Dr. Elizabeth Chesney Zegura, Associate Professor Emerita in the Department of French and Italian, passed away in February. She was 76.
Carine Bourget, Head of the Department of French and Italian, and Fabian Alfie, Professor of Italian, wrote a memorial on behalf of the department:
From 1978 when she first joined the UA, till her retirement in 2015, Dr. Elizabeth Zegura was a pillar of our department, dedicating her professional life to the transformative power of education and the pursuit of knowledge.
As a scholar, Elizabeth’s rigorous contributions have helped advance Early Modern French studies, and most notably enriched our understanding of Rabelais, Ariosto, Marguerite de Navarre, and gender issues during the Renaissance.
Beyond her publications, Elizabeth embodied the very best of what it means to be an educator through her generous support and mentorship of students and colleagues. She taught over 30 different courses in both French and Italian languages and cultures, as well as General Education. In addition to guiding students as Director of Undergraduate Studies, then Director of Graduate Studies, she also served as Honors Advisor and Arizona Assurance Mentor. Her dedication to students was recognized by the COH Distinguished Advising/Mentoring Award in 2004.
To those of us who have been fortunate to work with her, Elizabeth was a model of collegiality. We remember fondly her uplifting presence and sound advice. She was always good-natured, and generous with her time, and she believed strongly in the mission of the Department of French and Italian. Through her work, she contributed to both the French and Italian Programs, and she was central to establishing Italian on its current sound footing.
Her legacy will continue through her research that paved new ground, and the students who viewed their future more broadly thanks to her guidance and teaching.
We extend our sincere condolences to Krista (whom we saw grow up through pictures that adorned Elizabeth’s office) and her family. She last joined us for an alumni recognition event in 2022, and shared that she was enjoying spending time with her baby granddaughter. May our cherished colleague rest in peace.
An expert on the French and Italian Renaissance, Zegura taught courses on literature, theater and language and authored or edited several books, including Marguerite de Navarre’s Shifting Gaze (2017), The Rabelais Encyclopedia (2004), Rabelais Revisited (1993), and The Countervoyage of Rabelais and Ariosto (1982). She also taught in the Humanities Seminars Program.
Zegura received her Ph.D. from Duke University in 1976 and her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College in 1971. Before joining the University of Arizona, she taught at Davidson College and Depauw University. See the published obituary for more information.