Donna Zimmerman, assistant professor and program chair of Advanced Automation and Robotics at Ivy Tech Community College Evansville Campus, was one of 12 women honored on Wednesday, Sept. 26, with the annual Torchbearer Award.
“I am humbled to be included with these ground-breaking women, Zimmerman said. “It is a pleasure for me to be able to work on projects that help the community and are of such interest to area women.†First Lady Janet Holcomb, Torchbearer Awards Honorary Chair, and the Board of Commissioners of the Indiana Commission for Women (ICW) presented the awards.
According to the ICW, this prestigious award recognizes women from around the state who have broken down barriers, overcome obstacles to women’s full participation, and have made Indiana a better place to live, work and raise a family. As an engineer, Zimmerman is a visible example of what young women might become. She spends every day in her lab and/or within the community teaching women of all ages the skills needed to successfully compete within the engineering and manufacturing sector.
Zimmerman has presented to national audiences about interactive lab software and has presented frequently on teaching techniques. Zimmerman will be presenting at an international conference in October 2018 on a prosthetic device design using 3D printers. She is active in the community, having taught and led many educational efforts including robotic camps, workshops, and competitions, and is partnered with the YMCA to bring STEM activities to underserved areas of the community.
Zimmerman’s passion is service to the disabled through service learning in her classes. Projects include modifying a wheelchair to enable a student’s ability to stand in automotive classes and using robotic skills to modify devices used in teaching disabled students. She has received the Ivy Tech President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction (2017), the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award (2017), the 21st Annual Celebration of Leadership Award (2017), and the Ivy Tech Community Engagement Award (2016).
