Dr. Timothy D. Zimmerman is currently an environmental education evaluator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Education in Washington, DC. He recently was an assistant professor of environmental education, at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA where he held the Jonathan Lash Endowed Chair in environmental and sustainability education . Driven by a conviction that solving environmental problems is essential to the well-being of individuals, societies, and the planet, Dr. Zimmerman’s scholarship, teaching, and expertise focus on designing and improving pedagogical practices and curricular tools that foster environmental stewardship. Prior to his arrival at Hampshire College, he was a professor of science education at Rutgers University for 5 years, jointly appointed in the Graduate School of Education and the Department of Marine and Coastal Studies.
He has nearly 30 years of experience designing, researching, and evaluating curricula and pedagogies in a variety of formal and informal learning contexts such as higher education, aquariums, and outdoor environmental education spaces. Dr. Zimmerman’s published work appears in peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and books for teachers and policy makers. He has presented his research at dozens of national and international conferences and given keynote addresses to organizations such at the North American Association of Environmental Educators, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and the Canadian Council for Self-directed Learning.
Dr. Zimmerman has collaborated with many organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geographic Society, the Monterey Bay and New York Aquariums, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, the NAACP, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. His work has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Roddenberry Foundation, and Mellon Foundation, among other sources.
Dr. Zimmerman holds a B.S. in biology and marine biology (University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth), an M.S. in marine biology (College of Charleston), and a Ph.D. in science education (University of California, Berkeley).