Yong Zhao

Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor at the School of Education, University of Kansas, and a Professorial Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy, Victoria University (Australia). He has held leadership roles including Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education (University of Oregon) and University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University.

Education: PhD in Educational Psychology (University of Illinois, 1996), MA in Education (1994), and BA in English Language Education (Sichuan International Studies University, 1986).

Research focuses on globalization, technology, and policy impacts on education. Key areas include AI in education, creativity, entrepreneurship, and critiques of PISA assessments. He advocates for personalized learning and rethinking traditional schooling paradigms.

Grants & Funding: Includes NSF-funded projects on STEM entrepreneurship and educational engagement totaling over $4.5M. Recent grants include "Classrooms as Enterprises" ($2.99M) and "Enhancing Entrepreneurial Capacities" ($1.49M).

Awards:

• 2017 Outstanding Public Educator (Horace Mann League)
• Elected Fellow of the International Academy for Education

Labs/Initiatives: Founded the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence and the Office of Teaching and Technology at Michigan State University.