NCID-1575
Jun Ai
Assistant Professor of Education
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Education/Degree:
1 Special Education (University of Kansas)
About
Jun Ai Ph.D., BCBA-D is an assistant professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Northern Iowa. Dr. Ai earned her PhD in Special Education with an emphasis on early childhood education/early childhood special education (ECE/ECSE) from the University of Kansas in 2019. Dr. Ai's scholarship focuses on promoting the implementation and sustainability of anti-bias and equity-centered early childhood positive behavior support (PBS) to counteract disciplinary disparities in ECE and provide equitable access to quality social-emotional and behavioral support for all children, especially those from nondominant communities. Dr. Ai also collaborates with national and international researchers to address equity issues in ECE and special education, such as special education services in China, Chinese teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes towards inclusive education, and the intersectional identities of Asian American ECE professionals and teacher educators.
Current Work
As a former international student from China, Dr. Ai currently leads two research projects exploring the intersectional identities and experiences of Asian and Asian American teacher educators (i.e., PhD students, Higher Education faculty) with an aim to diversify the leadership workforce in early care and education. Dr. Ai is also working with the Iowa state leadership team for Early Childhood-Positive Intervention and Support to understand the current status and issues regarding educator implicit bias and disciplinary disparities in early care and education programs.
Research Area Keyword(s)
Asian American, disciplinary disparities, diversify workforce, early care and education, Implicit Bias