Faculty and Staff Profiles

• B. E. Hotel Management Engineering - Xi'An Jiaotong University, PRC - 1993
• M. A. Educational Psychology - University of Arizona - 1999
• M. S. Management Information Systems - University of Arizona - 2001
• Ph. D. Educational Psychology - University of Arizona - 2003

• Research Specialist, Senior, Office of Educational Development - University of Arizona - 2003-2004
• Assistant Professor, Dept of Counseling, Ed Psych and Research - University of Memphis - 2004 - 2010
• Associate Professor, Dept of Counseling, Ed Psych and Research - University of Memphis - 2010 - 2017
• Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research - University of Memphis - 2017 - present

• Dean's Award of Excellence in Research and Scholarship - College of Education, University of Memphis - 2014
• AIR Fellowship - Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Grant Program - 2010
• AERA Fellowship - AERA Grants Program - 2010
• Dean's Award of Excellence in Service - College of Education, University of Memphis - 2006
• Distinguished Paper Award - The Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Associations of AERA - 2004

• Statistical Methods Applied to Education I (G) - College of Education, University of Memphis
• Statistical Methods Applied to Education II (G) - College of Education, University of Memphis
• Introduction to Educational Research - College of Education, University of Memphis
• Applications of SEM in Educational/Behavioral Research - University of Memphis
• Survey Research: Design, Sampling, and Analysis - University of Memphis
• Nonparametric Statistics Applied to Education - University of Memphis

• Jacobs, E., Astome-Figari, C., de Jongh Curry, A., & Xu, Y. (2016). Forming the empathic engineer – A path to gender equity in the profession. - National Science Foundation - $150,000 - September 2016 – August 2018
• Xu. Y. (2016). Diversity in law schools and legal profession: A theoretically guided inquiry about gender and racial differences in persistence and valuation. - Access Group/ Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Research Fellows Program - $50,000. - July 2014 - June 2015
• Xu, Y., Lancaster, C., & Martin, C. (2014). Improving the retention rates of African American students in STEM majors: Student engagement and institutional interventions. - Diversity Research Grants program by Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) - $40,000 - July 2014 - June 2015
• Xu, Y. (2011). College graduates' persistence in STEM career paths: Influential factors, major-based comparisons, and gender-related differences - Funded by the National Science Foundation through the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Grant Program - $40,000 - May 2011 - April 2012
• Xu, Y. (2006). Understanding the Work Experience of Women Facuty in Nontraditional Fields: Bayesian Modeling of the 1993, 1999, and 2004 NSOPF Data. - AERA Grants Program, sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics - $19,995 - Feb 2007 to Jan 2008
• Faculty Research Grant - University of Memphis, COE - $6,000 - July 2019 - June 2020
• Faculty Research Grants Program - University of Memphis - $6,000 - July 2014 - June 2015
• Faculty Research Grant 2007 - University of Memphis - $6,500 - Aug 2007 - Jul 2008

• Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) - Grant review panel - 2021 & 2022
• National Science Foundation (NSF) - Grant review panel - 2019
• Review of Higher Education - Consulting Editor - 2016 - 2020
• Research in Higher Education - Consulting Editor - 2010 - present

• Xu, Y., Jacobs, E., Astorne-Figari, C., de Jongh Curry, A., Roberts, S., & Deaton, R. (2021). Empathy and gender inequality in engineering: Is there a hidden link? Journal of Education and Training Studies, 9(6), 16-28.
• Xu, Y. & Webber, K. (2018). College student retention on a racially-diverse campus:  A theoretically-guided reality check. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice.20(1) 2-28.DOI: 10.1177/1521025116643325.
  
• Xu, Y. (2018). The experience and persistence of undergraduate students in STEM majors.  Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice. 19(4), 413-432. DOI: 10.1177/1521025116638344.
  
• Xu, Y. (2017). Localizing college retention efforts: The distance between theoretical orientation and the institution-specific needs. Innovative Higher Education. DOI: 10.1007/s10755-016-9364-9.
  
• Xu, Y. (2017). Attrition of women in STEM: Examining Job/major congruence in the career choices of college graduates. Journal of Career Development. 44(1), 3-19. DOI: 10.1177/0894845316633787.
  
• Kong, J., Xu, Y., & Zhang, H. (2016). Holland's Self-Directed Search applied to Chinese college students: A revisit to cross-culture adaptation. Journal of Educational Issues, 2(1), 215-230.
  
• Xu, Y. (2016b). Aspiration and application for graduate education: Gender differences in Low-Participate STEM disciplines. Research in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1007/s11162-016-9411-5.
  
