Jiarong Xing, who will graduate from Rice University in the summer of 2024 with a Ph.D. in computer science, has accepted a tenure-track assistant professor position in Rice University’s Department of Computer Science. He will begin this role in the fall of 2025 following a one-year postdoctoral appointment at UC Berkeley's Sky Computing Lab with professor Ion Stoica.
Xing was part of Rice Engineering’s 2023-24 Future Faculty Fellows (FFF) program, which supports Ph.D. students and postdocs in their faculty position application process through tailored workshops, one-on-one consultations and mock interviews.
He found that the FFF program’s workshops and interview preparation helped him compete in the job market. “This program offers additional channels that give you information and strategies to prepare,” said Xing. “The workshop on managing the Q&A gave me strategies for approaching hard questions in the interviews.”
Xing’s research encompasses computer systems, networking and security. He looks forward to beginning his position at Rice because of the close-knit community between faculty and students.
“Rice is a fantastic place, and it has a very supportive environment for both professors and students,” Xing said. “The small and elite research group allows me to dedicate a lot of time to collaborating and discussing research with students. I enjoy observing the growth of students and helping them achieve their own professional goals.”
For Xing, another benefit of being part of the FFF program was the instant community with other Ph.D. students and postdocs navigating the same job market. “[Applying for faculty positions] is a stressful process, and you have to interview at various places and wait for a long time to hear back,” said Xing. “Chatting with other people [in the program] about the interview experience and progress was very helpful.”
Although Xing knew he wanted to pursue an academic career before he became a Future Faculty Fellow, he noted that the FFF program’s Faculty Life Panel featuring Rice Engineering faculty Luay Nakhleh, Marcia O’Malley and Frederi Viens gave invaluable insight to the academic career path. He encourages any Ph.D. student or postdoc to attend this event when deciding between an industry job or academic career.
Ultimately, Xing chose to pursue a faculty career because of the flexibility he will have to shape his own research agenda and collaborate with researchers internationally while helping students develop their career path. “Academia gives you a bigger stage to improve yourself,” said Xing. “You are the owner of the stage, and you determine how you want to do the show.”