E-MAIL: guochen(at)msu.edu

Pronouns: she/her/hers


2022–2023: Lilly Fellowship

Fall 2018: Sabbatical Leave

Fall 2018: Short-Term Visiting Scholar, University of Melbourne

2017–2018: Wilson Center Fellowship Leave

                                                             

ASSOCIATED  PROGRAMS

Affiliated Faculty, Asian Studies Center, International Studies & Programs

Affiliated Faculty, Environmental Science and Policy Program (ESPP)

Core Faculty, Asian Pacific American (APA) Studies Program

Associated Faculty, Gender, Justice and Environmental Change (GJEC)

Consulting Faculty, Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen)

                                                             

NEWS,  TALKS,  &  EVENTS

-2025 AAG Detroit Plenary and Panels

-2025 APA Studies Program Symposium & 20th Anniversary!

-Guo’s opening for 2025 Women of Color Community Conference at MSU (Read MSU Today link and news copy)

-How to Foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Geography: Theory, Praxis, and Shaping our Future (E Elgar 2024) is published! 

-Guo received 2024 Outstanding Women of Color Award

-Guo named inaugural Editor in Human Geography/Nature and Society of The Professional Geographer 2023 (Read AAG news)

-Dr. Guo Chen receives GenCen Inspiration Award-Professional Achievement Award 2023/4 (Read Department news / GenCen news

-New Focus (Special Issue) on Hidden Geographies published in The Professional Geographer 2023! Check out the Introduction Essay and all six articles in the issue

-Call for papers to Special Issue on Global Social Environmental Justice (link and flyer) 2023

-Enacting Inclusive Futures: APA Studies Symposium 2022/3/18

-Guo Featured in AAG Women in Geography Webinar: Thriving and Advancing in a Male Dominated Field 2022/3/15

-SWIG Event: Neurodiversity and Space (with resources) 2022/3/4

-SWIG Roundtable & Talk: Afghanistan: Security, Gender, and Development 2021/10/28-29

-Honors Research Seminar on Global Slums;  UURAF award-winning undergrad research Fall 2021–Spring 2022

-AAG virtual panel on anti-racist praxis in Geography and AAG virtual panel on migration, race, ethnicity, & justice, both organized by Guo; Guo penned inaugural AAG-Perspectives article 2021/4/29

-Guo received the CGSG Outstanding Service Award in 2020; AAG newsletter 2020

-Guo as faculty organizer of Anti-Asian Racism & Covid-19 webinar 2020

                                                             

RESEARCH  SPECIALTIES

Human Geography/Nature and Society

Urban & Economic Geography

Poverty, Inequality, & Social and Environmental Justice

Slums, Housing,  & Migrants

Urbanization & Environment

Land use, city-regions, & urban and regional governance

Waste Geographies

Urban Resilience

Mixed, Quantitative, Qualitative, & Creative Research Methods

China & Globalization

Global South, Asia-Pacific, & Emerging Countries

Geography and DEIJ

Asian/Asian American Geographies

Guo Chen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Geography & Global Urban Studies

Michigan State University

Ph.D., Geography, Pennsylvania State University

M.S. & B.S., Nanjing University


Teaching for engaged learning is integral to my scholarship. Critical engagement with simulation games, documentaries, and various types of visuals has been extensively used in my courses. Students have created remarkable works including posters with maps, infographics, and photo documentaries, some of which are showcased on respective course websites.  Students in my Honors Research Seminar have won awards for their research projects.


Courses at MSU

GEO813: Seminar in Urban and Economic Geography (Rated 1.0 Highest Score; 1 strongly agree)

GUSP/GEO817: China and Globalization (Rated 1.0 Highest Score)

UGS 200H: Honors Research Seminar on Global Slums, Migration, and Inequality

GEO492: Geographic Research Problems: Inequality and Poverty

GEO480: Geography Senior Seminar: History, Philosophy and Methodology in Geography (Rated 1.5)

GEO413: Urban Geography 

GEO337: Geography of Asia-Pacific (Rated 1.2 High Score; Asian Studies Minor Exit Course & APA Studies Minor Course)

GEO113: Introduction to Economic Geography (Small, Large, & Honors; Rated 1.5)

ISS315: Global Diversity and Interdependence (Small & Honors, Rated 1.3 High Score)

ISS310: People and Environment        ISS320: World Urban Systems

Taught Economic Geography and Global Economy as graduate instructor



2021&2022

“Overall I really enjoyed the course…”

“Professor Chen was one of my favorite professors this year. She was so accommodating and always worked with her students to make sure they can participate and be a part of the class.”

“I have really enjoyed the readings and I find the contents really interesting!”

“I loved this professor and class, she did an amazing job communicating outside of class, presenting engaging material, and enjoyed the assignments for this class. I could tell she was really passionate about the topic which made it overall a better experience than other classes!”

“The information and topics presented were incredibly well done and easy to follow…”

“Professor Chen, Thank you for the additional resources for researching more about disability…”

“Thanks for the great semester! I had a lot of fun and I felt you taught a valuable course for me personally… the classes… were very nice…I wanted to say thanks for all you’ve done.” 

“Great class!”

“Thank you very much…for highlighting the theme of groups (rural, indigenous, and the poor) being left out in modernization in so many Asia Pacific countries (while also discussing the changing socio-economic and environmental geographies)…it’s both sad and fascinating to learn…thank you!” 

“Overall, I enjoyed the course and felt the lessons were valuable.”

“I loved Dr. Chen. She is a great professor and wants all of us to succeed.”

“Was very accommodating and presented her content in a very meaningful way.”

“The professor for this class was great, and it was a pleasure to learn from her this semester.”

“The professor was very knowledgeable about all of the topics and always had very detailed and in-depth presentations.”