Michael Zimmer

Dr. Michael Zimmer is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Computer Science at Marquette University and Director of the Center for Data, Ethics, and Society. His work focuses on privacy, data ethics, and the societal impacts of digital technologies. He holds a PhD in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University, with a specialization in Gender Studies. Zimmer has held academic appointments at Marquette since 2019, previously serving at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2014–2019) and Yale Law School as an affiliated fellow.

His research explores privacy challenges in smart technologies, healthcare AI, and pandemic surveillance. He teaches courses like Data Ethics and Social Implications of Data. Zimmer has led over $4M in grants, including NSF projects on pervasive data ethics and privacy negotiation in smart environments. His awards include the Way Klingler Fellowship (2025–2027) and recognition as a '10 People to Know in Technology' (2022).

Zimmer’s publications span privacy in wearable tech, algorithmic bias, and cross-cultural data attitudes. He advises global initiatives like the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s Society 5.0 Ethics Initiative and serves on editorial boards for journals like ACM Journal for Responsible Computing. His work bridges academia, policy, and industry to advance ethical tech practices.