Stefan Zimmers

Assistant Visiting Professor of History, Assistant Dean, Georgetown College
Age: 44
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Education: B.A., M.A. and PhD, Georgetown University
Area of research: Anglo-Saxon and Angevin England with a specialized focus on the ideology of royal government
Time at Georgetown: 15 years

What drew you to the job?
I’ve been at Georgetown since 1988 as an undergraduate, and I’ve been teaching at Georgetown since 1999. 

What has kept you around Georgetown for so many years?
It’s hard to say. It’s one those places that just kind of draws you in. I’ve taught at a couple of places and Georgetown has the best students by far in the area. I like the mission of Georgetown and I love Jesuits — interesting, very open-minded, liberal folk. It’s just a good place to be. 

Since ’88, has the culture changed on campus?
It’s much more A-type; much more about professional improvement and resume building. When I went here it was much more laidback. I probably couldn’t get in now, considering. But it’s much more rigorous and competitive now. Back then it was more congenial and a stronger community.

What contributes to that?
I would say the economic marketplace. But that began in high schools in the mid ’90s and that translates to the colleges. Everybody’s worried about social status.

Has much changed in the classroom?
Technology, absolutely. I remember slide projectors, and that was high-tech back then. Mostly professors were just talking, so now if you don’t have a PowerPoint at least students tune out. I remember when Georgetown kind of helped invent Blackboard. Georgetown used to very cutting edge technology-wise. 

What topic in history that really interests you?
I’m a medievalist by trade. I focus on Anglo-Saxon England. My class last semester was on England from the age of Arthur to Braveheart. 

With that pre-professional trend you described, has that affected the amount of respect history gets?
Everyone wants to know “What can the class do for you?” The discipline itself builds your resume — you learn how to write, you learn how to read, you learn how to build primary and secondary sources. That’s good for anything. But students want the immediate gratification of how one assignment translates to help getting a job on Wall Street and I can’t answer that because it doesn’t. That’s the whole liberal arts debate we’re having right now.

Who is a particularly inspirational whom you’ve come across here?
That’s an easy one. My undergraduate and graduate mentor, Jo Ann Moran Cruz. She is in the history department. It’s very odd to go from an 18-year-old to a peer. She’s on sabbatical this semester but she’s a phenomenal professor. She’s open to creative ideas, and will help you with guidance. She’s always supportive. 

If there was a high school student considering studying history here, what’s the pitch you’d give?
The history faculty here is phenomenal. They’re some of the best colleagues I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of. They’re brilliant in their fields. Some of them are highly regarded for the books they’ve published. They’re incredible teachers. The director of our undergraduate studies is a great advisor who will guide you and support you. The department faculty is just par excellence. 

Interview by Danny Funt