Hi, nice to meet you!

I speak Mandarin, English, and the language of rocks.

Tianqi Xie / 谢天琪

 谢,  Xie: meaning thanks;  天, Tian: meaning sky;  琪,  Qi: meaning jade

Research Interests:

Mineral evolution: behavior of minerals under high-pressure high-temperature conditions

Planetary surface process: pressure-temperature-time conditions for the formation of impact craters and meteorites

Planetary exploration: automated Raman spectroscopy in future missions

Gem and mineral inclusions

Twitter: @xie_tianqi

E–mail: t.xie@usask.ca  

Researchgate  Google Scholar ORCID 

Events since becoming a faculty in USask

September, 2024 - April, 2025: Department seminar coordinator.

September  - December, 2024: Teaching Geo 108/121 The Earth and How It Works again (around 380 students this time).

May - August, 2024: writing manuscripts/proposals, buying stuff to set up my lab.

January - April, 2024: Teaching Geo 108/121 The Earth and How It Works (a 300 students class, 3 shows per week). [course link] 

January, 2024: Sit on search committee for a Canada Research Chair in Geoscience of Critical Minerals for a Sustainable Future.

November, 2023: Sit on department salary review committee.

Late September - early November, 2023: Synchrotron beamtime at P02.2, PETRA III, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Germany.

October, 2023: Submit my first NSERC DG and RTI proposal. 

September, 2023: Got my first invite to serve on a PhD student's committee.

September 1st, 2023: Assistant Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan (USask). [USask news] [department profile] 

2023 Assistant Professor

Department of Geological Sciences

Saskatchewan, SK, Canada

2022 Postdoctoral Associate

Department of Geosciences/Mineral Physics Institute

Stony Brook, NY, USA

2021 Ph.D.

Doctor's Degree in Geophysics

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada

Supervisors: Dr. Sean R. Shieh, Dr. Gordon R. Osinski


PhD thesis: Raman Spectroscopy and Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction Study of Lunar and Terrestrial Plagioclase Feldspar under High-Pressures High-Temperature Conditions

2014 M.Sc.

Master’s Degree in Mineralogy

School of Gemmology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, China

Supervisors: Xuemei He 何雪梅, Shiqi Wang 王时麒 (Peking University)

MSc thesis: Coloration and Formation Study of Zhanguohong Agate, Fuxin, Liaoning Province, China  

2011 B.Eng.

Bachelor’s Degree in Gemology 

School of Gemmology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, China 

Supervisor: Xuemei He 何雪梅

BEng thesis: The Role of H2O in the Coloration of Turquoise from Hubei Province, China 

Gemology training

2012, Registered Qualification Certificate of Certified Gemologist, the People's Republic of China (CGC, 中国国家注册珠宝玉石质量检验师

2010, Fellow of the Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain (FGA)