Xavier Sala-i-Martin
- See also Wikipedia's article about "Xavier Sala-i-Martin".
- See also Xavier Sala-i-Martin's entry in Columbia's directory.
Xavier Sala-i-Martin is an economics professor known for his whacky suits and genius with both math and women (two subjects often thought to be polar opposites). One of the most-cited economists on the planet, but you'd never know it from the way he acts. Anyone who has taken a class with him quickly becomes familiar with his crazy website, which has to be seen to be believed.
His name is pronounced Cha-vee-ay, not Ha-vee-air. Not X-A-vier. And especially not "Professor X." Without a doubt, he will tell you this on the first day of class. As well as the fact that he is Catalan and not, he will insist, Spanish.
M&M Peanut Minute
In his Macroeconomics class, he assigns one question each class as the "M&M Challenge" question. A correct answer in front of the entire class earns the student a bag of M&M's after class, a listing on the M&M Board of Honor, and a point in the semester's M&M Peanut Minute competition. At the end of the semester, the student with the most point is given a big jar of peanut M&M's and a certificate of honor from Xavier, who dresses even crazier than usual for the "award ceremony".
