Dr. Jie Chen is currently an Associate Professor at the Northern Illinois University (NIU). She began her nursing career as a cardiac surgical nurse in her native China and practiced at bedside in acute care hospital settings for more than a decade. One of the highlights of her exemplary patient care was the “Honor A Nurse of the Month” Award that she received from a local television station in the Greater Cincinnati area. In her previous role as an occupational health nurse, she became interested in research, and received an Occupational Health Excellence Award from the Procter & Gamble Co. in recognition for her initiatives to promote ergonomics in the workplace. She started teaching in NIU in 2009 after receiving a PhD degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. Being a nursing educator, she has provided unwavering support to her students by helping them build confidence and achieve success. She was selected as one of 19 Nurse Educator Fellows by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for 2017-2018, in honor of her achievement and commitment to quality and innovative teaching in nursing education. Her keen understanding of students’ learning experience and dedication to student success also led to her earning a 2018 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award at NIU.

Chen’s research interests include curriculum assessment, student success, new graduate nurses’ transition to practice, patient safety, and health disparities. In collaboration with her research partners, Chen has received several grants from NIU, IBHE, and NIOSH, and conducted a series of projects in promoting health and safety, and nursing education as well. Chen recently joined the UCA WAVES Research & Development team as a nurse researcher to support the Youth Mental Health Collaborative, and be ready to serve Chinese American Communities.