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

Selected Grants, Honors, Awards, and Distinctions  (* competition)

2023–2024

Elected At-Large Member, MSU Steering Committee, 2024–2026

MSU Outstanding Women of Color Award – Trailblazer Award, Women of Color Community Committee, MSU, 2024

MSU GenCen Inspiration Award – Professional Achievement Award, Center for Gender in Global Context, MSU, 2023

Elected Representative /Senator for College of Social Science, MSU Faculty Senate /University Council, 2023–2025

Finalist, Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award (EDEIA), Michigan State University, 2023

Nominee of Undergraduate Research Mentors of the Year Award (nominated by undergraduate researchers and selected by undergraduate research ambassadors), MSU Undergraduate Research Office, 2023

Selected Candidate for Election, Steering Committee, MSU Faculty Senate/University Council, 2023

2022

Nominee & Selected Candidate for Election, National Councilor, American Association of Geographers (AAG), 2022–23

University Lilly Fellow, MSU, 2022–23*

2020–2021

Asian Studies Dr. Delia Koo Global Faculty Endowment Awards, MSU, 2020, 2021*

Honors College Undergraduate Research Seminar Grant Award, MSU, 2021*

American Association of Geographers–China Geography Specialty Group Outstanding Service Award, 2020

2014–2019

The Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowship Award, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center), Washington DC, 2017-18*

MSU Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP)-Production Award, 2017-19 (PI)*

MSU Discretionary Funding Initiative Award, ““Documenting the Fairness Geography: Poverty, Inequality, and Socio-Environmental Justice in China’s Mega-Cities and Underdeveloped Areas,” 2015–17 (PI)*

The National Geographic Society (NGS) Research and Exploration Grant, “The 'Hidden' Geography of Slums: A Geographic and Visual Exploration,” National Geographic Society, 2014–16 (PI)*

2008–2013

The National Science Foundation (NSF)–DDRI Grant, “China’s Emerging Slums During Urban Expansion,” 2012–13 (PI)*

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Grant, “Spatial Planning and Region-Building Research based on Competitive Regionalism: The Case of Yangtze River Delta,” 2011-13 (Co-PI)*

MSU College of Social Science –Integrative Studies in Social Science (ISS) Teaching Excellence Award, MSU, 2010

MSU CASID International Development Grant Program (IDGP), “Urban Expansion and Inequality in China,” MSU, 2010–11 (PI)*

MSU Intramural Research Grants Program (IRGP)-New Faculty Grant, “Urban Expansion and Inequalities: Cases of Emerging City-regions in Coastal China,” MSU, 2008-11 (PI)*

Selected earlier awards

American Association of Geographers–Economic Geography Specialty Group Best Graduate Student Paper Abstract/Travel Award (for Global Conference on Economic Geography)*

UCRN Small Grant Award & Travel Grant, “A Case Study of Urban Low-Income Households and Migrant Households in Nanjing City, China,” Mellon Foundation-funded Urban China Research Network (PI)*

E. Willard Miller Award (First Place in Ph.D. Paper Competition), Penn State University*

Ronald F. Abler Award in Geography; Erickson Academic Enrichment Award; and many other awards, Department of Geography, Penn State University

University Graduate Fellowship Award, Penn State University

Anne C. Wilson College Graduate Research Award, Penn State University

Top-of-Class Honor, Laurence J.C. Ma Scholarship in Urban Geography & many other prestigious scholarship awards and undergrad and graduate thesis awards, NJU*