Bio


Helen L. Chen is a research scientist in the Designing Education Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. She holds an undergraduate degree in communication from UCLA and a PhD in communication with a minor in psychology from Stanford. Helen is a board member for the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL) and is a co-author of Documenting Learning with ePortfolios: A Guide for College Instructors and co-executive editor of the International Journal of ePortfolio. She works closely with the Association of American Colleges and Universities and consults with institutions on general education redesign, authentic assessment approaches, design thinking, and personal branding and ePortfolios. Helen's current research and scholarship focus on engineering and entrepreneurship education; the pedagogy of portfolios and reflective practice in higher education; and redesigning how learning is recorded and recognized in traditional transcripts and academic credentials.

Academic Appointments


  • Social Science Research Scholar, Mechanical Engineering

Professional Education


  • PhD, Stanford University, Communication with a minor in Psychology (1998)
  • BA, University of California, Los Angeles, Communication (1993)