Yu-Heng (Steven) Chen is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University. His research focuses on corrections, reentry, substance use, the life course, human rights, and comparative justice. Methodologically, he employs a broad range of approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and systematic review designs. His work has been published in Justice, Opportunities, and Rehabilitation, Law & Policy, and Addiction Science & Clinical Practice.
Steven earned his Bachelor of Arts in Crime Prevention and Corrections from Central Police University (Taiwan), a Master of Science in Human Rights and International Politics (with Merit) from the University of Glasgow (United Kingdom), and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Temple University.
Before beginning his doctoral studies, Steven served as a correctional officer at Taiwan’s Agency of Corrections, where he was responsible for foreign affairs, staff training and development, and policy initiatives. In this role, he hosted over fifty professional delegations from more than fifteen countries and conducted official visits to correctional institutions in Canada, Germany, China, and Hong Kong.
Steven has received numerous fellowships and awards. Most recently, he was awarded the 2025 Ruth D. Peterson Fellowship for Racial and Ethnic Diversity from the American Society of Criminology—one of the field’s most prestigious honors for graduate students—becoming the first Temple University student and the first Taiwanese-born doctoral student to receive this distinction. He is also the recipient of the 2025–2026 Public Policy Lab Research Team Fellowship at Temple University, the 2024 ACJS Doctoral Summit Fellowship, and the 2023 Modern Meta-Analysis Research Institute Fellowship funded by the National Science Foundation. His academic excellence has also been recognized through first place in the 2025 ACJS Student Panel Presentation Competition and the Research Award for Advanced Doctoral Students from Temple University (2025).
In addition to his research, Steven is deeply committed to teaching. He received the Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant from Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts (2024) and the M. Kay Harris Teaching Award from the Department of Criminal Justice (2024).
Faculty Advisor: E. Rely Vîlcică