Zachary Zimmer
IPIA & Sociology
zachary.zimmer@ipia.utah.edu

Zachary Zimmer is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Utah and is the first Senior Scholar hired at IPIA. Zimmer uses a demographic viewpoint and training in population studies to investigate issues related to health and aging across the developing world. On a broad level, he is interested in how the compilation and interaction of rapid demographic and social change impacts on the wellbeing of older persons. This interest has prompted work in East and Southeast Asia where population aging and socioeconomic change has been swift and recent. In this part of the world, Zimmer has been examining later-life health as it relates to socio-demographic phenomenon such as place of residence and social stratification, and has been studying the impact of changing family and intergenerational relations on various indicators of wellbeing. In addition, Zimmer has an interest in conducting research that is comparative in nature. As one example, a project called 'The Study of Health Transitions in Later Life' involved international comparisons of longitudinal data from panel studies of older populations in Mainland China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan. The project described trends in health across these settings, causes and consequences of health transitions, and policies likely to have a strong impact on the health of aging populations. Zimmer is also concerned with older adults in societies characterized by harsh living conditions, such as extreme poverty, high rates of HIV/AIDS, and histories of violence. He is a co-investigator of a project titled ‘Impact of AIDS, Poverty, and Social Upheaval on the Elderly: The Case of Cambodia.’ As part of this project, he co-conducted the 2004 Survey of the Elderly in Cambodia, the country’s first population-wide representative sample survey specifically centered on older adults.

Zachary enjoys taking a team oriented approach to research and he often works in collaboration with local policy-makers and academicians. In addition, he is interested in capacity building in poorer societies. He has taught a number of classes and has worked closely with researchers in a mentoring role in several developing countries. Zachary Zimmer came to the University of Utah after spending time as a Research Associate at the Population Council in New York and as a professor of Sociology at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Before that he spent a number of years north of the border at several centers for aging research at Canadian universities. Zimmer received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan, working out of their Population Studies Center. He has an MA from University of Manitoba and a BA from University of Winnipeg.