Wei-Lin Chen
Portrait of Wei-Lin Chen

Sociology of Education · Youth · Inequality

Wei-Lin Chen, PhD

陳威霖

Associate Professor, Center for Teacher Education & Institute of Education
National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

I study how social inequality shapes education and health across the transition to adulthood — from adverse childhood experiences and family dynamics to college pathways, sleep, and mental health — in the United States, Taiwan, and other Asian societies.

  • Social Inequality
  • Sociology of Education
  • Transition to Adulthood
  • Education & Health Inequality
  • Family & Youth in the U.S.
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26Publications
23SSCI / SCIE articles
6NSTC / MOST grants
3Editorial roles
01

Research

Two connected programs

United States & Comparative

Education & Health Inequality among Youth

How adverse childhood experiences, school and college environments, and fields of study shape emerging adults' education, employment, sleep, substance use, and mental health — including STEM persistence among disadvantaged students and cross-national comparisons using PISA.

  • Adverse childhood experiences
  • College & STEM pathways
  • Sleep & health
  • Cross-national
Asian Societies

Inequality in Education & Health

Family processes, educational pathways, and well-being in Taiwan and South Korea; Indigenous students' experiences of racial microaggressions; and determinants of Indigenous health and health disparities in Taiwan.

  • Family & well-being
  • Indigenous students
  • Microaggressions
  • Taiwan & Korea
02

Publications

Peer-reviewed articles & reports

03

Grants

Principal Investigator

Youth inequality in the U.S. · 人口、家庭與社區學門

Not just entry and graduation: Mapping the dynamic major persistence and switching to reveal the STEM degree attainment process for disadvantaged students 2026–2028 NSTC 115-2628-H-110-002-MY2 ★ Outstanding Young Scholar Grant（優秀年輕學者研究計畫）
Adverse childhood experiences and educational and social flourishing in emerging adulthood: Exploring the moderation effects of purpose in life and self-esteem 2024–2026 NSTC 113-2410-H-110-040-MY2

Inequality in Asian societies · 社會組織與階層學門、原住民族發展研究學門

Microaggressions in Indigenous programs and curriculum materials and the risks of generative AI application 2026–2027 NSTC 115-2420-H-110-005
Microaggressions in learning environment: Indigenous undergraduate students' experiences 2023–2024 NSTC 112-2420-H-110-006, NSTC 113-2420-H-110-012
First-year experience and mental health among Indigenous college students 2021 MOST 110-2420-H-110-001
Does attending different types of university make a difference? Investigating the effects and mechanisms of the role of institutional types on students' healthy development 2020–2021 MOST 109-2410-H-110-002-MY2
04

Experience

Appointments & education

Appointments

  • 2025 – PRESENTAffiliateCenter for Research on Undergraduate Education (CRUE), University of Iowa
  • 2023 – PRESENTAssociate ProfessorCenter for Teacher Education; Institute of Education (joint), National Sun Yat-sen University
  • 2019 – 2023Assistant ProfessorCenter for Teacher Education; Institute of Education (joint), National Sun Yat-sen University
  • 2018 – 2019Postdoctoral Research AssociateInstitute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation, Montclair State University
  • 2017 – 2018Research SpecialistOffice of Research and Policy Analysis, Maryland Higher Education Commission
  • 2016 – 2017Graduate Research AssociateCenter for Policy Research and Strategy, American Council on Education

Education

  • 2011 – 2017Ph.D., Educational Policy and Leadership StudiesThe University of Iowa (Sociology of Education track)
05

Honors

Awards & visiting positions

2026
Prominent Faculty – Academic Research AwardNational Sun Yat-sen University（國立中山大學115學年度學術研究績優教師）
2026
Summer Visiting ScholarDepartment of Sociology, National University of Singapore
2024
Visiting ScholarInstitute of Sociology, Academia Sinica
2022
EUROLAB Grant at GESIS (€2,900)Family environment and well-being: A longitudinal study of immigrant adolescents in four European countries
2021
Summer Visiting ScholarResearch Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology
2020
Junior Scholars Mentor ProgramMentor: Chyi-In Wu, Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica
2016
College of Education Graduate Student Research AwardUniversity of Iowa
2016
Graduate College Summer FellowshipUniversity of Iowa
2015
Best Paper in International Studies of EducationAmerican Educational Research Association (AERA)
2014
Franklin Stone International Student AwardUniversity of Iowa
2010
Best Thesis AwardProfessor Pei-lin Tien Memorial Scholarship
06

Service

Editorial & professional

Editorial

2026 – PRESENTAssistant EditorEmerging Adulthood
2025 – PRESENTConsulting EditorJournal of Research on Adolescence
2026 – 2027Review Team, LSR PathwaySociety for Research in Child Development

Ad-hoc reviewer

  • Social Science Research
  • Population Research and Policy Review
  • Journal of Youth and Adolescence
  • Journal of Diversity in Higher Education
  • Adolescent Research Review
  • Journal of Migration and Health
  • Journal of Homosexuality

Memberships

  • International Sociological Association
  • Taiwan Population Association
  • Society for Research in Child Development
  • Society for Research on Adolescence
  • Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood
  • American Educational Research Association
07

Contact

Get in touch

Center for Teacher Education, National Sun Yat-sen University
No. 70 Lien-hai Road, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan

✉ chenw@mail.nsysu.edu.tw