Herms was drawn to FPU by the university's longevity and its mission to prepare students both educationally and spiritually. "Dr. Herms comes to us with deep academic training in theology and biblical studies and long experience in Christian higher education," said Stephen Varvis, FPU provost. "The faculty of the School of Humanities, Religion and Social Sciences, the other deans and I are all looking forward to working with him, and benefitting from the gifts he brings to our common effort of serving our students, communities and churches."
Among Herms' plans are to make HRSS the "centering voice" for FPU. "The academic disciplines represented by HRSS are more than simply alternatives for majors or minors in a university education; they represent intangibles such as beauty, reflection, compassion, faith and historical perspective that contribute to a whole life lived well for the benefit of others," he said.
Prior to joining FPU, Herms served at Northwest University. His positions included associate professor of biblical studies, co-founder and director of the master's in theology and culture program and chair of the department of biblical and theological studies.
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Herms has a Diploma in Theology from Vanguard College, a bachelor's degree from Northwest University, a Master's in Christian Studies in Biblical Languages and Literature from Regent College and a Ph.D. in New Testament Theology from Durham University. Herms and his wife Kathy have four children: Annaliese, Jaeden, Adrienne and Avrielle.