Meet the Instructors: Ed Packel

Organization/Location
Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois

Degrees
BA in Mathematics, Amherst College
PhD in Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Teaching Experience
Ed Packel is Volwiler Professor of Mathematics at Lake Forest College and has been teaching mathematics and computer science there since 1971. Before that he taught at Reed College in Oregon. He has published four books and approximately 40 papers in areas that include functional analysis, social choice theory, game theory, and information-based complexity. He has also been actively involved in using and advocating the use of Mathematica in the classroom to support the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Mathematica Experience
Packel has made extensive use of Mathematica in a wide variety of undergraduate courses, placing special emphasis on the design of student laboratory notebooks to encourage "learning by discovery." He has also used Mathematica in a variety of consulting projects, many of which involve calculations and simulations related to questions of gaming and gambling. Packel is coauthor with Stan Wagon of Animating Calculus: Mathematica Notebooks for the Laboratory (TELOS/Springer-Verlag) and Mathematica for Mathematics Teachers: Notes from an Introductory Course (Front Range Press).

Language Fluency
English

Interests
Distance running (holds the Illinois state mile record for his age group), golf, duplicate bridge