Dr. Fred Zimmerman, professor emeritus of engineering at the University of St. Thomas, received a Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Minnesota Business magazine’s Minnesota Manufacturing Awards program in Minneapolis.
Dr. Fred Zimmerman
The award is presented “to an individual who has made major accomplishments in Minnesota’s manufacturing industry and contributed to the advancement of the industry for at least 20 years.”
Zimmerman has held engineering and management positions at IBM, Control Data and National Computer Systems and has served on the boards of directors of 14 corporations. In 1985, he helped to found the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering.
“For decades, Fred has been a force and voice of manufacturing and engineering in the state,” said Dr. Don Weinkauf, dean of the St. Thomas School of Engineering. “Today, nearly one in 10 students at St. Thomas is pursuing an engineering degree as part of the program he helped found nearly 30 years ago. His lifetime achievements have left an enduring legacy for the people of Minnesota.”
Zimmerman is the author of dozens of professional, technical and newspaper articles and has published three books: From Riches to Rags at a Time of Prosperity (2011); Manufacturing Works: The Vital Link Between Production and Prosperity (2002, co-authored with former St. Paul Pioneer Press business editor Dave Beal); and The Turnaround Experience: Real-World Lessons in Revitalizing Corporations.
