Director, Chemistry Resource Center
Lecturer in Chemistry
PhD 1996, Theoretical Chemistry, University of Georgia; BS Chemistry, BA Physics, 1992, Hartwick College

Chemical Education and Theoretical Chemistry

Department of Chemistry, 701A LGRT
University of Massachusetts
710 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003-9336

office: 245 GSMN
tel: 413-545-2054
fax: 413-545-4490

fermann@chem.umass.edu

Research Website

Presently I direct the Chemistry Resource Center and provide research support to numerous groups in the application of electronic structure methods. I remain involved in the testing of new methods of obtaining properties of larger chemical systems through hybrid QM/MM calculations. I also devote considerable time to the development and writing of chemical education software. These programs are typically simulations that encourage students of general and physical chemistry to explore concepts and discover chemical principles as if they were the original researchers. My main curricular work involves bringing computational chemistry deeper into the undergraduate curriculum and giving students research skills and confidence to solve their own chemical questions through the use of electronic structure programs.