ECE Alum Andrew Goffin (Ph.D. ’24) Awarded Cosmos Scholars Prize

Andrew Goffin Ph.D. ’24 has been awarded the Cosmos Scholars Prize, an award established by the Cosmos Club Foundation in support of recent Ph.D’s to further their advancement of knowledge and development of innovative solutions in their research areas.

Goffin earned his UMD bachelors from the Department of Electrical and Comuter Engineering in 2017 and his Ph.D. in 2024. He is a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, currently working as a Visiting Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Laboratory for Intense Laser Matter Interactions, part of the UMD Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics (IREAP). The lab is led by Distinguished University Professor Howard Milchberg, who was Goffin’s Ph.D. advisor.

Continuing with the subject of his Ph.D. research, Goffin is studying long-distance laser filamentation in air. Laser filaments are formed by long-distance, high-intensity light pulses that are less than a trillionth of a second long. Goffin found that air filaments extend further distances for longer light pulses, an essential result for long-distance applications. As a part of his studies, he generated record-breaking air waveguides using laser filaments over 50 meters in length, more than 60 times longer than the prior record. Air waveguides were also generated that never dissipated, essential for directing powerful light over long distances. His achievements will have an impact on many other filament applications, such as laser-generated lightning rods and fog clearing.

In regards to Goffin’s thesis, Professor Milchberg notes, “Andrew’s thesis topic was a great combination of exciting new physics and gee whiz laser pyrotechnics.”

The Cosmos Club Foundation was created in 1967. Through donations from members of Washington D.C.’s Cosmos Club and charitable organizations, the foundation’s purpose is advancing intellectual pursuits and promoting excellence in science, literature, and the arts and humanities. Winners of the Cosmos Scholars Prize are selected from 12 DC area colleges and universities and receive up to $25,000 to further their research.

"It's a great honor to be awarded the Cosmos Scholar Prize, which will go a long way to supporting me as I continue to grow in my career,” says Goffin. “I plan to continue my work in the field as a laser scientist and eventually lead a lab of my own, hopefully pushing high-power laser technology and applications even further!"

Published June 30, 2025