The N.E.T. Program Award Committee is pleased to announce Master’s student in Psychology Zixin Ye as a recipient of the 2026 N.E.T. Award for Research Excellence. For Ye, the award recognizes her past efforts while motivating her to continue pursuing meaningful research.
Working under the supervision of Professor Yuerui Wu in the Applied Cognition and Emotion (ACE) Lab, Ye studies child victimization, trauma disclosure, and the social and family factors that influence how children and adolescents cope with adverse experiences. Her research aims to better understand the challenges children face and identify ways to support their well-being and development.
Ye examines child victimization and trauma disclosure from both social and family perspectives. At the social level, she investigates how public perceptions of child sexual abuse victims affect victims’ willingness to seek help and disclose their experiences. She is currently involved in a project exploring attitudes toward victims of child sex trafficking and how negative social judgments may discourage disclosure. At the family level, her work focuses on how parent–child interactions shape children’s understanding and communication of negative emotions and traumatic experiences. By studying parent–child conversations and emotional development, she hopes to identify family factors that promote resilience and healthy coping.
Her interest in this field began during her undergraduate studies in public administration. While examining social systems and public policy, she realized that large-scale social issues ultimately affect individuals. This insight inspired her to pursue developmental and educational psychology in graduate school.
“As I became involved in research on child victimization and trauma, I noticed that many victimized children remain silent about their experiences for a long time,” Ye says. “I began asking what prevents children from seeking help and how social stigma, family interactions, and parenting practices influence disclosure. Exploring these questions helped me discover my passion for child development research.”
One of the greatest challenges in her academic journey has been learning to identify meaningful research questions. “The more I study, the more I realize that research is not only about answering questions—it is also about asking the right ones,” she says. Through extensive reading, discussions with her advisor, and conversations with fellow students, she has learned to refine her ideas and develop stronger research questions.
Ye credits Professor Yuerui Wu with playing a pivotal role in her development. Coming from a different academic background, she initially faced challenges in psychological theory, research methods, and academic writing. Through regular one-on-one meetings, Professor Wu guided her throughout the research process while encouraging independent thinking. “Her support has helped me build confidence as a researcher and approach challenges with a growth mindset,” Ye says.
Ye also values the opportunities provided by the NYU Shanghai–ECNU Joint Graduate Training Program (N.E.T.). Its cross-institutional and international environment enables students to access the resources of both universities while engaging with scholars from diverse disciplines and cultures.
“The N.E.T. Program has broadened my perspective,” she says. “Learning from faculty and students with different research interests has helped me develop a more interdisciplinary way of thinking. Opportunities to attend international conferences and interact with researchers from around the world have greatly expanded my academic horizons.” Beyond academic training, she also values the program’s collaborative spirit, emphasizing that research is a process of collaboration, mutual support, and collective growth.
The N.E.T. Award Committee congratulates Zixin Ye on this achievement and looks forward to her continued contributions to research on child development and family well-being.