Mitchel T. Keller, assistant professor of mathematics at Morningside College, recently was an invited participant in an open-source textbook workshop, and he was the production editor for a widely used calculus textbook.

Mitchel T. Keller, assistant professor of mathematics at Morningside College, recently was an invited participant in an open-source textbook workshop, and he was the production editor for a widely used calculus textbook.

Keller was an invited participant in the open-source textbook workshop at the University of Texas at Austin. The purpose was to improve the number and quality of open-source textbooks available for mathematics. Open-source textbooks are generally free for students to use, and they include interactive aspects not possible with traditional texts. The workshop consisted of about 30 individuals from the U.S. and Canada. Participants included book authors and technology developers. The workshop was funded by the National Science Foundation.

In addition to the open-source textbook workshop, Keller was the production editor for the free online textbook “Active Calculus.” “Active Calculus” is typically used for the first two semesters of calculus and emphasizes active learning, which requires students to engage in problem-solving activities during class time. As production editor, Keller was responsible for formatting the low-cost print version, producing supplementary materials such as workbooks and solutions manuals, and helping the lead author manage technology issues related to the book.

Keller joined the faculty at Morningside College this fall after previously serving as assistant professor of mathematics at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. He also served as a research assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.