Faculty Spotlight | Discovering a Divine Calling

All of the research in the world could not satisfy the longing for knowledge she felt inside. Driven by a passion for learning and exploring practical applications for her findings, Dr. Angela AnimaKorang found herself at a crossroads.

After completing a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, and a Doctor of Philosophy, the young scholar from Ghana, Africa made the leap from student to instructor, applying her years of study and research to influence and expand the young minds at East Texas Baptist University.

“My undergraduate degree was in computer science so going through my thesis, I decided to come up with an e-doctor system from a computer science angle,” Korang said. “During my research, I had to go to the hospital a lot to get information. I found that the communication aspect of diseases was missing. It wasn’t that there wasn’t any information about how you can contract the disease or the services available once you did. It was really about how we had framed the specific disease to be negative. Clearly we were not able to connect the two, so I started thinking about how to make people more aware of the realities.”

In order to dive deeper into her findings, Korang decided to continue her academics and research, and pursue a Master of Science in Mass Communication, hoping to find ways to bridge the gap between medical information and how it is relayed to the population. She took the opportunity to move from her home in Ghana and join her family in the United States in 2009.

“My family was already in the United States, so it just made sense for me to apply to U.S. schools for my master’s degree,” Korang said. “My sister was in pharmacy school in Illinois, so I chose the school that she was already attending.”

After graduating with her first master’s degree, the school she attended did not offer a doctoral

program in her interest, but her drive to continue the research she had begun led her to seek out new opportunities.

“The larger school in a different city had the program. I wanted to go there, but the admission period had already passed,” Korang said. “That’s when I was able to meet the Dean and she told me that someone had dropped out of the program and that the spot could be mine if I was qualified. I applied and the very next week I was accepted into the program. It was a miracle, being in the right place at the right time. Everything was working together for good.”

But she didn’t stop there. Upon completing her Ph.D. in Mass Communication and Media Arts, Korang decided to further pursue her research regarding public health issues, leading her to complete a second graduate degree in public health. Her well-rounded educational background provided a solid foundation upon which to build a remarkable teaching career. “I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Mass Communication because I was interested in doing more research, but the Ph.D. also trains you to teach,” Korang said. “I think I was more drawn to teaching the deeper I got into the program. It was more about knowledge, sharing the knowledge, and having the ability to grow mentally. When you are an instructor, you can still do research. It influences the way you teach. Once you are teaching, you have an amazing opportunity to blend the two."

When she reached the turning point of completing her degrees and choosing what career path to take, Korang chose higher education over working in the health care industry. She packed up, made the move to Dallas, and began seeking out teaching opportunities. It was this choice that led her to discover this University on the Hill in Marshall, Texas.

“A friend of mine called me and told me about a faculty position at ETBU, so I sent my information to the Dean of the School of Communication and Performing Arts Dr. Tom Webster, and he replied that he was in the area where I was living,” she shared. “It was crazy. We met up at a Starbucks and talked about the job and what ETBU was about. Later I told my mother about it, and she told me that this might be the place for me.”

After her initial meeting with Dr. Webster, Korang made her first official visit to Marshall, where she was able to tour campus, meet faculty and students, and get a feel for what life at ETBU would be like.

“The students that I met were receptive and engaging. When we were talking, I was thinking ‘this is great, I want to engage with students like these,’” Korang said. “I met some of the faculty, and I really connected with them and felt the Holy Spirit with them. I hadn’t felt that in other schools that I had been

to. After seeing Baker Chapel and the Patsy Smith Intercessory Prayer Room in Scarborough Hall, I knew that regardless of whatever offer I received, this is where I wanted to be.”

Although this is Dr. Anima-Korang’s first time serving as a full-time instructor, her teaching experience dates back to 2014. Over the last five years, she has used her passion for observation and research to improve her methods of engaging with students in the classroom. “Dr. Anima-Korang was always helpful whenever we had questions, and she was always there for us with understanding in any situation,” senior mass communication major Jose Pena said. “Since being in her class, my educational experience at ETBU has improved and I’ve learned so much that I will definitely use in the future.”

Department Chair for Communication Studies Dr. Cole Franklin believes that Korang’s breadth of knowledge provides numerous benefits to the classroom including a global perspective and a strong background in public relations. Additionally, her background in public health will allow the University to pursue an expansion of course offerings related to health communication.

“Teaching is an amazing experience, I get to learn a lot. It helps me to grow, and it opens me up to be more receptive to different things,” she said. “Engaging with students and learning what they are looking for has helped me to fine-tune the way I deliver lessons. Essentially, teaching is a conversation.”

Her positive impact can been seen outside the classroom as well, as she has helped facilitate and start the Communication Society for communication students who are interested in the field or taking related courses. The society brings students together and finds ways to help them develop skills that they can showcase on their resumes.

“As a faithful follower of Christ, Angela serves and cares for her students with love and kindness,” Dr. Webster said. “Her walk with Christ is evident in her teaching and in every conversation she has with students and colleagues. She is a joyful individual, who shares her faith openly and freely. Dr. Anima-Korang serves as a model for students as they seek to grow closer to the Lord.”

After teaching her first semester in ETBU’s Communication Department, Dr. Anima-Korang believes her journey from Ghana to pursue education were a series of moments, orchestrated by God, to lead her home to the Hill.

“I’m grateful to be here, but it goes beyond gratitude. It’s a calling,” Dr. Anima-Korang concluded. “I felt called here, I really did. From the first time I stepped on campus, I knew this is where I needed to be.”