GODFREY – Associate Professor Mumba Mumba came to the United States from Zambia to gain the best education possible, and she appreciates the women who paved the way for her success, especially her grandmother.
“My female heroes include both renowned, popular women, and women who will never make the headlines,” Mumba said. “I uphold all women who have carved the way for their families and their communities. For example, my grandmother was a wise and hardworking business woman and matriarch of our family.”
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Mumba also admires the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, of the Kenyan Green Belt Movement, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“Wangari Maathai is one of my heroes because of her foresight, intellect, boldness and tenacity for environmental protection against serious odds,” Mumba said. “Hillary Clinton is also my hero, well before she ran for presidency. I find her steadfastness, strength, eloquence and intelligence under tough personal and political circumstances to be intriguing.”
Since the fall of 2015, Mumba has been teaching public and private communication and public speaking at Lewis and Clark Community College. She is also qualified to teach interpersonal communication and introduction to organizational communication.
“Mumba is a very poised, intelligent and thoughtful instructor,” L&C Dean of Transfer Programs Jill Lane said. “She cares about her students and always stresses the importance of good communication skills as they prepare for their future. She brings a wealth of experience and education to her work. Lewis and Clark is lucky to have Mumba as a member of our faculty.”
Curious and nurturing, Mumba enjoys a career where she can contribute to the lives of others while also learning from them.
“Listening to student speeches makes my job interesting because they teach me intriguing information about diverse topics,” Mumba said. “This makes my course thought-provoking and unpredictable. I am proud to belong to a program that is shaping students to be ethical and effective leaders. Any time our students stand up to speak, they are exercising their leadership roles, which all of us are expected to embrace at some point in our careers.”
Oftentimes, speech students are nervous about taking the communication classes Mumba teaches, and she is grateful for the support students and faculty members receive at L&C.
“While a lot of students are apprehensive about speech class, in my program the speech faculty embrace a nurturing culture that has students’ interests in mind,” Mumba said. “I like the collaborative and supportive work environment. This supportive culture makes it easy to grow and be creative.”
By taking a learner-centered approach to teaching, Mumba strives to be approachable and open-minded.
“I like to share my class time with students and not be the dominant speaker in the class, so I use a variety of teaching strategies that help students to know that their input in the class is important,” Mumba said.
Because the field has grown increasingly more technical, Mumba said there are even more possibilities for students interested in pursuing careers in communications.
“Our field serves as an important stepping stone to careers in law, public relations, teaching or mass communication, to name a few,” Mumba said.
Mumba and her colleagues practice what they preach in class and set good examples for their students.
“I love that my colleagues in speech are transparent, supportive and that we keep open communication with each other,” Mumba said. “I am also excited that we are making changes towards current trends in the communication discipline, such as adopting new textbooks that are moving with current academic trends.”
As a committee member of Center for Academic Excellence and Learning (CETL) at L&C, Mumba helps to provide activities such as mentoring, training and guest speaker seminars, which help L&C faculty improve learning through effective teaching and learning practices.
“Mumba is graceful,” said L&C Communications Professor Chrissie Chapman. “She thinks before she speaks, and her voice is calming and reassuring. She is always ready to jump in and help out a colleague.”
Mumba is also a member of the Toastmasters Club and is active within the community of Zambians in St. Louis and the Metro East.
“I want to broaden my mark in my community by actively being engaged outside of teaching by helping the most unfortunate, especially in Zambia, but also by advocating for local causes,” Mumba said.
To learn more about CETL at L&C, visit www.lc.edu/CETL.
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