Der-Chen Chang - College of Arts & Sciences

Georgetown University Faculty in Research

Dr. Der-Chen Chang is the Robert and Catherine McDevitt Chair in Mathematics and Computer Science. He also serves as the Senior Advisor to the Provost for China initiatives. Der-Chen is a prolific writer who has published six books and over 220 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He serves as chief editor of one academic journal, Applied Analysis and Optimizations, and associate editor of eight more in the field of mathematics. Additionally, Der-Chen has been a visiting professor at ten international institutions in five countries, where he has earned numerous awards for his service and teaching. Table of Contents: 1:22: How did you first acquire the interest that motivated you to pursue mathematics. 2:19: Was it the applicability of mathematics to practical problems or the language which most drew you? 3:09: What has your intellectual journey been like? 5:17: How did your mentor have an impact on your life? 7:03: Tell us a little more about how you see mathematics? 8:37: Within the field, is it common to move back and forth between applied and theory? 10:34: Could you tell us a little about how you do your work and your research life? 12:55: How do you handle when you’ve gotten stuck on something? 13:48: How do you juggle all of your competing responsibilities? 15:02: Have you found that teaching gives you ideas for future papers or books? Is it a source of inspiration? 17:30: How do you decide when its time to create a book length product? 20:14: What audience do you think of for your books? 20:37: What advice do you have for younger colleagues? 22:23: How do you choose the next problem to work on? 24:58: What is the most exciting thing you are working on now? Main Theme: Corporate Technology by Scott Holmes Background: Horizon Soundscapes by RF Soundtracks