Erlan Wheeler

Erlan Wheeler serves as Interim Associate Dean of the Division of Natural and Social Sciences and Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Carthage College, where he has been a faculty member since 1992 and holds Phi Beta Kappa membership.

His academic background includes:

• B.A. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute
• Ph.D. in Combinatorics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (supported by NSF Graduate Fellowship)

Professor Wheeler's research centers on combinatorics and data science, with deep commitment to mathematics education and undergraduate research mentorship. He pioneered Carthage's computer science program in 1998 and founded Sine on the Dotted Line, the institution's undergraduate mathematics journal, to showcase student scholarship. His teaching spans data science, mathematics, and computer science curricula.

His distinguished honors include:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
• NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates grant (as undergraduate)
• Carthage College Distinguished Teacher of the Year (1995)
• Phi Beta Kappa membership

Wheeler demonstrates exceptional dedication to undergraduate research development, evidenced by his founding of the student mathematics journal and continuous mentorship since his own REU-funded undergraduate experience. As former director of Carthage's Computer Studies Program, he established foundational infrastructure for computing education that evolved into the current department.