Associate Director: James A. Zimmerman (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2000), Associate Professor of Chemistry.

James has recently moved from Missouri State University where, from 2002 to 2007, he was a tenured member of the chemistry faculty as well as a faculty associate of the institution’s Faculty Development Center. He comes to Montclair State University to serve as the Associate Director of the Research Academy on University Learning.

During the past decade, Dr. Zimmerman has participated in professional development activities at the local, national, and international level. These activities have included developing a Teaching Fellowship program that supports faculty interested in SoTL studies, the mentoring of university and college faculty team projects designed to improve science and mathematics education with an emphasis on addressing issues that often discourage women and minorities from pursuing study in the sciences or mathematics, and presenting the NSF-sponsored Multi-Initiative Dissemination (MID) project curriculum to cohorts of science faculty from a wide-range of academic institutions.

Project presenter for Multi-Initiative Dissemination (MID) Workshops: The NSF-sponsored Multi-Initiative Dissemination (MID) Project introduced college and university faculty to the four NSF Systemic-Change Initiatives in Chemistry (New Traditions, Molecular Science, Peer-Led Team Learning, and ChemConnections) that were developed during the late-1990’s. The overarching objective of these efforts was to facilitate a cultural change in chemistry education in the college and university science classroom. The essence of this change is a paradigm shift from faculty-centered teaching to student-centered learning. Through this program, Dr. Zimmerman has mentored science faculty at the 2YC3 national meeting and on the campuses of Central Michigan University, University of Missouri - Columbia, and University of Arkansas - Little Rock.

Curriculum Reform Institute Project Mentor: The Curriculum Reform Institute (CRI) invited teams of faculty from across the country to come together and work with mentors from the Women and Science Program on projects designed to improve science and mathematics education for all students, with an emphasis on addressing issues that often discourage women and minorities from pursuing study in the sciences or mathematics. The CRI was awarded a certificate of excellence in 2001 by the Theodore M. Hesburgh Faculty Development to Enhance Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Program. Through this program, Dr. Zimmerman has mentored science faculty from Beloit College, Clarion University, Drew University, Minnesota State Colleges Consortium, Rowan University, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, St. Francis College, UW River Falls, Virginia Tech, Avila College, Ball State University, Goucher College, Hartwick College, Kennesaw State University, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Central Washington University, Fisk University, Middle Tennessee State University, and the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa.

Active Involvement in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Activities: The Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Task Force has sponsored conversations to define and describe what the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) means to institutions of higher education. Using these conversations and other accomplishments of CASTL as a springboard, Dr. Zimmerman has participated in and shaped the development of Teaching Fellowship Programs that help to support faculty interested in conducting SoTL studies. Dr. Zimmerman was named as one of eight inaugural 2003-2004 Missouri State Teaching Fellows for his Student-Centered Chemistry project. Student learning outcomes from the Student-Centered Chemistry project have been presented in various forms at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, University of Louisiana-Monroe, University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Hunter College, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Dr. Zimmerman has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in general, nuclear, and physical chemistry and has won several university awards for his teaching. His scholarly agenda has included experimental nuclear chemistry, integrative learning theory, and more traditional chemistry education research. He can be contacted at zimmermanj@mail.montclair.edu (ext. 3134).