Yanan Xu

Yanan Xu serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences within Delaware State University's Division of Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science since 2022, following her Visiting Assistant Professor appointment from 2017-2022. Her academic foundation includes a Ph.D. (2017) and M.Sc. (2014) in Applied Mathematics from Delaware State University, complemented by an earlier M.Sc. from Inner Mongolia University (2012).

Her research program centers on computational modeling of advanced materials, with three primary thrusts: ferroelectric thin film behaviors (particularly lead titanate systems), microbolometer thermal-electric simulation for infrared detection, and semiconductor material studies involving AlN compounds. This work bridges materials science, electrical engineering, and applied mathematics through sophisticated numerical analysis techniques.

Publication trends since 2013 reveal an evolving focus from fundamental optical solitons in metamaterials (2013-2016) toward applied device engineering (2020-present), with recent efforts concentrating on pyroelectric thin films and microbolometer optimization. Her interdisciplinary approach consistently integrates physics-based modeling with practical engineering constraints.

Dr. Xu has secured significant research funding including a $199,873 Air Force Research Lab grant for rare earth-doped HfO₂ ferroelectrics and a $236,000 DoD award for ellipsometer acquisition supporting thin film characterization. She serves as committee member for doctoral defenses (2023-2024) while coordinating undergraduate statistics and algebra courses.

Her service portfolio includes Faculty Senate membership, Mathematical Sciences graduate/undergraduate committee roles, and judging FIRST Tech Challenges. Though no dedicated lab is documented, her instrumentation grants indicate active thin film characterization capabilities supporting student research training.