On April 28, 2026, according to the Decision of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions on Commending the 2026 National May 1st Labor Awards, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions awarded the National May 1st Labor Award Certificate to 379 organizations, the National May 1st Labor Medal to 1,462 individuals, and the National Worker Pioneer title to 1,183 collectives. In addition, outstanding female individuals and collectives were honored with the National May 1st Women Pacesetter and National May 1st Women Pacesetter Post titles. Professor Yang Xiaoyan from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Center for Environmental Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Science at Lanzhou University was awarded the National May 1st Labor Medal.

Professor Yang Xiaoyan is mainly engaged in environmental archaeology research. She has led more than 20 national and provincial-level projects, published over 140 papers in leading journals at home and abroad, and supervised more than 50 master's and doctoral students. She established China's first ancient starch research laboratory and the first specialized sedimentary ancient DNA laboratory, and has developed, improved, and introduced a series of new techniques and methods for environmental archaeology both in China and internationally. Her work has yielded significant new insights into the origins, dissemination, and impacts of agriculture, and her research achievements were awarded the Second Prize of the National Natural Science Award.

During the Second Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research, she led a team that discovered and participated in the excavation of the Kangma Mabuco site in Tibet, which was selected as one of the Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2024. These findings hold great significance for strengthening confidence in national history and culture.

Professor Yang also places strong emphasis on interdisciplinary development, striving to build an integrated framework of "archaeological excavation-scientific research-cultural heritage conservation-digital presentation". She played a key role in promoting the establishment of the Key Scientific Research Base of Bioarchaeology in Cold and Arid Regions under the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and has made important contributions to the development of the Center for Environmental Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Science and the professional doctoral program in Cultural Heritage at Lanzhou University. This institutional research platform provides strong support and talent cultivation for addressing key scientific challenges in environmental archaeology and cultural heritage conservation in western China, serving the Chinese Civilization Origins Project, and advancing cultural heritage preservation and development under the Belt and Road Initiative.