Prof Jia Xue receives Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award

Assistant Professor Jia Xue received the Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award on January 18 at the 2025 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Conference in Seattle. The award recognizes individuals who are engaged in innovative scholarship, have embraced a rigorous approach to social work research, and are an emerging influence in the field. It is a significant honour, recognizing exceptional work.  

“Jia’s ground-breaking scholarship linking AI, social media, and social justice has been recognized for advancing the profession, particularly in areas related to marginalization, oppression, and privilege,” says Charmaine Williams, Dean and Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “To our knowledge, this is the first time this award has been given to someone from a Canadian university.” 

Xue, who holds a joint appointment with the Faculty of Information, has an impressive publication and funding record. As the founder and director of the Artificial Intelligence for Justice Lab (AIJ Lab), she leads a team of researchers who are using leading-edge technologies to investigate intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child maltreatment, school bullying, and the communication of health information around COVID-19 on social media. Her work was one of the first to examine the psychological outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped policymakers, social workers, and medical professionals better understand public reactions to the pandemic, and how those reactions evolved over time.  

With support from a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) operating grant, Xue’s research on family violence and the efficacy of social media-based collaborations between non-profit agencies during COVID19 lockdowns informed not only the design of Twitter-based advocacy plans to support survivors, but also public health responses to domestic violence during crisis situations. This research expanded to the international context, with projects on intimate partner violence in China that informed policy and intervention strategies, including advocacy for legislative changes to protect sexual minorities in China. 

Xue’s research has also examined the use of chatbots for e-health — work that has become an essential reference for both academics and practitioners aiming to enhance strategies for health promotion. Xue’s use of machine learning analysis has advanced our understanding of digital communication strategies in the nonprofit sector and offers practical implications for enhancing social media engagement and outreach, especially for nonprofits focused on addressing sexual assault. 

Among her myriad accomplishments is her collaborative work with AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio. Together, they developed machine learning tools for identifying and mitigating racial and gender discrimination in texts. This work has significantly advanced our ability to leverage AI to combat social injustices, with profound implications for reducing racial and gender biases in various social contexts. 

“This award is a testament to the quality and impact of Professor Xue’s research and her status as an emerging influence in the field,” says Williams. “The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work extends its heartfelt congratulations to Jia on this well-deserved honour.”