X. Christine Wang (she/her/hers)

Dr. Wang’s research focuses on technology and young children’s learning and development. Her projects have been funded by NSF, IES, Spencer Foundation, and AERA. Currently, she is PI of the Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI), a $10 million IES-funded national R&D center, and serves as Broader Impacts Lead of the $20 million NSF/IES-funded National AI Institute for Exceptional Education. Her new project, "From Early Encounters to Equitable Futures: Grounding AI Literacy in Care and Local Systems Change," funded by the Spencer Foundation’s Vision Grant, is poised to evolve into a transformative research initiative. At UB, Dr. Wang is also leading several high-profile initiatives, including the AI + Education Learning Community Series, and The Hub: A University–Community Innovation Ecosystem for AI Learning and Design.

A recipient of the AERA 2007 Jan Hawkins Award, Dr. Wang has authored over 100 scholar publications, and delivered more than 40 invited/keynote talks and over 100 conference presentations nationally and internationally. She served as Associate Editor of Early Childhood Research Quarterly (2016–2023) and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Research on Childhood Education (2017–2019). She co-chaired the 2024 International Society for Learning Sciences (ISLS) annual meeting. In recognition of her leadership and impact, Dr. Wang received the 2025 UB President’s Medal for outstanding contributions.

• PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• MEd, Beijing Normal University, China
• BA, Beijing Normal University, China

• President’s Medal for Outstanding Contributions; UB; 2025-05-15;
• Exceptional Scholars: Sustained Achievement Award; UB; 2025-05-01;
• Dr. Conrad F. Toepfer Jr. Mentorship Award; UB; 2024-05-01;
• Best Paper Award at the ISLS Annual Meeting; International Society of Learning Sciences (ISLS); 2022-06-10;
• Faculty STAR Award for Advising; Graduate School of Education, UB; 2022-05-13;

• *Deng T., Hu, B. Y., Wang, X. C., Li Y., Jiang C., Su, Y., & LoCasale-Crouch, J. (2022). Chinese preschool teachers’ use of concept development strategies in whole-group math lessons and its effectiveness. Early Education and Development. DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2022.2067428
• Eggleston, C., Wang, X. C., & Choi, Y. (2021). Mother-toddler shared reading with electronic versus print books: Mothers’ language use and perspectives. Early Education and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1943638
• Wang, X. C., *Choi, Y., Benson, K., Eggleston, C., & Weber, D. (2021). Teachers’ role in fostering preschoolers’ computational thinking: An exploratory case study. Early Education and Development, 32(1), 26-48. DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2020.1759012

• Wang, X. C., Flood, V. J., & *Cady, A. (2021). Computational thinking through body and ego syntonicity: Young children’s embodied sense-making using a programming toy. In E. de Vries, J. Ahn, & Y. Hod (Eds.). Proceedings of the 15th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2021 (pp. 394-401). Bochum, Germany: International Society of the Learning Sciences. [Nominated for Best Paper Award at ISLS 2021]

• Flood, V. J., Wang, X. C., & *Sheridan, M. (2022). Embodied responsive teaching for supporting computational thinking in early childhood. In C. Chinn, E. Tan, C. Chan, & Y. Kali (Eds.). Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2022 (pp. 855-862). Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences. [Winner for the Best Paper Award: https://2022.isls.org/]

• Wang, X. C. (2021, November). We-Syntonicity: Preschoolers’ sense-making of computational thinking using a programming toy in a teacher-guided session. Paper presented at Science Education Seminar, Harvard University, Boston, MT.;
• Wang, X. C., Eggleston, C., & Benson, K. (2020, October). Home/virtual schooling of young children: Discussion with the ECRC experts. Invited parent workshop via Zoom for UB Wellness and Worklife Balance, Buffalo, NY.;

• Wang, X. C. & Proctor, C. (2022, April). Computational thinking (CT) meets young children: Critical review of research on CT in early childhood. Paper presented at the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.;
• Wang, X. C., Flood, V. J., & *Cady, A. (2022, April). We-syntonicity: Preschoolers’ collective embodied computational thinking in a teacher-guided programming session. Paper presented at the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.;
• Wang, X. C., Flood, V. J., & *Cady, A. (2021, June). Computational thinking through body and ego syntonicity: Young children’s embodied sense-making using a programming toy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of International Society of Learning Sciences, Bochum, Germany. (Virtual Conference). [Nominated for the Best Paper Award];

• Reading and (Re)writing the World: Exploring Critical Pedagogy of Place in Early Science and Literacy Learning; Foundation and Research Organization; Spencer Foundation; Awarded; (08/01/2019-07/31/2020)
• ToM and Young Children’s Science Inquiry; Federal Government; NSF Funded National Living Lab Initiatives; Awarded; (11/01/2014-05/31/2015)

• Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI): Innovating Beginning Reading Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners; Federal Government; Institute of Education Sciences; Awarded; (09/01/2024-08/31/2029)
• Rapid: DRL AI: Exploring What, Who, and How of AI Literacies for Young Children: A Delphi Study; Federal Government; National Science Foundation; Awarded; (09/15/2023-08/31/2024)

• Conference: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) 2024 Annual Meeting (Doctoral Consortium and Early Career Workshop); Federal Government; National Science Foundation; Awarded; (06/01/2024-05/31/2025)

• Proposal Review Panel, Spencer Foundation, 2021
  01/01/2021-12/31/2021

• New York State P12 Digital Learning Advisory Council, April 2021-Present
  04/01/2021-08/31/2022
• Co-Chair of the Review Committee, Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies, AERA Division C
  01/05/2021-04/30/2022
• Executive Board, AERA-Early Education/Child Development SIG, Fall 2010-Present
  06/01/2018-08/31/2022
• Executive Committee, AERA Division C–Learning and Instruction, Aug 2012-June 2014
  09/01/2015-09/01/2015

• Guest Editor; Special Issue “Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Education” for Early Childhood Research Quarterly (Expected Publication: December 2022)
  05/01/2021-12/31/2022
• Associate Editor; Early Childhood Research Quarterly
  08/01/2016-07/31/2025