, Gillian has found her true soul work in editing and producing other journalists’ work. When not in the newsroom, she’s outside hiking, surfing, playing disc golf, running rivers and hanging out with her beloved dogs and friends.

Ways to Connect

Poetry Friday: 'Diving into the Wreck'

By Gillian Ferris & Gioia Woods & Adrienne Rich • 11 hours ago

Today's segment of Poetry Friday honors courage...specifically, the courage of sexual assault survivors. It is Adrienne Rich's, 'Diving into the Wreck'. She wrote it in 1973 against the backdrop of feminist and civil rights movements. It's about the power to re-write our identities, and re-weave our cultural fabric into something positive, hopeful, and whole. Our reader today is KNAU listener and Faculty Senate President of Northern Arizona University, Gioia Woods.

Ford-Kavanaugh Hearing Triggers Survivors of Sexual Assault

By Gillian Ferris • Oct 5, 2018

There's been a nationwide increase the last couple of weeks in survivors of sexual assault seeking some type of crisis counseling. The Ford-Kavanaugh testimony, senate hearings, and tomorrow's confirmation vote have triggered a lot of survivors into reliving their own assaults. KNAU's Gillian Ferris spoke with victim-witness advocates Hollie Vargas and Kristen Ribich about the experience of being re-traumatized, and victim resources available in northern Arizona.

Poetry Friday: The Sound of Peace

By Gillian Ferris & Ryan Heinsius & Shelley Murley & Flagstaff Junior Academy & Robin Zacharias • Oct 5, 2018

International Day of Peace was a couple of weeks ago, and school kids in Flagstaff celebrated in some very creative ways. You may have seen the aerial photo of hundreds of Killip Elementary students forming a giant human peace symbol. And if you were anywhere near the Flagstaff Junior Academy, you may have HEARD the sound of peace. Students gathered in the courtyard to sing the song, “Light a Candle for Peace”. With the help of music teacher Robin Zacharias, their voices – and their message – make-up this week’s Poetry Friday segment.

Poetry Friday: Robert Frost On A Bicycle

By Gillian Ferris & Rob Bettaso • Sep 28, 2018

Fall means two things to KNAU listener Rob Bettaso of Lakeside: bike riding and Robert Frost poems. He has combined the two in this week's Poetry Friday segment with an original poem called 'Bicycle Largo'.

Poetry Friday: Leaving Home

By Gillian Ferris & Mitch Strohman • Sep 21, 2018

If you're a fan of NAU Lumberjack football, then you're very familiar with the voice of game announcer Mitch Strohman. Today, we hear a more tender side of Mitch as he is this week's Poetry Friday reader. His son, Zach, is moving away from Flagstaff for the first time in his life - relocating to Chicago - and Mitch is working through the emotions of saying goodbye.