Dr. Kathleen Hoffman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Dr. Hoffman has been with the Mathematics and Statistics Department at UMBC since 1999. Before joining UMBC, she was a postdoctoral member of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) from 1997-1999, after receiving her Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1997.
Dr. Hoffman’s research interests center on problems from mathematical biology whose solutions involve calculus of variations, dynamical systems, ordinary differential equations, and modeling. Some particular problems that she is currently working on include stability theory focused on the elastic rod model of DNA, lamprey locomotion, epidemiological modeling of incurable diseases, predator-prey equations in ecology, and the chemical kinetics of phototransduction cascades.
Dr. Hoffman is also currently involved in three UMBC grants focused on the interface between mathematics and biology:
IQB: a MARC phase III grant from NIH focused on adding quantitative analysis to the undergraduate biology curriculum;
UBM: an NSF grant focused on undergraduate research on the interface between mathematics and biology;
HHMI: a grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute focused on changing the undergraduate pre-med curriculum to include more quantitative and interdisciplinary skills based on competencies.
What is your mentoring philosophy? My mentoring philosophy is based on the many wonderful mentors that I have had during my career. They provided invaluable advice at crucial times in my career, and I hope that by sharing my experiences with my mentees, I will in turn help them find a path to a successful career.
What do you enjoy most about mentoring freshman students? Mentoring freshman students is particularly important because the first year of college is crucial for future success. In addition, freshman year is a big adjustment involving transitioning from high school to college-level classes and good mentoring can make a big difference in student success.
