Undergraduate Jia Xu named a Marshall Scholar

David Terraso
Institute Communications and Public Affairs

Aerospace engineering student Jia Xu hasn’t yet finished his degree, but that fact hasn’t prevented him from helping the U.S. Navy design the next generation of warships. As Georgia Tech’s newest Marshall scholar, Xu spent the past summer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Maryland helping the Navy use a technique developed at Tech in which architects build hundreds of ships in a computer and test them under a myriad of conditions.

Xu’s work with the Navy, along with his research at Tech and the University of Maryland, helped the 21-year-old senior become the third undergraduate student in four years to win the prestigious Marshall Scholarship.

“He has a great awareness of the world at large and is well placed to integrate his technical training with perspectives in international relations,” said P.K. Yeung, associate professor of aerospace engineering at Tech.

Marshall Scholar Jia Xu

Xu (pronounced “zoo”) will use his scholarship to pursue a master’s in international relations at the London School of Economics and a master’s in aerospace engineering at Imperial College. Afterwards, he plans to pursue a doctorate in aerospace engineering followed by a career in the defense industry as both engineer and analyst.

He believes that supplementing his aerospace training with a degree in international relations will give him the right training for a career as a defense analyst. “Because Britain is the bridge between the United States and Europe, if I want to understand the gap between American and European policy, the London School of Economics is a good place to be.”

Xu’s love of aerospace began shortly after he moved to the United States from Zhengzhoun, China, with his family. He was only 11 years old when his dad took him to an air show at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. “Seeing those aircraft was amazing,” he said. Rather than wanting to fly them, he said, he wanted to design them.

He is returning to the Naval Surface Warfare Center over the winter break, where he will continue his work designing and testing the new Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).

“The old design methods are no longer working,” said Xu. Designing ships on a computer allows the Navy to test performance with different weapons systems, hull types and engines, revealing the best design for specific applications.

Both the new ships and their design method represent a transformation in the Navy’s combat and planning philosophy.

“The Navy is undergoing a dramatic shift in operations,” said Xu. “They’re focusing on developing smaller, more agile ships that can fight in shallow waters.”

The new ships would deploy in large groups in front of a group of more traditional ships. Launching unmanned submarines to clear mines and drone helicopters for surveillance, an LCS group would operate much like a swarm of insects.

“The idea behind these ships is that many smaller ships are harder to destroy than a few larger ships,” said Xu.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the scholarship program. The British Government established the scholarship for American students in 1953 in appreciation for assistance received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. The scholarship encourages potential leaders to become ambassadors for the United States and establish personal ties between the two countries. The award covers tuition, books, travel and living expenses. Prominent former Marshall scholars include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer; former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt; New York Times foreign affairs columnist Tom Friedman; and scientist/inventor Ray Dolby.