Herrmann is a fisheries economist who has completed more than 30 externally funded projects for federal and state agencies including the National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, NOAA and Alaska Sea Grant. Herrmann also served on the scientific and statistical committee and the crab plan team of the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. He earned his undergraduate and master's degrees in agricultural economics from the University of California Davis in 1982 and 1985, respectively, and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Washington State University in 1990.

As dean, Herrmann supervises academic programs offering baccalaureate degrees in accounting, business administration, economics and emergency management, as well as graduate degrees in business administration and resource and applied economics. Under Herrmann's leadership, the school has continued to meet the rigorous standards set forth by the professional education community and has again achieved premier business school accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The UAF School of Management is the oldest accredited business school in Alaska.