Rate My Professor Tom LoFaro

Thomas LoFaro is the Clifford M. Swanson Professor of Mathematics at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he joined the faculty in 2000 as an assistant professor, advancing to associate professor in 2004 and full professor in 2009. He holds the endowed chair since 2013 and has chaired the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics on multiple occasions, including 2010-2012, 2016-2018, and 2021-present. Earlier in his career, LoFaro served as an assistant professor at Washington State University from 1993 to 1999 and as a visiting assistant professor at Harvey Mudd College in 1999-2000. He earned a B.A. in 1984 and an M.A. in 1989 from the University of Missouri, followed by a Ph.D. in mathematics from Boston University in 1994 under advisor Nancy Kopell. Since 2014, he has been an Associate in the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Decision Making at New York University. LoFaro began his professional career as an Operations Research Analyst at Fort Ritchie, MD, from 1986 to 1987.

LoFaro specializes in applications of dynamical systems to mathematical biology, with research spanning neuroscience, population dynamics, genetics, and decision-making. His key publications include the textbooks Discovering Dynamical Systems Through Experiment & Inquiry (Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2021, with J. Ford) and Discovering Differential Equations Through Experiment & Inquiry (2024, with J. Ford); peer-reviewed articles such as "A dynamic normalization model predicts time-varying value coding in decision-related circuits" (Journal of Neuroscience, 2014, with K. Louie et al.) and "Crossing the Threshold: the role of density dependence and demographic stochasticity in the evolution of cooperation" (Letters in Biomathematics, 2015); and "Population models of genomic imprinting II. Maternal and fertility selection" (Genetics, 2006, with H.G. Spencer et al.). He has secured NSF grants, including for the IDEA project (1996-2000) and Differential Equations Across the Collegiate Curriculum (2011). Awards include the Gustavus Faculty Service Award (2019), Pew Scholars Fellowship Finalist (1999), and Invision Award (1998). LoFaro teaches a broad range of mathematics courses with an emphasis on applied topics, such as differential equations, dynamical systems, linear algebra, and mathematical modeling. His extensive service encompasses college committees like the Curriculum Committee chair (2013-2018), professional roles in the Mathematical Association of America, and contributions to differential equations education through minicourses and collaborations.