Yulei Xu

Mighty Oak Monday: Yulei Xu

04/24/2023

Major: Bioprocess Engineering
Hometown: Hangzhou, China
Class of ’23

Yulei Xu found the societal stigmas on success in China weighing heavily on his mind.

“There was so much pressure to have your life together by the time you’re 25,” Xu said.

He initially saw the Beijing University of Chemical Technology partnership program with SUNY ESF as an opportunity to get ahead of his peers. What he found instead was a community that would change his life forever.

Xu came to ESF in Fall 2022 for the final year of the dual degree program the College shares with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT). He expected it to be challenging, but his chemical and bioprocess engineering product design course proved a particularly steep hurdle.

“I got a low test score on my first exam, and got pretty down about it,” Xu remembered. “My professor Ericka Redmond took the time with me to help me understand my mistakes and coached me on how to do better in the future.”

The personalized support and positive feedback meant a lot to Xu. Over time the positive feedback was reinforced through triumphs and other teachable moments by other professors, classmates, and advisors. It transformed Xu from being shy to more outgoing and engaged with his work and the ESF community. He did better in class, too.

Co-Hosting ESF’s Lunar New Year celebration in January was the ultimate test of his newfound spirit. He passed with flying colors – both from feedback from his peers and in his own mind.

Xu is less than a month away from his graduation from both BUCT and ESF. He’s currently weighing two offers for pursuing his master’s degree to study biomedical engineering. He’s an ardent advocate for the BUCT partnership program to his friends back home and plans to become a college professor. Xu hopes to be that mentor for students, as Dr. Ericka Redmond was to him.

Learn more about ESF’s Bioprocess Engineering program and International Partnerships.