• Xu, Y. (2016a). Attention to retention: Exploring and addressing the needs of college students in STEM majors. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(2), 67-76.
• Xu, Y. (2015). Focusing on women in STEM: A longitudinal examination of gender-based earning gap of college graduates. The Journal of Higher Education, 86 (4), 489-523.
• Xu, Y. (2014). Advance to and persistence in graduate school: Identifying the influential factors and major-based differences. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 16(3), 391-417.
• Xu, Y. (2013). Career outcomes of STEM and non-STEM college graduates: Persistence in majored-field and influential factors in career choices. Research in Higher Education. 54(3), 349-382.
• Xu, Y. (2012). The similarities and differences in the work experience of women faculty in traditional and nontraditional disciplines. New Directions for Institutional Research, 155, 67-84.
• Xu, Y. & Martin, C. (2011). Informal professional networking and career development: Another perspective of gender difference in STEM disciplines. Gender Issues, 28(3), 134-154.
• Xu, Y. (2010). Understanding the work experience of women faculty in nontraditional fields:  Bayesian modeling of the 1993, 1999, and 2004 NSOPF data. In S. A. Davies (ed.), Gender gap: Causes, experiences and effects (pp.147-165). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
• Xu, Y. (2009). Faculty turnover: Discipline-specific attention is warranted. In N. V. N. Chism, R. G. Baldwin, D. A. Chang (eds.) ASHE Reader on Faculty and Faculty Issues in Colleges and Universities (3rd Ed.), pp. 661-678. Pearson Learning Solutions: New York.
• Xu, Y.  (2008). Gender disparity in STEM disciplines: A study of faculty attrition and turnover intentions. Research in Higher Education,49(7), 607-624.

• Xu, Y.  (2008). Work stress and faculty supplemental income: What is the connection? Journal of Professoriate, 3(1), 89-107.

• Xu, Y. & Ishitani, T. (2008). Bayesian modeling in institutional research: An example of Carnegie classification. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2008 (137), 83-104.
  
• Xu. Y. (2008). Faculty turnover: Discipline-specific attention is warranted. Research in Higher Education.  49(1), 40-61.
• Meyer, K. A., & Xu, Y.  (2007).  A Bayesian analysis of the institutional and individual factors influencing faculty technology use. The Internet and Higher Education, 10(3), 184-195.
• Xu, Y., & Meyer, K. A. (2007). Factors explaining faculty technology use and productivity. The Internet and Higher Education, 10(1), 41-52.  
• Xu, Y. (2006). Using data mining to analyze large-scale data sets in higher education research: An example of prediction with the NSOPF:99. In J. Smart (ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research, Vol. XXI (pp. 457-490). Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
• Xu, Y. (2005). An exploration of using data mining in educational and behavioral science. Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods, 4(1), 251-274.  
• Xu, Y., Hartman, S., Uribe, G. & Mencke, R. (2001). The effects of peer tutoring on undergraduate students' final examination scores in mathematics. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 32(1), 22-31.   

