Russell Herman

Dr. Russell Herman is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He has been actively involved in physics education, particularly teaching PHY 101 (College Physics), and has developed extensive lecture materials and video content for undergraduate instruction. His departmental contributions include serving as chair of the Technology Committee, implementing graphing calculators in lower-level classes, and acting as Web Master for the Mathematics and Statistics Department.

Dr. Herman's research interests span mathematical physics, differential equations, and educational technology applications. He has made significant contributions to open source software for mathematics education, reviewing numerous tools to make mathematical resources more accessible, especially for students in resource-constrained environments. His work with VPython for mathematical modeling and mobile computing environments demonstrates his commitment to innovative teaching approaches. He has attended the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM) continuously since 1993, reflecting his longstanding engagement with educational technology.

His publication record shows a strong focus on mathematical methods, particularly differential equations, with recent work on the Lane-Emden-Fowler equation, soliton solutions, and Fourier analysis. Many publications bridge mathematical theory with educational applications, including textbooks and articles on using computational tools like Simulink for solving differential equations. His 'Letter from the Editor-in-Chief' series addresses contemporary issues in academic life, from digital distractions to social media applications in education.

Dr. Herman has secured funding for multiple significant projects including the MCP Project (Multimedia Instruction in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics), the iLumina Digital Library (part of the National Science Digital Library), the Numina Project (exploring handheld devices in science education), and the Laboratory for Research on Mobile Learning Environments. These projects reflect his innovative approach to integrating technology into STEM education.

He has developed several classroom software applications including GraphData 2002 for handheld devices, Menten-Michaelis Reaction software for biochemistry, Geometric Optics lab software, and LRC Circuit Laboratory tools. With over 116 items contributed to the iLumina Digital Library, his work has reached a broad educational audience. His expertise spans programming languages from Fortran and Pascal to modern computational environments, demonstrating both historical perspective and current relevance in computational physics education.