By Laura O’Brien

Yaoying Xu, Ph.D., a professor and center director in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education, has been honored by the American Educational Research Association with its 2025 award for lifetime scholarship.

Presented in April at the association’s annual conference in Denver, the Carlos J. Vallejo Memorial Award recognizes Xu’s enduring contributions to multicultural and multiethnic education – particularly in EI/ECSE, or early intervention and early childhood special education – through innovative research, mentorship and global educational leadership.

In VCU’s School of Education, Xu is director of the International Educational Studies Center and Ph.D. in special education program coordinator in the Department of Counseling and Special Education.

“The Vallejo Award is a humbling recognition of my commitment to inclusive education,” Xu said. “I am grateful to AERA, my students and VCU for supporting my mission to empower diverse educators and families.”

Xu’s scholarship has helped reshape special education, empowering children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Her research, which focuses on culturally responsive assessment, social-emotional development and school readiness, has advanced equity in the realm of EI/ECSE.

Xu, who joined the VCU faculty in 2006, has secured more than $16 million in national and state-funded grants during her career, including a recent $1.2 million, five-year federal leadership grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for Project REAL – Preparing Responsive and Effective Advocate Leaders in EI/ECSE.

Launched in 2024, Project REAL trains 10 doctoral candidates in cultural competence and humility, preparing them for faculty and leadership roles in EI/ECSE. It also promotes equal access for candidates from historically underrepresented groups, engages scholars in high-need community settings and enhances their research and publication skills.

“Dr. Xu’s transformative scholarship and leadership in Project REAL have elevated special education practices, impacting educators and families locally and globally,” said Kelli Feldman, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education. “Her dedication to advancing early intervention and childhood special education makes her a true trailblazer, and the Vallejo Award is a testament to her far-reaching influence.”

As director of VCU’s IESC, Xu has advanced the center’s mission of fostering education beyond borders through culturally meaningful opportunities. The IESC partners with global universities, offers training programs and strengthens VCU’s international student enrollment and its visiting scholar programs.

“Through her pioneering research and direction of the International Educational Studies Center, Dr. Xu has strengthened educational systems worldwide,” Feldman said. “Her work empowers educators and supports children and families, creating lasting change in communities near and far, perfectly aligning with VCU’s mission to foster thriving communities through partnerships and opportunities to elevate awareness and collaborate.”  

Xu’s research emphasizes peer-mediated instructional strategies, family empowerment and aligning classroom assessments with Individualized Education Program goals to ensure equitable educational outcomes for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She serves as associate editor of the Journal of Child and Family Studies and editor of Early Child Development and Care in the Asia and Pacific regions, a sign of her global influence.

Xu’s other recent accolades include VCU’s National/International Recognition Award in 2023.