Her major research areas include social and civic organizations, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and political sociology. Dr. Yu's current research focuses on the effectiveness of social organizations, and the development of social enterprises in China. Her research paper on Community Voluntary Services in Shanghai has won the best article award from Shanghai Bureau of Civil Affairs. Her articles have been published on Social Forces, Voluntas, Sociological Studies, Youth Research and other journals. She is the author of the book entitled Funding and Organzational Strategies of Social Organizations in China. Dr. Yu holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from the University of Chicago, and B.A. from Fudan University.