Patricia Zimmermann

Patricia Zimmermann was the Charles A. Dana Professor of Screen Studies at Ithaca College's Roy H. Park School of Communications. She directed the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF), a multimedia inter-arts festival addressing global sustainability and social justice issues. She held additional endowed chairs at Nanyang Technological University (Shaw Foundation Professor of New Media) and the University of Iowa (Ida Beam Professor of Cinema & Comparative Literature).

Education:

• Ph.D. Communication Arts (1984), University of Wisconsin-Madison
• M.A. Communication Arts (1979), University of Wisconsin-Madison
• B.A. English & Broadcasting/Film (1976), University of Iowa (Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi)

Research Interests: Zimmermann pioneered interdisciplinary work in documentary studies, digital media theory, participatory community media, and environmental film. Her research bridges film historiography with contemporary digital practices, emphasizing collaborative media's role in social change. She explored themes like media activism, global environmental discourses, and the intersection of art and politics.

Curatorial & Leadership Roles: Co-programmed the landmark We Tell: Fifty Years of Participatory Community Media exhibition, and curated the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar. She served as Film & Documentary Envoy for the U.S. State Department and Fulbright Specialist.

Awards/Honors: Held three endowed professorships and participated in prestigious academic and curatorial roles globally.

Grants & Collaborations: Secured funding from MacArthur, Rockefeller, and Guggenheim Foundations. Collaborated internationally through projects like Digital Habitats (transnational new media research).

Labs/Initiatives: Founded FLEFF, which became a model for integrating environmental sustainability with arts and media across disciplines.