Zimmerman Scholarship Aims to Help First-Generation Engineering Students

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Charles and Susan Zimmerman (far right) with their son and daughter-in-law.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas alumnus Charles Zimmerman and his wife, Susan, are first-generation college graduates who are creating a scholarship to help other first-generation students earn their degrees. Their $250,000 gift to the College of Engineering will be used to create the Charles R. and Susan D. Zimmerman Scholarship in Engineering.

Charles Zimmerman, originally from Tulsa, began his college career as a music major at the University of Oklahoma. After deciding to switch majors, Zimmerman asked for recommendations on where to study engineering. He was referred by family and friends to the University of Arkansas, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1985.

Zimmerman admits that he wasn’t sure what college was going to be like when he originally enrolled. He worked multiple jobs throughout his academic experience, and his wife, Susan, found herself in a similar situation while attending the University of Texas at Tyler. Both financed much of their degrees on their own, which is why they now feel passionate about helping other first-generation college students facing similar circumstances.

“We want to make sure opportunities exist for future generations of students,” said Charles Zimmerman. “The focus of our scholarship is on first-generation students and their financial need. Academic standing is considered after those two factors.”

John English, dean of the College of Engineering, said, “As a first-generation student myself, I know the impact a college education can make, not just on our students’ lives, but on the well-being of their families and their communities. A significant portion of our students would be unable to attend college without some kind of financial support, and I applaud Charles and Susan Zimmerman for helping us offer an engineering education to students from all walks of life.”

Charles Zimmerman is now the vice president of international design and construction at Walmart Stores Inc. He has been with the company for nearly 20 years and has almost always been involved in real estate, construction and design. For the last seven years, he has worked on capital expenditures for the company’s facilities on an international level.

At the university, Zimmerman serves on the College of Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Council and is a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus in the College of Engineering in 2009. Susan Zimmerman is a teacher in Siloam Springs and a “die-hard Razorback fan,” according to her husband.

Despite sometimes feeling skeptical about the state of the world today, Charles Zimmerman says he feels encouraged when he returns to campus.

“The students at the university today are more socially responsible than when I was in school,” he said. “Every time I’m around the engineering students in Fayetteville, I feel good about the future. They inspire me.”

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the only comprehensive doctoral-granting engineering program in the state of Arkansas. The college offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in nine engineering fields, as well as incorporating distance learning and interdisciplinary programs. Faculty in the College of Engineering conduct research in many key areas, including electronics, energy, healthcare logistics, nanotechnology, transportation and logistics.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.