About me

I grew up in the foothills of western North Carolina, later attending the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and earning a B.A. in international studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I studied Mandarin at UNC, at Xiamen University, and independently over years spent working across southern China. After returning to the United States, I earned a Ph.D. at Duke University.

Outside of my research and teaching, I do actually have hobbies. Wherever I am, I read a lot. I'm also an irrepressible bibliophile, co-steward of Little Free Library #151753, and the proud winner of the 2017 Andrew T. Nadell Prize for Book Collecting at Duke. When in NC, I often hike the Triangle's many trails with my wife and kids and drive country backroads. And finally, I'm a Tarheel born and a Tarheel bred, and when I die, I'll be Tarheel dead.

My Erdös number is 5:

• Paul Erdös → Craig A. Tovey → Norman J. Schofield → Andrew D. Martin → Georg Vanberg → me.

• Paul Erdös → Peter C. Fishburn → John A. Ferejohn → Barry E. Friedman → Georg Vanberg → me.