Education

M.Sc., Environmental Engineering–Health Physics, Harvard University, 1978
A.B., Experimental Psychology, Dartmouth College, 1971

Research Interests

Variance reduction and visualization in Monte Carlo particle simulations.

Teaching Interests

22.106: Neutron Interactions and Applications

Professional Certificates

American Board of Health Physics, 1985

Software Engineering, Boston University, 1999

Project Management Institute, 2001

Other Professional Activities

American Nuclear Society, Mathematics and Computation Division

American Nuclear Society, Radiation Protection and Shielding Division

Health Physics Society

Selected Engineered Projects

Characterization, by Simulation and Measurement, of:
Neutrons and photons from two Fuel Storage Facilities, 1999-2002.
N-16 Radiation at the Site Boundary from a BWR Turbine, 1998.
Neutrons and photons in two BWR Containment Buildings at Full Power 1992-1995.
Exposures of all Safety Equipment at Six Nuclear Plants, 1982-1994.

3D Visualization Software for QAD Shielding Code, 1994-1996.

A Monte Carlo simulation of Epidemiologic Radiation Health Studies, 1990-1991.

Environmental Dose Software for Nuclear Plants, 1979-1985.

Mathematics and Statistics Software for Various Computers, Wang Laboratories, 1974.

Disk Operating System Software for Model 730, Wang Laboratories, 1973.

Radioimmune Assay Analysis Software, Wang Laboratories, NIH and MGH, 1972.

Selected Papers

A.D. Hodgdon and J. Pelczar, "Photon Measurements at an ISFSI versus MCNP Calculations," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, April 2002.

A.D. Hodgdon, M. Beganski, and G. Lam, "Photon Streaming through Multiple Penetrations by the Monte Carlo Code MCNP4A," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, September 2000.

A.D. Hodgdon, "Validation of a Simulation of Nitrogen-16 Radiation," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, April 1998.

A.D.Hodgdon, J. Vossahlik, and E. Redmond II, "Use of Multiple Computers to Reduce Computing Time for Monte Carlo Calculations," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, April 21-25, 1996.

A.D. Hodgdon, P. Terwilliger, J. DiBartolomeo, and P. Karatzas, "Radiologic Impact of Permanent Removal of Shield Blocks from the Sacrificial Shield of a Mark I Boiling Water Reactor," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, April 1994.

A.D. Hodgdon and M. Abdolrahim, "Combinatorial Geometry Debugging and Visualization System for QADYA on the PC," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, April 1994.

A.D. Hodgdon, "Gamma Ray Exposure Buildup Factors in Polynomial Form for QADYA, a Point Kernel Shielding Code," Proceedings of ANS RPSD, April 1992.

S.A. Farber and A.D. Hodgdon, "Cesium-137 in Wood Ash: Results of a Nationwide Survey," presented at the Health Physics Society Annual Meeting, July 1991.

A.D. Hodgdon, "Variability in Nuclear Worker Career Dose Distributions versus Epidemiologic Study Power Calculations," Presented at Health Physics Society Works in Progress, July 1991.

A.D. Hodgdon and N.L. DeGangi, "Gamma Dose from Volume Sources by a Simple Equation," in Approximate Calculational Techniques for Radiation Protection Applications, ORNL Radiation Shielding Information Center Report No. 48, November 1985.

Bio

Andrew D. Hodgdon practices Radiation Engineering in Marlborough, Massachusetts for Framatome-ANP. He is also a Visiting Lecturer at MIT where he teaches Monte Carlo simulation in 22.106 "Neutron Interactions and Applications" with Profs. Sidney Yip and Jacquelyn Yanch. Mr. Hodgdon’s research interest is variance reduction and visualization in Monte Carlo simulation. He is currently writing a textbook to introduce Monte Carlo simulation to nuclear engineers who do not have a reactor physics background.

Since 1977 he has practiced Health Physics and Radiation Engineering for Framatome, Duke Engineering, Yankee Atomic, and the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole.) Aside from Monte Carlo simulation his fields of practice, all related to radiation, are software development, measurement, shield design, dose reconstruction, safety and epidemiologic studies.

Mr. Hodgdon was born in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College where he developed stereoscopic software to visualize multiple bodies in motion for use in an introductory physics course. His major’s project in Experiemental Psychology was an exploration of auditory cues that convey a three dimensional sense of the world. After graduation he went to work in Research and Development for Wang Laboratories where he headed a team of four engineers who developed a disk operating system in machine language. He also developed mathematics software for commercial computers. For two years he worked with nuclear instrumentation (Packard Instruments) and then entered Harvard where he received a M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering and Health Physics (joint courses at MIT.) While a graduate student he was head of Radiation Instrumentation and the Radiation Safety Office at the Marine Biological Laboratory. In 1978 he joined Yankee Atomic Electric Company, which, at the time, designed and operated three commercial nuclear plants. There, he built three software systems which are still used to estimate offsite doses, simulate error in Epidemiologic Data, and visualize three dimensional shielding models. He has also developed methods that combine measurements with simulations to characterize neutrons and photons in containments from reactor streaming, photons at site boundaries from N-16, electrons in gases around electronic circuits, and neutrons and photons at small and large distances from spent and fresh fuel.

During the last 30 years Mr. Hodgdon has taught part-time, including a philosophy seminar at the Newton Library for 10 years, a three week course for the University of Zagreb in "Radiation Conditions for Equipment Qualification" (1992,) a course he developed for Brandeis University called "Introduction to Computers," in 1982, and various Guest Lectures at the Harvard School of Public Health in Aerosol Technology and Health Physics (1977-1985.) Most recently he has assisted in 22.106, Neutron Interactions and Applications at MIT.

A life-long resident of New England he and his wife live in Newton with their cat and golden retriever. He has two grown children.