Melva Lowe de Goodin

Melva Lowe de Goodin is a retired professor of English. She obtained her B.A. degree in literature from Connecticut College, and her M.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She has taught at the University of Zambia, the University of Panama and The Florida State University (FSU) Panama Canal Branch. She initiated and coordinated the English Language Program at FSU Panama for more than 20 years, and served as a professor of English at the University of Panama for more than 30 years. She has published two academic textbooks, PRACTICAL LESSONS IN ENGLISH, volumes 1 & 2. In 1986, she founded and served as the first president of Panama TESOL, the Panama Chapter of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. From 2000 to 2006, she served as Director of the English Department of the University of Panama.

Professor Goodin has also been recognized for her service in the local community. In 1981, she co-founded SAMAAP (the Society of Friends of the West Indian Museum of Panama) and continues to serve on its board of directors. Her publications on the history, culture, and experiences of black people in Panama include a bilingual play From Barbados to Panama (published in 1999), Afrodescendientes en el Istmo de Panamá 1501 – 2012 (published in 2012), People of African Ancestry in Panama 1501 – 2012 (published in 2014), and numerous articles about the history and culture of black ethnic groups in the Republic of Panama.

Melva was born and raised in the Panama Canal Zone, and she currently resides in Panama City with her husband, Orville K. Goodin. She is the mother of one son, Kwamena Goodin, who resides in the United States.
Click here to view the tribute to Melva Lowe de Goodin.