Chien-fei
Professor of Sociology
Dr. Chien-fei Chen is a Professor of Sociology at Clemson University. Her research focuses on environmental sociology, climate change, energy affordability and related environmental stressors, social determinants of health, technology adoption, and community engagement. She integrates social and technological perspectives to advance sustainability, strengthen infrastructure and community resilience, and improve energy efficiency and affordability. Her work provides actionable insights for academics, communities, utilities, and policymakers.
Dr. Chen is widely published in interdisciplinary journals and is actively engaged in several international, cross-sector networks spanning public and private sectors. She has secured more than $10 million in research funding and was honored with the 2019–2020 Fulbright U.S.–U.K. Global Scholar Award for her cross-country work on energy and environmental issues.
This direction aims to advance energy transitions and environmental protections by informing policy frameworks that address energy affordability, extreme weather exposure, and environmental impacts. Ensuring that the public have access to resources, participation, and benefits within environmental governance.
This direction aims to build holistic resilience across social systems, climate risk, and critical infrastructure by enhancing community adaptability, strengthening grid reliability, and improving disaster readiness through integrated planning and innovation.
This direction seeks to bridge society, infrastructure, and technology to strengthen urban and regional responses to social, environmental, and energy stressors, translating convergent insights into adaptive and effective designs and governance.
This direction explores how motivations, perceptions, norms, and lived experiences shape energy use and technology adoption, informing policies and interventions that foster durable, user-centered, and pro-environmental behaviors.
This direction promotes ethical, transparent, and equitable use of data and AI to advance socially responsible research, reducing data bias and expanding public access to trustworthy, decision-relevant insights.
This direction develops participatory models and behavioral strategies that strengthen social cohesion, empower communities in decision-making, and catalyze long-term engagement and transformative change.
Latest Updates
Recent developments from the GRIT Lab
Third U.S.—JAPAN Clean Energy Workshop
International collaboration on clean energy and decarbonization strategies.
New NSF Grant Awarded
Community-centered microgrid deployment for energy justice research.
Energy Justice Publication
Latest research on machine learning bias in energy systems published.