About

Max Hermanson grew up in Ithaca, NY. The highlights of his childhood there were the mornings he spent rowing across Cayuga Lake, quiet summers spent swimming in the gorges, and the friends he made. Max’s father, John Hermanson, was professor in biomedical sciences and zoology at Cornell’s vet school. Through him and his students and colleagues, Max was immersed in the field of biology — behind the scenes — from an early age. The countless office visits and field excursions, at home and abroad, showed how beautiful the world is and inspired him to study the natural sciences.

Since preschool, Max has loved art. A number of inspirational figures in his life helped him foster this love, most notably his mother, Lynn Swisher, and recently deceased grandmother, Ruth Swisher. Ruth Swisher was an accomplished oil painter in La Jolla, CA, and taught Max the basics of painting at a young age.

This blog was created in 2019 and is still in development. It is meant to showcase some of Max’s talents outside academia for others, but mostly for himself. Work that has yet to be included:

• Max’s aquascapes and terrariums

• Paintings

• Creative writing