Jiaying Xu
Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy, The University of Texas at Austin, expected 2029
M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2025
Email: jx4269@my.utexas.edu
M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2025
Email: jx4269@my.utexas.edu
Jiaying Xu (she/her) is a first-generation doctoral student in the Higher Education Leadership and Policy program at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Zhejiang, China, she currently works at the Texas Education Research Center.
She began her research journey at UT Austin, where she earned a Master of Education in Higher Education and served as a graduate research assistant at the Center for Community College Student Engagement in the College of Education. In this role, she conducted quantitative research and data analysis on projects related to financial aid policy, student learning outcomes, and transfer in higher education. She also holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, with a focus on tax policy analysis.
In addition to her research training, Jiaying brings a cross-sector background spanning finance and education, as well as teaching experience supporting undergraduate and community college students. Her current research interests include student success among low-income and underrepresented populations, transfer in higher education, and the economics of higher education.
She began her research journey at UT Austin, where she earned a Master of Education in Higher Education and served as a graduate research assistant at the Center for Community College Student Engagement in the College of Education. In this role, she conducted quantitative research and data analysis on projects related to financial aid policy, student learning outcomes, and transfer in higher education. She also holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, with a focus on tax policy analysis.
In addition to her research training, Jiaying brings a cross-sector background spanning finance and education, as well as teaching experience supporting undergraduate and community college students. Her current research interests include student success among low-income and underrepresented populations, transfer in higher education, and the economics of higher education.
