Travis A. Hoffman is a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Teaching Assistant pursuing a Master of Science degree, with anticipated graduation in May, 2012. His coursework has focused on Simulation & Modeling, Agent-Based Simulation, and High-Performance Computing.

Travis's research interests center on Queral Networks, a novel parallel architecture inspired by neural networks which provides programmability, software engineering and a way to make sense of complex networks. It has the potential to create unprecedented parallelism while avoiding the limitations noted in Amdahl's Law.

As a teaching assistant, Travis most enjoys the "ah ha" moment, working with students one on one, seeing them creatively solve engineering problems. Most recently, Travis assisted ECE 275 in Fall Semester 2011 and ECE 447 in Spring Semester 2012.

Between his undergraduate and graduate degrees, Travis spent 10 years working as a Software Engineer for a variety of small companies in the Tucson area. He has worked on a Java Virtual Machine for realtime and embedded systems, on web-based projects to help epidemiologists track outbreaks, and rapid-prototyped a handheld detector which identified traces of illicit drugs and explosives using their UV fluorescence. In 2008, he formed Firkin Software to creating a number of small web and iOS-based projects. His code runs in heads-up displays for the French Military, in hand-held vehicle diagnostic equipment from Robert Bosch Gmbh, in time tracking equipment from Kronos, and is relied upon by the Michigan and Connecticut Departments of Health.

Travis has several hobbies, but his passion lies in dancing Argentine Tango. Travis has danced for more than two years, and finally feels he can dance well in close embrace. He enjoys the mental, emotional and physical challenge that it presents. He dreams of one day dancing tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the spiritual home of tango. In the mean time, Travis organizes a twice-monthly tango night with live music by ¡Guerrilla Tangueros!, a tango group he helped found and also promotes. As time permits, Travis practices his bandoneón, the delightfully non-digital instrument at the heart of tango music.