DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

Faculty

Education

Ph.D., Ecology
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

M.S., Forestry
School of Forest Resources
University of Georgia, Athens, GA

B.S., Forestry
School of Forestry and Wildlife
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Professional Experience

2004 – 2008
Post-Doctoral Associate
Department of Biological Sciences
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

• Course Taught: Principles of Ecology, Laboratory Exercises in Ecology, Biology of Plants (non-majors), Writing for Biology Seminar, Ecology and Environmental Problems (non –majors)
• Created a laboratory curriculum for Principles of Ecology course
• Coordinated lab component for Ecology and Environmental Problems
• Conducted research in Big Bend National Park, TX and Luquillo Experimental Forest LTER, Puerto Rico.  Findings presented in one manuscript and at three scientific conferences
• Served on a number of departmental committees

2002 – 2003
Research Associate
School of Forestry
University of Georgia, Athens GA

• Coordinated and conducted several research projects in forest science

2001
Instructor
Department of Biology
State University of New York at Farmingdale

• Courses Taught: Freshman General Biology (non-majors)

1994-2000
Graduate Teaching/Research Assistant
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

• Courses Taught: Laboratory Component for General Biology (majors), Introductory Biology (non-majors), General Ecology (majors), Aquatic Ecology, and Field Limnology
• Conducted research on community and ecosystem properties associated with microbial bioremediation processes in laboratory microcosms

1991-1993
Research Technician
School of Forest Resources
University of Georgia, Athen, GA

• Conducted research in forest science including several studies on forest soils and a large-scale study of the effects of global warming on the ecophysiology of loblolly pine.

1988-1990
Forester
Resource Management Service
Birmingham, AL

• Participated in the inventory and management of forest resources.

Publications

Michael R. Willig, Christopher P. Bloch, Nicholas Brokaw, Christopher Higgins, Jill Thompson, and C. R. Zimmermann. 2007. Cross-scale responses of biodiversity to hurricane and anthropogenic disturbance in a tropical forest.  Ecosystems 10(5) 824-838.

Drake, J.A., M.M. Fuller, C.R. Zimmermann, and J.G.P. Gamarra. 2007.  Emergence in ecological systems.  In:  From Energetics to Ecosystems: the Dynamics and Structure of Ecological Systems. (N. Rooney, K.S. McCann, and D.L.G. Noakes, eds.), Springer.

Zimmermann, C.R., T. Fukami, and J.A. Drake. 2003. An experimentally-derived map of community assembly space.  In: Unifying Themes in Complex Systems II:  Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Complex Systems (A. Minai and Y. Bar-Yam, eds.), Perseus Press.

Zimmermann, C.R. and J.A. Drake. Assembly and community self-organization. 2002. InterJournal of Complex Systems. Brief Article, Manuscript 242.

Zimmermann, C.R., G.S. Sayler, and J.A. Drake. 2001. Community assembly, alternate community states, and the introduction success of a bioremediative soil microorganism.  In: Understanding Complexity:  Proceedings of the 2000 World Congress of the System Sciences (J. Wilby and G. Ragsdell, eds.).  Kluwer Academic Press, London.

Fukami, T., C.R. Zimmermann, G.J. Russell, and J.A. Drake. 1999.  Self-organized criticality in ecological systems.  Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14(8): 321.

Drake, J.A., C.R. Zimmermann, and T. Purucker. 1999. On the nature of the assembly trajectory.  Ecological Assembly Rules - Perspectives, Advances, Retreats (editors: P. Keddy and E. Weir). Cambridge University Press.

Manuscripts (In Review or Preparation)

C.R. Zimmermann, J. Zak, J. Resinger, C. Bell, and H. Grizzle. Understanding soil microbial biomass and nitrogen dynamics in two degraded grassland systems at Big Bend National Park.  Submitted to Ecology.

C.R. Zimmermann and M.R. Willig. The effect of disturbance on metacommunity structure of woody plants in the tabonuco forest.  To be submitted to Biotropica.

Published Abstracts

Zimmermann, C.R. 2003.  The interaction of invasion sequence effects with a productivity gradient in assembled protist communities.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 84.

Zimmermann, C.R., T. Fukami, G.S. Sayler, and J.A. Drake.  2000. Community self-organization and the introduction success of a bioremediative soil microorganism.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 81.

Fukami, T., C.R. Zimmermann, and J.A. Drake.  2000. An experimentally derived community assembly map.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 81.

Zimmermann, C.R., J. A. Drake, A. G. Hay, R. Stapleton, Y. Ahn, and G. S. Sayler.  1998.  Enhanced invasion success of multiple simultaneous introductions in a soil microcosm study.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 79.

Zimmermann, C.R., J.A. Drake, Y. Ahn, and G.S. Sayler.  1997.  Persistence of a genetically-engineered bacterium in a soil microcosm competition study.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 78.

