Benjamin Akers

Benjamin Akers is a Professor of Mathematics at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), specializing in nonlinear waves and fluid dynamics. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2008), an MA from the same institution (2005), and a BS from Pennsylvania State University (2003). His research focuses on mathematical modeling of water waves, thermal blooming in high-energy lasers, solar magnetic field dynamics, and numerical methods for nonlinear PDEs.

Dr. Akers has received numerous teaching awards, including the AFIT Dean's Distinguished Teaching Professorship (2020) and multiple SOCHE Excellence in Teaching accolades (2012, 2019). His work bridges applied mathematics with engineering challenges, with applications in laser propagation, solar physics, and environmental modeling.

Key research themes include:

• Wave dynamics (gravity-capillary waves, Wilton ripples)
• Laser thermal blooming and atmospheric effects
• Computational methods (radial basis functions, machine learning)
• Solar flare magnetic field analysis

Recent publications emphasize high-order resonance phenomena in nonlinear systems and machine learning-enhanced numerical simulations. He collaborates widely with institutions like NASA and the National Solar Observatory.