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Education

1996 George Washington University, MBA
2022 Georgia State University, Ph.D.

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Courses Taught

Advertising Creative Direction
Media Aesthetics and Creativity
Principles of Advertising
Advertising Campaigns
Writing for Advertising

Career Specialties

Allen Zimmerman specializes in strategic communication research that informs effective altruism efforts to end the factory farming of animals. Specifically, he uses insights derived from Social Judgment Theory to characterize the willingness of U.S. flexitarians and potential flexitarians (who represent 80% of the population) to practice meat reduction.

Professional and Community Activities

Zimmerman's research uses mixed methods to develop communication strategies to help end factory farming. Quantitative results from a recent survey of a representative sample of U.S. adults indicate 90% of flexitarians and 85% of future flexitarians are open to three and two days per week meat-free, respectively. Additionally, qualitative findings indicate the majority of existing dietary change campaigns either request too much change (via veganism) or too little change (e.g. Meatless Monday). Consequently, there exists a tremendous opportunity for dietary change messaging to encourage two to three days per week meat-free among the 80% of the U.S. population that identify as flexitarian or future flexitarian.

His current publications include:

Zimmerman, A. (2021). Building a Culture of Quiescence: The Framing of Animal-based Foods in Children’s Fiction Movies. Southern Communication Journal, 87(1), 70-81. This article uses a content analysis to reveal that animal-based products represent 50% of on-screen food appearances compared to the 25% amount of animal-based product consumption recommended by the USDA for the typical diet.

Freeman, C.P., Zimmerman, A. (2022). Take Extinction off Your Plate: How International Environmental Campaigns Connect Food, Farming, and Fishing to Wildlife Extinction. Environmental Communication. This study explores the connection between industrial farming practices (both land- and sea-based) and species extinction.

Zimmerman's community involvement has included volunteer work at the Humane Society Tampa Bay, Florida Voices for Animals, The Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Arden Courts Alzheimer's care, Metropolitan Ministries and Suncoast Hospice. He is also an active yoga practitioner and a former instructor who taught classes at the San Francisco VA for veteran's recovering from PTSD.

Honors and Awards

NYU Workshop on Ending Factory Farming - invited speaker and award recipient (February 2020)
Georgia State University - Dissertation Grant Program (December 2021)
Georgia State University - Provost's Dissertation Fellowship (April 22)