By C. Brandon Chapman, WSU Insider
Recent educational psychology doctoral graduate Thao Vo has been awarded the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Washington Educational Research Association in recognition of her groundbreaking research focused on youth risk assessments and their impact on marginalized student populations.
The WERA award announcement to Vo noted the review committee was “thoroughly impressed” with her work.
Vo’s dissertation, titled, “A Justice-Orientated Critical Review and Community-Based Participatory Research Within Youth Risk Assessments,” is a two-part exploration into how youth risk assessments are developed, validated, and used, particularly in Washington state public schools.
The first part, a critical review of existing assessments, found that many tools lack validity evidence for use with historically marginalized youth and high-poverty communities.
The second part, a two-year community-based participatory research study with three school districts, examined how the Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students is used in practice to address chronic absenteeism.
“My dissertation aimed to understand the social consequences of youth risk assessments, especially how they affect students often left out of the design and decision-making processes,” Vo said. “It was personally meaningful to me to work closely with Washington schools — especially as someone who grew up in Spokane and studied at a land-grant institution like WSU.”
Educational psychology professor Brian French, who served as Vo’s dissertation chair, praised the award-winning work.
“Dr. Vo’s research represents thoughtful and purposeful engagement with the communities WARNS serves,” French said. “She has a passion and curiosity for research, and her scholarship in educational measurement is both creative and nationally visible. I’m confident her trajectory as a scholar will continue upward.”
Vo said her dissertation’s practical impact was key to the recognition from WERA, a professional organization dedicated to improving education through research.
“My work offered actionable recommendations for more equitable assessment practices,” she said. “That alignment with WERA’s mission likely resonated with the reviewers.”
The award is based on faculty nominations. French submitted Vo’s name along with a shortened dissertation summary, CV, and endorsement letter.
Vo recently returned to WSU in a new role as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. She is working on the Validation of the Equity and Access Rubrics for Mathematics Instruction project, which investigates how classroom practices can disrupt marginalization and promote equity in elementary and middle school math classrooms.
“Even amid uncertainties in education, I remain deeply committed to transformative justice in research,” she said. “Centering the voices and lived experiences of those most impacted by assessments is essential.”