JMU names Zimmerman dean of the College of Arts and Letters
JMU News
SUMMARY: Traci Zimmerman, the interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters, has been named dean of the college.
Traci Zimmerman, the interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters, has been named dean of the college.
In announcing her hiring Tuesday, Dec. 17, interim provost Bob Kolvoord said Zimmerman "combines the qualities of being a strategic and inclusive leader with deep experience with the college’s faculty, staff and students. Selected through a highly competitive, national search, she will assume the position on 2 January 2025. I’m excited that she will continue to play an important role in Academic Affairs leadership."
Zimmerman said, "It is an honor to be able to continue to serve the College of Arts and Letters as its dean. That I am able to contribute to the college from which I graduated, at the university that has given me so much, is truly humbling. I’m grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the work ahead."
A native of Newport News, the JMU alumna earned her bachelor's degree in 1992 and her master's degree in 1994, both in English. She earned a doctorate in English from Case Western Reserve University in 2004. In 2017, she completed a Master of Science in Jurisprudence (MSJ) from Seton Hall School of Law with a concentration in intellectual property.
Zimmerman joined the JMU faculty in 2000 as an assistant professor in the writing program. She earned tenure in the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication and was promoted to full professor in 2014. In Spring 2011, she was the recipient of the inaugural WRTC Award for Teaching Excellence.
She held the role of director of the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication from 2014-19. As CAL associate dean (2021-23), she oversaw faculty and staff relations in the college, streamlining the tenure and promotion, retirement and emeritus processes for faculty and advocating for college staff.
In June 2023, Zimmerman began serving as CAL interim dean. In this role, she worked with faculty and staff to complete the CAL Strategic Plan. She also focused on improving communication and accountability in college governance, while developing retention strategies that focused on new hires.
Zimmerman's research focuses on authorship, intellectual property, and digital literacies and is informed by her interest in privacy, technology, and the public domain.
