Xingjian (Ken) Yan
Bio
I am a first-year PhD student in Atmosphere Science at the EAPS department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, advised by Talia Tamarin-Brodsky. My office is at 54-1623A. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the Courant Institute of New York University. I also received a minor in French Studies from NYU College of Art and Science and am a member of Pi Delta Phi.
I have previously matriculated at Sidwell Friends School, High School Affiliated to Fudan University, and Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy. I am originally from Shanghai, China.
I am interested in climate and atmospheric dynamics with mathematical approaches. I appreciate methodologies in applied mathematics and (geophysical) fluid dynamics via both numerical PDE and data-driven AI perspectives. I’m particularly interested in predicting extreme events on the S2S timescale, which is also on the edge between weather and climate. I have investigated in atmospheric blockings and tsunami waves, and I’m open to learn more, especially on how such hazardous events evolve under global warming and anthropogenic forcings.
Currently, I’m working on uncovering the relationship among blocking events, Rossby wave breaking events, and different weather regimes. Stay tuned!
Scientists and academicians: You can view my CV here.
I’m open to post-doc, fellowship, and professorship opportunities.
HR and headhunters: You can view my One-Page Resume here (Mandarin Chinese Version).
Post-graduation, I am interested in industrial positions of (but not limited to): Quantitative Research Scientist in Quantitative Finance; Research Scientist in Earth or Climate Science (AI, Energy, or Aerospace sectors); Extreme Weather Event Prediction Scientist in hazard / causality reinsurance and catastrophe bonds; Research / Consulting in Climate Finance and Policy.
Fun facts:
My gym hours sit between 11pm to 2am.
I love all kinds of food - from homemade to fine dining.
I represented NYU Shanghai in a nationwide Hearthstone tournament in China in 2021, and still am an active Hearthstone Battleground player. You can find my latest ranking at this leaderboard (id = hirondelle).
I’m also a level 10 Chinese bamboo flute performer.
I used to compete in high school varsity level American football and swimming and diving. I’ve joined the EAPS Airballs basketball team in 2024 September.
A quick note on mental well-being:
Hey my friendly visitor(s): just fyi we are living in a beautiful world, and everyone deserves to appreciate such beauty, including you. Hope you are having a good time here!
No matter where, and no matter when, if you are feeling down/broken, or just having a few screws loosened, please don’t hesitate to reach out to anyone whom you trust for help.
There’s also support available from the 988 center (and MIT mental health for MIT affiliates).
Last Updated: February 2025