Mary F. Zimmerman received her B.S. in electrical engineering in 1997 from Johns Hopkins University and her M.S. in electrical engineering in 1999 from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
While attending the University of Maryland, Mary worked as an electro-optics research assistant jointly for the University of Maryland and the Army Research Laboratory. In 2000, Mary accepted a position at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Virginia as a System Safety Engineer. She began working for the Laser Safety Program in 2001 as a Laser Safety Specialist. Her duties included performing laser safety evaluations for laser systems to be fielded for the Navy and Marine Corps and presenting her finding and recommendations to the Navy Laser Safety Review Board. She has worked with the Marine Corps as a subject matter expert for laser designator and rangefinder source selections and was tasked by MARCORSYSCOM Armor and Fire Support Systems to perform a rapid response System Tradeoff Study in support of the Joint Effects Targeting System. In 2006, Mary began working for the Directed Energy Technology Office on high energy lasers (HEL). Part of her responsibilities included addressing the unique safety issues presented by outdoor HEL testing and was an integral part of the first outdoor HEL test performed on NSWCDD. She worked on designing and establishing requirements for the laser housing and backstop, worked with range control, the safety and environmental office, and public works to facilitate the testing and prepared the range documentation and procedures for the testing while serving as the group’s laser safety specialist, providing required safety training and keeping the group abreast of safety requirements. During the testing, her duties would range from Test Setup Engineer to Test Director.
Mary has presented at the International Laser Safety Conference and Lasers on the Modern Battlefield Conference. She has served as a member of the Navy Laser Safety Review Board. She served as the Secretary of the Technical Subcommittee (TSC1) on Laser Bioeffects and Medical Surveillance of the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI), Accredited Standards Committee Z136 (ASC Z136). She has been a contributing member of the ANSI Z136.1 Subcommittee responsible for the Standard for Safe Use of Lasers and the Z136.4 Subcommittee responsible for the Recommended Practice for Laser Safety Measurements for Hazard Evaluation and Classification. Mary has worked on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 76 in several Working Groups. This committee works on international standards for the safe use of laser products.