Michael Douma’s work combines two of his passions: fulfilling the educational promise of the Internet and increasing scientific, artistic, and cultural literacy. As the Executive Director of the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement, Douma utilizes his expertise in existing technologies to research, develop, and refining new technological tools and approaches to promote both formal and informal web-based learning. Douma exemplifies the notion of collaboration through his ability to tap into the knowledge of academicians and experts and then create project teams of user interface experts, professional writers and editors, teachers, artists, and web designers from around the nation and around the globe that have the specific skills needed for a particular program or project. This paves the way for initiating, creating, and maintaining accessible, lifelong learning opportunities for the public.

As co-principal investigator, and with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Douma developed and launched the pioneering, interactive WebExhibits museum. He has been a leader in defining the unique value proposition of online exhibits, articulating the role of the curator in virtual exhibits, and differentiating them from other online sources of information. He continues to expand the museum, which receives 8 million page views per year, and which has exhibits on topics ranging from the scientific basis of color vision and the history of Daylight Saving Time to Vincent Van Gogh's letters and Poetry through the Ages.

Bringing together his technological expertise and his concern for public health, Douma designed and implemented the technology behind the ProstateCalculator, which offers men pattern-based risk predictions for prostate cancer.

Douma's most recent accomplishments stem from his commitment to developing approaches and technologies that fulfill the potential of the Internet. SpicyNodes is an innovative radial mapping tool that enables authors to create visual, engaging showcases of information while allowing visitors to embark on an exploratory journey through information. ColoRotate allows web designers and others to select colors online in 3D space, mimicking how the mind perceives color — without needing a theoretical understanding of color systems or expertise in color selection.

Douma's passion for his work is matched by his love of the outdoors. When he's not in the office, he tends to his organic garden and enjoys biking, hiking, and traveling, as well as woodworking and cooking.