Drake, J.A., T.L. Crossman and C.R. Zimmermann.  1997.  Exotic species and exotic dynamics.  Bulletin of the Canadian Society of Zoologists, May 1997.

Zimmermann, C.R. and J.A. Drake.  1996.  Evidence for self-organized criticality in a microbial microcosm population.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 77.

Drake, J.A., C.R. Zimmermann, and J. Kolasa.  1995.  Emergence of emergent properties.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 76.

Zimmermann, C.R. and J.A. Drake.  1995.   Evidence for self-organization:  an exploration of dynamics near the critical state in a microcosm population.  Supplement of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 76.

Meeting Presentations

Zimmermann, C.R. and M.R. Willig.  2006. Effect of disturbance on metacommunity structure of woody plants in a tabonuco forest.  Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America, Memphis, TN.

Zimmermann, C.R., J. Resinger, J. Zak, and J. Sirotnak.  2006.  Seasonal patterns in microbial biomass and nitrogen dynamics in degraded grasslands of Big Bend National Park.  Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America, Memphis, TN.

Bloch, C., C.R. Zimmermann, N. Brokaw, J. Thompson, and M. Willig.  2006.  Heterogeneity, scale, and biotic responses to disturbance in the Luquillo Experimental Forest: case studies from the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot.  LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, CO.

Zimmermann, C.R., J. Resinger, J. Zak, J. Bennett, and J. Sirotnak.  2005.  Understanding microbial and nutrient dynamics of degraded grasslands in Big Bend National Park.   Annual Meeting of the Soil Ecology Society, Argonne National Lab, IL.

Zimmermann, C.R. 2003.  The interaction of invasion sequence effects with a productivity gradient in assembled protist communities.  Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America, Savannah, GA.

Zimmermann, C.R., T. Fukami, G.S. Sayler, and J.A. Drake.  2000.  Community self-organization and the introduction success of a bioremediative soil microorganism.  Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America, Snowbird, UT.

Fukami, T., C.R. Zimmermann, and J.A. Drake.  2000. An experimentally-derived community assembly map.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Snowbird, UT.

Zimmermann, C.R., G.S. Sayler, and J.A. Drake.  2000.  Community assembly, alternate community states, and the introduction success of a bioremediative soil microorganism.  World Congress of the System Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, CA.

Zimmermann, C.R., G.S. Sayler, and J.A. Drake.  2000.  Community assembly, alternate community states, and the introduction success of a bioremediative soil microorganism.  NECSI 3rd International Conference on Complex Systems, Nashua, NH.

Drake, J.A. and C.R. Zimmermann.  1998.  The structure of nature.  NECSI 2nd International Conference on Complex Systems, Nashua, NH.

Zimmermann, C.R., J.A. Drake, A.G. Hay, R. Stapleton, Y. Ahn, and G.S. Sayler.  1998.  Enhanced invasion success of multiple simultaneous introductions in a soil microcosm study.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Baltimore, MD.

Zimmermann, C. R., J.A. Drake, Y. Ahn, and G.S. Sayler.  1997.  Persistence of a genetically-engineered bacterium in a soil microcosm competition study.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Albuquerque, NM.

Drake, J.A., T.L. Crossman, and C.R. Zimmermann.  1997.  Exotic Species and Exotic Dynamics.  Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Zoologists, London, Ontario, CA.

Zimmermann, C.R. and J.A. Drake.  1996. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996.  Evidence for self-organized criticality in a microbial microcosm population.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Providence, RI.

Zimmermann, C.R. and J.A. Drake.  1995.  Evidence for self-organization:  an exploration of dynamics near the critical state in a microcosm population.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Snowbird, UT.

Drake, J.A., C.R. Zimmermann, and J. Kolasa.  1995.  Emergence of emergent properties.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Snowbird, UT.

Grant Authorship

Management and climate controls of tobosa grassland restoration in Big Bend National Park.  2005.  National Parks Ecological Research Fellowship Program.  Proposal declined.

Self-Organized Criticality, Scale and Ecosystem Stability.  1999.  Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Summer Grant Award. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.  Proposal awarded.

Miscellaneous Teaching and Public Outreach

1. Faculty Sponsor, 2008, Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society
2. Student Mentor, 2004 – 2006, TTU Honors College
3. Judge, 2005, South Plains Regional Science and Engineering Fair, Lubbock, TX
4. Event Coordinator, 2000, Science Alliance Olympics, University of Tennessee
5. Event Assistant, 1994-1999, Science Alliance Olympics, University of Tennessee
6. Student Mentor, 1997, Ronald MacNair Minority Achievement Program, University of Tennessee
7. Student Mentor, 1994, Threshold Scholars Program, University of Tennessee
8. Project Associate, 1995, WWW Life Sciences Mathematics Archive, University of Tennessee

Academic Awards and Honors

1. Four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship
2. Rockefeller Scholarship
3. Xi Sigma Pi (Honorary Academic Society)

Professional Affiliations

• Ecological Society of America