Honored by Parthena Draggett
Dr. Angela Zumbar had a great influence on me and was a truly dynamic and motivating professor of Spanish at Mount Union College (now the University of Mount Union). When I was asked to teach at Mount Union, she also became my colleague and friend. In fact, together we worked to revise the advanced level course offerings to expand beyond literature, in what was then known as the Department of Modern Languages.
Dr. Zumbar was innovative and forward thinking in seeking opportunities that would propel her students to be both proficient communicators of Spanish and pedagogues. In fact, she invited me to my first opportunity as a Spanish teacher, asking me to teach one of her college classes when she had to be away from campus, and I was still an undergraduate college student myself!
Dr. Zumbar later also served as the Lester D. Crow Chair of Education and as head of teacher education. While at Mount Union, Dr. Zumbar spent sabbaticals in Spain and México and served as a study abroad advisor. In 1998, she was invited to serve as an evaluator in the Ohio Department of Education for higher education programs.
I believe that I became a Spanish (and French) teacher largely because of the influence of this motivating professor, and two others, one of whom I honored last year. Although she retired in 2001, she has continued to contribute to the communities of Alliance, Ohio and Stark County as a whole. In fact, in 2013, she was chosen for the Athena Award, one of many awards bestowed on her over the years, recognizing her impact in the community. In the Alliance Review, the local newspaper, I found a quote, which really resonated with me, since I personally saw Dr. Angela Zumbar in her roles, both as a mother and a Spanish professor, having invited our class to her home for dinner. It states, "By her example at the University of Mount Union, Dr. Zumbar illustrated that it is possible for women to advance to senior positions in academia," wrote a nominator. "She arrived on the scene at a time when pay scales were not always equitable, and she raised four children and earned a Ph.D. while working full time. She never lost sight of her goals, and she achieved them."
I am proud and honored to recognize Dr. Angela Zumbar for the AATSP Honor Hall.
