Yang Ai Ph.D.

Fostering a socially just and inclusive community is my drive as a counselor educator. Matters relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to my teaching, research, counseling, and supervision. My commitment to the promotion of these factors in the field of counselor education stems from a deeply seated passion for improving the lives of all students and clients. My passion is cultivated through my personal and professional experiences of recognizing the role of culture in well-being. As a human development and mental health discipline, I believe that counselor education plays a vital role in fostering an inclusive environment to meet the needs of our diverse communities.

• Ph.D., Counselor Education and Supervision, University of Missouri–St. Louis (CACREP accredited)
• M.Ed., Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of Missouri–St. Louis (CACREP accredited)
• M.A., Educational Administration and Economy, Wuhan University

• American Counseling Association (ACA)
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
• American School Counseling Association (ASCA)
• National Career Development Association (NCDA)

• Graduate School Travel Research Grants ($5,111 in total, 2013-2019), University of Missouri - St. Louis
• Des Lee Collaborative Vision Scholarship (2014, 2019), University of Missouri - St. Louis
• Ling Li Memorial Graduate Scholarship (2016, 2017, 2018), University of Missouri - St. Louis
• China National Scholarship
• Outstanding Master's Degree Thesis Award, Wuhan University
• Excellent Graduate Student Award, Wuhan University
• First-Class Scholarship for Graduate Students, Wuhan University
• Prior to joining the University of Redlands, Ai worked in school counselor and teacher roles at an underprivileged public high school in Missouri for six years. He is honored to have many chances to learn from his students regarding their experiences of responding to the academic, social/emotional, career, physical, and institutional barriers. As a Nationally Certified Counselor, Ai also worked with adults, couples, and groups in college counseling, career counseling, and community settings. His prior clinical supervision experiences include supervising school counselors and clinical mental health counselors-in-training. Ai’s current research agenda includes career development of adolescents and international students, evidence-based school counseling, acculturation-related issue, and the professional development of college counseling students.

Conference Presentations:

• Ai, Y., & Pope, M. (2022). Predictors of career decision self-efficacy for East Asian international students. A roundtable presentation at the 2022 National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference, Anaheim, California, June 27-29.
• Ai, Y., & Hutchison, B.  (2022).  Searching for career agency and justice in the West: Asia international student experiences. A roundtable presentation at the 2022 National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference. Anaheim, California, June 27-29. 
• Shinde, P., Ai, Y., & Shao, H.  (2020).  Exploring the whole child through the social-emotional lens. A presentation at the American Counseling Association (ACA) 2020 Conference & Expo, San Diego, California, April 16-19. (This presentation was accepted though not presented due to the conference being canceled in response to COVID-19)
• Li, D., Ai, Y., & Stephens, A. (2019). Counseling ethics education: Using the acculturation model. A presentation at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Conference, Seattle, Washington, October 10-13.
• Wilke, K., Ai, Y., Cables, E., & Scott, S. (2019). The college student perspective on online course design. A panel presentation at the Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference (FTTC), University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, September 26-27.
• Bang, NM, Hayden, S., & Ai, Y. (2019). Teaching career counseling courses in counselor education programs. A panel presentation at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference, Houston, Texas, June 27-29.
• Ai, Y. (2019). Confucianism and Trumpism: Barriers that Asian international students face in finding jobs in the U.S. A roundtable presentation at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference, Houston, Texas, June 27-29.
• White, R., Hepburn-Richardson, L., & Ai, Y. (2019). Exposing visible and invisible career barriers for international students in higher education. A panel presentation at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference, Houston, Texas, June 27-29.
• Jenkins, K., Tang, M., Collins, B., & Ai, Y. (2019). Multicultural counseling development from a relational-cultural theory framework: Teaching multicultural development through authenticity. A panel presentation at the American Counseling Association (ACA) 2020 Conference & Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 28-30.
• Ai, Y. (2018). College career counseling research and practice in China. A roundtable presentation at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, June 21-24.
• Song, K., Dorner, L., & Ai, Y. (2018). Enhancing bi-literacy through multi-language family stories in urban schools: Opportunities and challenges. A panel presentation at the Cambio de Colores Conference, Kansas City, Missouri, June 6-8.
• Song, K., & Ai, Y. (2018). Linguistic and racial equity in teaching immigrant and refugee learners. A presentation at the Cambio de Colores Conference, Kansas City, Missouri, June 6-8.
• Hutchison, B., & Ai, Y. (2015). Career counseling in emerging markets: An encore panel of international career professionals. A panel presentation at the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Conference, Denver, Colorado, June 29-July 2.
• Ai, Y. (2014). Possible problems and countermeasures of happenstance learning theory applied to vocational guidance in China: from a college perspective. A presentation at the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA) Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, May 19-21.
• Ai, Y. (2013). Quality of education in China via paper analysis over the past decade. A presentation at the 5th International Journal of Arts and Sciences Conference at Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, May 26-30.

Invited Lectures and Presentations:

• Ai, Y. (2017). Chinese culture and counseling in China. A lecture for a graduate course: Foundations of Multicultural Counseling (invited by Dr. Mark Pope), University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri.
• Ai, Y. (2017). Wed-based/Online counseling. A lecture for a graduate course: Personal and Professional Development in Counseling, University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri.
• Ai, Y. (2016). Career counseling in China. A lecture for a graduate course: Career Information and Development, University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri.
• Ai, Y. (2016). Method and material development in teaching Mandarin Chinese. A presentation for a graduate course: Method and Material Development in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, University of Missouri - St. Louis, Missouri.

• School counseling
• Career counseling
• Counselor education and supervision
• Social justice and multicultural counseling