Retired faculty member accorded ‘emeritus’ status

Thomas A. Zimmerman, retired associate professor of psychology and faculty athletic representative, has been approved for emeritus status by the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors.

Zimmerman taught psychology full time at Penn College and its immediate predecessor, Williamsport Area Community College, since 1984, retiring in August 2021. He continued to serve as faculty athletic representative until August 2022. He also served as an adjunct faculty instructor at the college from 1978-84.

To be eligible for emeritus status at Penn College, faculty nominees must be honorably retired in good standing and have served the college for a minimum of 10 years, demonstrating a record of distinguished service to students, their department, their academic school and/or the college. Nominations are reviewed and approved by the Promotion and Sabbatical Review Committee and recommended for Board of Directors consideration by the president.

“Tom Zimmerman served Penn College with distinction for nearly four decades as a full-time faculty member in psychology and, in recent years, as faculty athletic representative,” said Nesli Alp, vice president for academic affairs and provost. “He has always been a strong advocate for the college and its mission, as evidenced by his work with curriculum development, the dual enrollment program and team teaching. His commitment to the college – and to the student and student-athlete experience – is mirrored in his many community affiliations. He is most deserving of faculty emeritus status.”

While employed at Penn College, Zimmerman served as an adviser to the National College Athlete Honor Society chapter, faculty athletic representative for Wildcat athletes competing in the United East Conference (formerly the North Eastern Athletic Conference) and faculty liaison for a psychology dual enrollment course taught at Williamsport Area High School.

He also contributed editorial content to Penn College Magazine; chaired the emergency management technology program curriculum development and writing committee; served on the Dual Enrollment Committee for the Williamsport Area School District; team-taught courses in communications, humanities and psychology with five faculty colleagues; and made numerous presentations.

Zimmerman is a 1967 liberal arts graduate of Williamsport Area Community College. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Lycoming College and holds a master’s degree from Bucknell University.

He and his wife established the Tom Zimmerman and June Kilgus Zimmerman Scholarship in 2014. The scholarship is given to students who are enrolled full time in a baccalaureate program and have declared a minor in either psychology or sociology.

His community involvement has included serving on the board of directors for both the Friends of the James V. Brown Library and River Valley Health & Dental; serving as a judge for the Ben Franklin Award, Pennsylvania Society; coordinating student guest readers in area school district classrooms; recruiting student-athletes to guest-read during Read Across America Week; and recruiting student-athletes and coaches to assist the James V. Brown Library in moving books in preparation for fall and spring book sales.

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