Dr. Xu received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Missouri. Her research expertise is in family relationships and child social emotional development. Before joining Pacific University, Dr. Xu was a Senior Policy Researcher at Vanderbilt University, where her work focused on examining the effectiveness of child care policies on families, children, and early educators. Dr. Xu’s clinical interests focus on the legacy of early experiences and its impact on individuals’ health outcomes and life trajectories. Her clinical background lies in working with court-mandated clients as well as clients who struggle with addiction. 

Dr. Xu serves the co-chair on the Advisory Committee of Every Child Belongs, a statewide suspension and expulsion prevention program implemented by Oregon Early Learning & Care. It is her career goal to integrate developmental science, public policy, and clinical practice in promoting the wellbeing of families and children living in local communities. 

Professional Experiences  

Pacific University, Assistant Professor, 2025-Present 

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, Senior Policy Researcher, 2022-2025 

Research-to-Policy Collaboration, Policy Fellow, 2021-2022 

Education 

Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2022

M.A. in Counseling Psychology, University of Denver, 2017

B.B.A in Finance, Investment & Banking, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013 

Areas of Research Expertise 

Child Development, Social Emotional Development, Developmental Neuroscience, Family Relationships, Attachment, Reminiscing, Parenting, Early Childhood Education, Child Care Policies, Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) 

Teaching 

GPSY 600 Development 

GPSY 687 Clinical Consultation Seminar  

GPSY 731 Career Counseling

Professional Affiliations 

Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD): 2015-Present