Christopher Vicente Hsin-Hung S. Chen

Christopher V.H.-H. Chen is Lecturer in the Discipline of Chemical Engineering, focused on chemical engineering education and the training of engineering educators, and serves as a Director of Masters Studies for the department.

Christopher V.H.-H. Chen is a Lecturer in the Discipline of Chemical Engineering, focused on chemical engineering education and the training of engineering educators, and serves as a Director of Masters Studies for the department. As an engineering education researcher, his work looks at the importance of social and emotional elements of engineering training, how to motivate students beyond the technical "can we do this" questions to the human "should we do this" challenges, and pedagogical approaches to show students how to bring their values, cultures, and experiences into their engineering practice. Chen's teaching focuses on social impact and sustainability in engineering across all course levels. Chen is also an active educational developer, creating and facilitating 100+ trainings for teachers in higher education, and actively writes about educational design and supporting educational developers. He also has developed and supported inter-university teaching development initiatives through the 40-university Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) network as an elected member of CIRTL’s Leadership Team (2020-2024), and as an experienced instructor for their online courses and workshops.

Chen received a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University in 2017, specializing in interfacial phenomena and the chemical synthesis of surfactants; and received his BS & MS in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University in 2011. Chen also received an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2022, where he focused on topics of innovation and social enterprise. Chen has experience working at Centers of Teaching and Learning (CTLs), including as the senior assistant director at the Columbia CTL (2017-2022), and as a graduate fellow at Princeton’s McGraw Center (2013-2017). Chen is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education. He serves on the publication board of Chemical Engineering Education journal.

Research Areas

  • Sustainability, Engineering Education

Professional Experience

  • Lecturer in the Discipline of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 2022-
  • Senior Assistant Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, Columbia University, 2019-2022
  • Assistant Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, Columbia University, 2017-2019

Professional Affiliations

  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education

Honors & Awards

  • Joseph J. Martin Award, Chemical Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), 2023

Education

  • PhD, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University
  • MBA, Columbia Business School
  • MS, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
  • BS, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University