• * Zhang, S., Unger, D., Yang, M., Muthukumar, V. & Xu, Y. (2022). Creating a constructivist learning environment to enhance secondary female students’ engagement in STEM activities. Paper presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Diego, CA: April 2022.
• * Roberts, S. & Xu, Y. (2020). Factors predicting college student retention at an urban institution: Analysis exploring causal effects using SEM. Paper accepted for presentation at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA: April 2020.
• * Xu. Y., Jacobs, E., Astorne-Figari, C., de Jongh Curry, A. Salem, W., & Roberts, S. (2019). Empathy and gender inequality in engineering: Is there a hidden link? Paper presented at the 10th International Conference on Education, Training and Informatics (ICETI). Orlando, FL: March, 2019.
• * Lancaster, C. Xu, Y. & Ovrebo, E. (2018). The educational and professional experiences of African American female law-school students: A qualitative inquiry. Paper presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). New York, NY: April 2018.
• * Xu, Y. (2017). Aspirations and application for graduate education: gender differences in STEM disciplines. Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Houston, TX: November 2017.
• * Xu, Y. (2017). Equality at the starting line? Gender- and race-based differences at the transition from law school to legal profession. Paper accepted for presentation at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)./ San Antonio, TX: April 2017.
• * Xu, Y. (2017). Satisfaction with the decision to become a lawyer: The implications for diversity in the legal profession. Paper accepted for presentation at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Antonio, TX: April 2017.
• * Xu, Y. & Webber, K. (2016). College student retention: Theoretical considerations based on data from a racially-diverse institution. Paper presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Washington, D.C.: April 2016.
• * Xu, Y. & Lancaster, C. (2016). A qualitative case study of factors that influence the social and academic integration of African American STEM students. Paper presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Washington, D.C.: April 2016.
• * Xu, Y. (2014). Aspirations and application for graduate education: gender differences in STEM disciplines. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Washington, DC: November 2014.
• * Xu, Y. (2014). Advance to graduate education: How the path is shaped by gender and academic discipline. Paper presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Philadelphia, PA: April 2014.
• * Xu, Y. (2013). Modeling early career choices of college graduates: Factors contributing to persistence in majored-field. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). St. Louis, MO: November 2013.
• Xu, Y. (2013). Anticipating the Academic STEM Culture. VOICES: Annual Conference of Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Chapter. State College, PA: February, 2013.
• * Xu, Y. (2012). Gender-based earning gap of college graduates: Modeling ten-year progress for STEM and Non-STEM comparisons. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Las Vegas, NV: November 2012.
• Xu, Y. (2012). Career outcomes of STEM and non-STEM college graduates: Persistence in majored-field and influential factors in career choices. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association of Institutional Research (AIR). New Orleans, LA: June 2012.
• * Xu, Y. (2012). Advance to and persistence in graduate school: Identifying the influential factors and major-based differences. Paper presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Vancouver, Canada: April 2012.
• * Xu. Y. (2011). Career outcomes of STEM and non-STEM college graduates: Persistence in majored-field and influential factors in career choices. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Charlotte, NC: November 2011.
• * Xu. Y. (2011). Salary structure of university faculty: Important factors, clear patterns, and needed changes. Paper accepted by the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). New Orleans, LA: April 2011
• * Xu, Y. & Ishitani, T. (2010).  Increased or reduced salary gap between women and men university professors during the years of financial crisis? A Methodological display. Paper to be presented at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Indianapolis, IN: November 2010.
• * Xu, Y. (2010). The similarities and differences in the work experience of women faculty in traditional and nontraditional disciplines. Paper presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Denver, CO: April 2010.
• * Xu, Y. & Martin, C. (2009). Informal professional networking and career development: Another perspective of gender difference in STEM disciplines. Paper presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Diego, CA: April 2009.
• * Xu, Y. & Meyer, K. A. (2008). Examining a Blended Approach to Teaching Statistics in a College of Education: A Mixed-Methods Study. Paper presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). New York, NY: April 2008.
• * Xu, Y. (2008). Understanding the Work Experience of Women Faculty in Nontraditional Fields: Bayesian Modeling of the 1993, 1999, and 2004 NSOPF Data. Paper presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). New York, NY: April 2008.
• * Hu, X, Luellen, J. K., Okwumabua, T. M., Xu, Y., and Mo, L. (2007). Observational Findings from a Web-Based Intelligent Tutoring System: Elimination of Racial Disparities in an Undergraduate Behavioral Statistics Course. Accepted as a paper presentation at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Chicago, IL: April 2007.
• * Xu, Y. (2007). A Different perspective: Turnover and underrepresentation of female faculty. Accepted as a paper presentation at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Chicago, IL: April 2007.
• * Xu, Y. (2007). Salary and tenure seniority of university faculty: Examining the retrospective effect of gender equity effort. Accepted as a paper presentation at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Chicago, IL: April 2007.
• *Xu, Y. & Meyer, K. A. (2007). A Bayesian Analysis of the Institutional and Individual Factors Influencing Faculty Technology Use. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).Louisville, KT: November 2007.
• * Xu, Y., & Meyer, K. A. (2006). Factors Explaining Faculty Technology Use. Accepted for presentation at the Annual Conference of Association for Studies in Higher Education (ASHE). Anaheim, CA: November 2006.
• * Xu, Y. (2006). Faculty Turnover: Discipline-Specific Attention Is Warranted. Paper presentation at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA: April 2006.
• * Xu, Y. (2006). Supplemental Earnings and Work Stress: What is the Connection? Paper presentation at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA: April 2006.
• * Xu, Y. (2005). Understanding the Dimensions of Faculty Job Satisfaction: A Comparison across Academic Areas in Research Universities. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Association for Studies in Higher Education (ASHE). Philadelphia, PA: November 2005.
• * Xu, Y. (2004). An Exploration of Using Data Mining in Educational and Behavioral Science. Presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Diego, CA, 2004.
  
• * Xu, Y. (2003). Using Bayesian Network for Dimensional Simplification in Educational Research: An Application in Prediction. Presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Diego, CA, 2004, as the Winner of the Distinguished Paper Award by the Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Associations  (SRERA).