Chien-fei Chen, Ph.D.
Professor
Director of Greater Resilience, Innovation & Transformation (GRIT) Lab
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminal Justice
College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences
Clemson University
Key Highlights
- • Energy and environmental justice expert
- • Over $10 million in grants as PI/Co-PI
- • 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. and U.K. Global Scholar Awards
- • Top 2% Most-Cited Scientist - 2025
About
Dr. Chien-fei Chen is a Professor of Sociology at Clemson University. She previously served as the Energy and Environmental Director at the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and as the Director of Education, Diversity, and Inclusion at the NSF-DOE Center for Ultra-Wide-Area Resilient Electrical Energy Transmission Networks (CURENT), University of Tennessee.
Dr. Chen's research focuses on environmental sociology, climate change, energy and environmental justice, social determinants of health, renewable energy technology adoption, and community engagement. Her current research aims to integrate social and technological aspects to improve grid and community resilience, building efficiency, sustainability, and energy affordability. Her work provides valuable insights for academics, communities, utilities, and policymakers.
Dr. Chen is widely published in interdisciplinary journals across social science, policy and engineering disciplines, including Building and Environment, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Environmental Sociology, Energy, Energy and Buildings, Energy Policy, Journal of Environmental Psychology, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, and Electric Power Systems Research.
Actively involved in several international and interdisciplinary networks, Dr. Chen has secured over $10 million in grants as either a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator from the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Wellcome Trust, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. She was also honored with the 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. and U.K. Global Scholar Awards for her work in energy and environmental issues.
Dr. Chien-fei Chen serves as Director of the Greater Resilience, Innovation & Transformation (GRIT) Lab and Professor of Sociology at Clemson University. Her interdisciplinary research program uniquely bridges social science, environmental health, and energy transitions, positioning her as a leading voice in the scholarship of equitable and sustainable energy systems.
Dr. Chen's scholarly contributions appear in top-tier interdisciplinary journals including Building and Environment, Energy Policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Environmental Science & Technology, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Energy and Buildings, PNAS Nexus, and iScience. Her work consistently demonstrates how social dimensions—perception, behavior, equity, and community capacity—shape energy system outcomes and policy effectiveness.
Affiliation
Clemson University
Role in Empower Health
Principal Investigator
Selected Research Contributions
Analysis of electric power reliability, energy burden, and climate change beliefs across the United States, revealing critical intersections between infrastructure resilience and public attitudes
Examination of equity implications of pecuniary externalities in electric grid systems, published in PNAS Nexus, advancing understanding of how energy market dynamics affect vulnerable communities
Investigation of intersectionality in residential solar adoption, demonstrating how race, income, and geography interact to shape clean energy access
Research on public attitudes toward climate policy and energy transitions, informing evidence-based approaches to policy design and community engagement
Forthcoming work in iScience on mobile microgrids, outage risk perception, and community resilience, expanding the frontier of distributed energy research
Groundbreaking 2024 iScience publication examining intersections of energy insecurity and digital inequality, highlighting compounding vulnerabilities in underserved communities
Leadership & Research Impact
As Director of the GRIT Lab, Dr. Chen leads a dynamic research program that has secured over $10 million in interdisciplinary research funding from prestigious sources including the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Wellcome Trust, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Her scholarship consistently bridges academic inquiry and real-world impact, informing energy policy, infrastructure planning, and community resilience initiatives. Dr. Chen's work exemplifies how rigorous social science research can advance both scientific understanding and equitable outcomes—ensuring that the benefits of energy transitions reach all communities, particularly those historically marginalized or underserved.