Meet our new faculty: Chi Xu

Chi Xu, assistant professor of mathematics, joins Lafayette after earning a Ph.D. in mathematics and statistics at Auburn University.

Area of study: Xu studies parallel computing, which is to solve a problem using several computer cores simultaneously to reduce computational costs and increase efficiency. He is also working to renew existing methods and theorems for both moderate data and big data scenarios.

Fall course: Probability

On the impact of COVID: “The most obvious impact is remote teaching. I had no experience teaching online in graduate school, and I was not confident that I could keep the same level of performance by teaching online. I believe this could make a great difference in my teaching style and thinking.”

On fostering engagement: “It will give me much valuable experience and make me check my own teaching style from another perspective. I would like to give more open questions for students to discuss themselves instead of coming to me for an answer, which may help them have more freedom and thinking space to understand the contents from a different angle.”

My moment of zen: “There is one piece of music I’d love to share: ‘Restoring the Light, Facing the Dark’ [by Gareth Coker], which is from the original soundtrack of Ori and the Blind Forest. It gave me the power to face difficult situations during this pandemic.”

 What I like about Easton: “I have been in Easton for around one month, and I really like it since people here are very nice, friendly, and willing to help each other. The town is quiet and comfortable to live in; it’s not too hot in the summer (it’s cooler than Auburn), and I believe it should not be too cold in the winter (warmer than my hometown, Beijing).”