Dylan Hafner, PhD
- Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor
Affiliated Programs
Education
- PhD, Applied Mathematics (2026)
Lehigh University (PA) - BS, Statistics (2020)
Lehigh University (PA)
About Me
I earned my PhD in Applied Mathematics from Lehigh University in 2026. I am originally from New Jersey, but spent many years in Pennsylvania while getting my degrees. I'm a mathematician specializing in probability theory.
My teaching is driven by the conviction that mathematics is learnable, and it is my job to make that fact impossible for my students to ignore. I believe it is important to be enthusiastic when teaching, and I am careful that my enthusiasm shows as patience and preparation, rather than performance. After many years at Lehigh, I am excited to bring the same love of teaching to Widener.
Outside of mathematics and teaching, I enjoy going to the gym and playing chess. A fun fact about me is that I am fluent in Italian.
My door is always open to students who are interested in talking about mathematics!
Research Interests
I'm a probability theorist. I study extrema and phase transitions of random fields, specifically spin glass models. Spin glasses are random processes indexed by a configuration space (e.g. a hypercube) with rugged energy landscapes. Most of my work involves understanding limit theorems for certain quantities and the underlying random geometry.
Awards
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025 at Lehigh University