Rate My Professor Simeon Stumme

Simeon Stumme, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor of Education (ESL/Bilingual) in the Department of Education at Elmhurst University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, M.A. from Chapman University, and B.A. from Wittenberg University. Previously, Dr. Stumme held the position of Associate Professor of Foundations and Social Policy at Concordia University Chicago, where he contributed significantly to educational research and policy studies.

Dr. Stumme's research specializations and academic interests center on bilingual education, second language acquisition, teacher action research, funds of knowledge, and culturally responsive pedagogy. With 11 years of teaching experience in bilingual and dual language classrooms, he has mentored pre-service and in-service teachers to better serve emergent bilingual students through practitioner inquiry and academic projects, alongside social and political advocacy. At Concordia University Chicago, he organized four annual mini-conferences showcasing action research projects by graduating master’s students, involving approximately 120 participants each year. In his current role at Elmhurst University, he co-developed the Virtual Teacher Researcher Network with colleagues Beverly Troiano and Dean Jensen, supported by a 2023-2024 Imagine Elmhurst Innovation grant. This digital platform provides a library of action research projects, hosts annual virtual conferences, facilitates professional development sessions, and supports collaborative working groups for teacher-researchers. Dr. Stumme co-edited the Mid-Western Educational Researcher journal and has contributed book reviews to Multicultural Perspectives as well as a review of Study Abroad and the Second Language Learner. He regularly presents on bilingual education at the National Association for Bilingual Education conference, the Illinois Annual Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students, and other local, national, and international venues. As former President of the Illinois Association of Multicultural and Multilingual Educators, he has demonstrated leadership in the field. Additionally, he has co-managed several grants, including a multiyear project exceeding one million dollars to develop performance standards for Chicagoland Lutheran parochial schools, funded by The Big Shoulders Fund, Illinois District 219, and Illinois District 65.