Evelyn Chen

Evelyn Chen was a Lab Manager and Research Assistant on the Causal Learning Projects. She was involved in studies that investigate how K-6 students perceive causes and its effects that are temporally delayed or spatially distant, and how students interpret system-level emergent outcomes that differ from simple individual-level interactions. Furthermore, Evelyn assisted in the RECAST Project, analyzing the remaining student and teacher data from curricula activities that aim to help students restructure their understanding of cause and effect relationships.

Evelyn earned a Master of Education at HGSE with a concentration in Mind, Brain, and Education, and she joined the lab in an effort to further improve science education through the lens of cognitive science. Prior to this, she earned her B.A. in Biological Sciences from Mount Holyoke College and served as a high school chemistry teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. This work spurred her interest in how students develop complex scientific concepts and how educators can best support these cognitive processes. 

After leaving the lab, Evelyn returned to the classroom, teaching high school biology at Taipei American School where she frequently discussed science education through the lens of cognitive science with fellow colleagues. She completed her doctorate at Vanderbilt.