Reaching for the Stars

The work of Assistant Professor Andrew Hofstrand, Ph.D., might be grounded in complex and advanced scientific research, but it all began with a love of studying the stars. “My interest in mathematics grew out of my passion for astronomy in middle school,” he says. “I later majored both in astronomy and mathematics in college. Actually, some of my current research has connections to astronomy.”

Hofstrand recently received the Air Force Research Laboratory/Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFRL/AFOSR) Young Investigator’s Program (YIP) Award. “My research has a strong computational component, and some of the AFRL/AFOSR YIP funds [more than $200,000 over three years] will be allotted to obtain hardware for running large-scale simulations.”

His research focuses on the mathematics that describe the way lasers move inside specially designed materials and how the light interacts with its surroundings. Such light-matter interactions can be highly complex, requiring sophisticated techniques in mathematical modeling. “There is currently a great deal of interest among optical scientists and engineers in finding novel ways to control and manipulate light in the hopes of generating faster and more efficient technologies, particularly in computing,” he says.

Hofstrand’s application was one of 58 chosen from a pool of more than 175 proposals vying for the prestigious award; many of the awardees are from top research institutions in the country, which puts him— and New York Tech—in impressive company. The grant award is also significant in another way. “Most of the awardees are from engineering departments. I am honored to be among these recipients and to be chosen as an applied mathematician,” he says.

For the spring 2023 semester, Hofstrand brought his expertise to a new course of his own design called Computational Analysis, which aims to introduce students to important numerical algorithms used in analyzing data. “My goal for the course is to expose students to mathematical and computational fundamentals, which can grow into more advanced projects related to my ongoing research,” he says.