Perhaps due to some luck, members of our family have been privileged to have spent time in industry, academia, government, global policies, public health, and social programs. These activities spanned six continents. We did not need to go to Antarctica because we were from Minnesota. Along the way, we did learn by seeing things done well with highly beneficial results. We have also seen things done poorly, and we have noticed the difference. Interestingly, we find that both success and failure are often multi-faceted and occasionally intermixed. Every successful business venture seems to have a few participants that did not really help. Conversely, some of the people associated with failures were fine dedicated capable people. So, we have learned to be cautious in rendering judgement. Still, there are lessons learned.
We value the experiences that we have been fortunate to have and the rewarding connections that resulted. We are eager to share what we learned with those interested, free of charge, to foster both learning and collaboration.
Zimmerman Family Activities
Zimmerman Legacy
Dr. Frederick M. Zimmerman, PhD
Joanell E. Zimmerman, MSWLIC
Dr. Frederick J. Zimmerman, PhD
Carita M. Zimmerman, MA, MBA
Dr. Brigitte Seim, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Management at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota
Also taught at Universidad Catolica in Montevideo, Uruguay, Czech Management Center in Celokovice, Czech Republic, The University of Pittsburgh, The University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University.
Prior to returning to academe in 1985 worked for IBM, Control Data, and National Computer Systems as an engineer, manager, vice president and other corporate positions.
Served on the Boards of Directors of more than ten companies.
Joanell was always the heart and soul of our family as well as the first in our family to achieve a post-graduate degree. It was Joanell who taught the children to read at an early age and nurtured them through their many pursuits along the way. Along the way, Joanell took the time to care for more than 90 short-term foster children.
Fred and Joanell celebrated their 62nd Wedding Anniversary in September of 2024
Is currently an endowed Professor of Public Health at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA in California, where had previously served as Department Chair. Fred had held previous academic appointemnts at Stanford University and the University of Washington.
Dr. Frederick J. Zimmerman is a highly-referenced academic as the author of several books and more than 100 refereed scientific papers.
Carita has as Master of Business Administration plus extensive experience in business finance. In addition, she holds a Master of Arts degree in German and taught German for several years at Ohio State University.
Carita also studied at die Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhems-Universität in Bonn, Germany, the Goethe Institute in Murnau in Bavaria, Germany and the Austro-American Institute in Vienna, Austria.
Associate Professor of Global Policy Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota 2023-present
Associate Professor of Global Policy University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC) 2015-2022
Varieties of Democracy Project (V-Dem) Gothenburg, Sweden - 2015-present. Founding Principal Investigaton
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
International Anti-Corruption Association, Affiliated Researcher Washington, DC
650.492.0053 bseim@umn.edu
Christina Joanell Ristau
Our middle child Christina, perhaps the most gifted writer in our family, elected to be a high school teacher of Spanish, perhaps resulting from her experience as an exchange student in Argentina. In later years, she held responsible positions at United Health.
Zimmerman Family in 1984
Zimmerman Family University Affiliations
