Dr. Xiaoming Wang has been named the inaugural Gary W. Havener Endowed Chair of Mathematics and Statistics at Missouri S&T. Wang will assume the role of chair in the fall 2022 semester.

Wang takes over the position from Dr. John Singler, who served as interim chair of the department since 2021.

Wang is currently chair of the mathematics department at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China. During his tenure, he has doubled the department’s external funding, doubled its number of graduate students and raised the department’s Academic Ranking of World Universities place by more than 30 places.

“I am excited to welcome Dr. Xiaoming Wang to Missouri S&T as the first Havener Endowed Department Chair of Mathematics and Statistics,” says Dr. Kate Drowne, interim vice provost and dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business at S&T. “Dr. Wang is a talented researcher, dedicated educator, and experienced leader. I have complete confidence that he will advance and build on the reputation that our esteemed mathematics and statistics department already enjoys.”

Wang earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Indiana University-Bloomington in 1996. After graduating, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at New York University. He has served as a faculty member at Iowa State University, New York University, Florida State University and Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

“Dr. Wang’s expertise and career-long body of work reflect exactly what we look for in departmental leadership as a major research university,” says Dr. Colin Potts, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at S&T. “Mathematics and statistics is gaining a highly respected researcher who will provide Missouri S&T with a clear vision and strong management skills in a department that teaches 90% of our students.”

Wang has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings, co-authored two books, presented at hundreds of invited talks and lectures, and been featured as an expert on PBS’s NOVA television series and NPR’s WFSU radio station. Wang is a member of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, both the American and Chinese Mathematical Societies, and the American Geophysical Union.

The Gary W. Havener Endowed Chair of Mathematics and Statistics at Missouri S&T is named for Gary Havener of Fort Worth, Texas, who serves Missouri S&T as a member of its Board of Trustees and a founding member of the board of directors of the new Kummer Institute Foundation. Havener is an entrepreneur and the owner of Havener Companies, a commercial real estate, investment and management firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Missouri S&T in 1962.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,200 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. S&T also is home to the Kummer Institute, made possible by a $300 million gift from Fred and June Kummer. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.