Meet Jamie Zimmerman, 2003 Alum

Jamie Zimmerman graduated from Patterson in December 2003. She holds a B.A. in Foreign Languages and International Economics, and a Master's in International Political Economic and Development, both from the University of Kentucky. Currently, Zimmerman is the interim Deputy Director of Digital Connectivity at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As the interim Deputy Director, she is driving a new learning agenda and strategy around tools, platforms, and business models to accelerate the closure of the gender digital divide. Prior to joining the Foundation and directing the newly-formed Gender Impact Accelerators team within the Gender Equality Division, she spent several years as an independent global advisor to several partners, including World Bank, USAID, World Food Program and the International Rescue Committee.

Zimmerman says the Patterson School shifted her aspirations and what she thought she would like to do before joining the program. Her classes provided her with practically applied learning that that helped give her an appreciation for what work would be like out in the field and what those jobs and opportunities might look like. Specifically, she found that Dr. Montgomery’s class on development economics helped her see how economics shape poverty reduction, as well as the development of economies and societies. “It shifted what I understood as a possible application of economics professionally.” Zimmerman has always been curious about how she could have more of an impact on the world in a positive way. That curiosity and her experiences at the Patterson School are what opened her mind to possibilities she didn’t even know existed.

Although she has worked with the Gate’s Foundation for five years, she just joined the gender equality division a few months ago. Anticipating this initiative as long-term program, she is excited to kick off a new area of work focused on the digital connectivity of women and girls across a spectrum of like access and usage, as well as safety and social norms. Zimmerman anticipates the program to extend for at least four years; she appreciates the opportunity to create a positive change.

In this new role, she will be leading the initiative to deeply examine, research, and understand the digital divide and the severity of the problem. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the problem, Zimmerman’s group will identify solutions, opportunities, and strategies to correct the problems and gaps. This will then lead to the identification of investments, grants, and other avenues to accelerate progress, like advocating and building partnerships. Zimmerman anticipates her work will create a change to correct for the problem of digital connectivity gaps for women and girls and will further impact the bigger problem of gender inequality. Zimmerman’s passion is evident as she expresses that she genuinely “feels really lucky and privileged” to have this professional opportunity. She offers three important pieces of advice for the current Patterson cohort, believe in your worth, build your network, and follow your passion.