Leap and the net will appear. Fortune favors the bold. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

They’re all old and tired adages, but adages only become old and tired when they’ve been proven true. Just ask criminal justice doctoral student Steven Chen. A first-generation international student, his journey from the Central Police University in his home country of Taiwan to a PhD program here at Temple has one consistent theme: Chen keeps betting on himself, and through hard work and perseverance, he keeps reaping the benefits. 

The American Society of Criminology (ASC) has just selected Chen as a recipient of the Ruth D. Peterson Fellowship for Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Since 1989, this fellowship has supported students of color, especially those from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the field, in entering criminology and criminal justice and helped facilitate their degree completion. Chen will be recognized in person at an award ceremony on November 12th, at the ASC’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Prior to Chen, the Peterson Fellowship had never been awarded to either a Temple or Taiwanese-born student, a fact he was well aware of before applying. “I reviewed the website and saw that no Temple PhD student or Taiwanese student had won before—could I really be the first one?” Chen recalls of the thought process ahead of his application. “It was super competitive, but my advisor reminded me: ‘Even if it’s only a 1% chance, if you don’t try it, there is zero chance.” Besides, steep odds had never slowed him down before. 

When Steven Chen’s academic career began at the Central Police University in Taiwan, it wasn’t exactly what he envisioned as his college experience, but it presented an opportunity for free tuition and a path toward a comfortable government career. 

“It wasn’t my top choice—it’s kind of like military training. You are not allowed to leave the campus outside of the weekend, and you lose a lot of freedom, but the tradeoff is a free college degree,” explains Chen. “Coming from a working-class family, I wouldn’t have been able to afford college otherwise.” 

After a summer internship at a prison reform school, his interests moved toward the fields of correction and prevention. He earned his Bachelor of Law, graduating at the top of his class, and began an eight-year career as a Corrections Officer in the Taiwanese prison system. Still, he had aspirations for a greater education. 

“I had a dream of what it would be like to live a normal college life on a normal college campus, with the freedom to do what you want to do,” says Chen. “I wanted to study abroad, but my English was not great yet.” 

While continuing his work in corrections, Chen hired an English tutor and buckled down. After four years, he passed the International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, academic proficiency exam. In 2015, he finally made it overseas, earning his Master’s in Human Rights and International Politics from the University of Glasgow. 

“At the time, European allies were putting pressure on Taiwan to improve human rights policies for prisoners,” says Chen. “I asked my director if I could take a one-year leave, go to the United Kingdom, get this knowledge, and try to contribute what I’ve learned once I’ve received my degree.” 

That is what he did. He returned to Taiwan and worked to improve human rights conditions and policies from within the Ministry of Defense. He was very proud of his work, but he kept thinking about how much he enjoyed his time in higher education. He didn’t want it to end quite yet. He took another swing, applying for and eventually receiving a prestigious government study abroad scholarship, only awarded to one applicant in each field. “I said to myself, ‘Why don’t I give it a try? If I get it, I’ll go.’”

This was the opportunity that brought Chen to Philadelphia and Temple University. Unfortunately, the year was 2020, and the COVID-19 outbreak had already begun locking down the country.

“An international student ban was coming, so I had one week to secure my visa, book my flight, find an apartment in Philly, and come to the US,” says Chen. “When I arrived at JFK, the airport was completely empty. It was like a ghost town. I’d heard so much about the JFK airport; I couldn’t imagine it would be like what I saw.” 

The first two years of Chen’s realized dream of attending grad school in America were spent largely in isolation, taking virtual courses and waiting out the virus protocols. Doubts began to creep in. His family at home didn’t completely understand why he would step away from such a secure career. Had he made the right decision?

It was difficult, but he stuck it out. He credits the support he’s found since coming to Temple. When he arrived in Philadelphia, a friend he met during his UK studies (who also happened to be a Temple undergrad alumna) drove him around to get the supplies and furniture he would need. As the world and campus began to open up, he is especially grateful for the support he received from the Criminal Justice Department, particularly from his advisor, E. Rely Vîlcică.

Chen is emphatic about Vîlcică’s encouragement and guiding hand in pursuing the various awards, fellowships and publications that now litter his resume, including the aforementioned Peterson award from ASC. He sees her as a role model in his own teaching endeavors.

“As a teaching assistant, I tell my students, whenever you need me, if you have a question or even a mental health crisis, I’m here for you,” says Chen. “I want to be a professor that makes students say, ‘If I have a question, I want to let him know. I want to get him involved.’” 

In 2024, Chen received the CLA Graduate Teaching Award. He was nominated by Professor Vîlcică.

As Chen approaches the completion of his PhD, he hopes to remain within the world of higher education. 

“I wish to continue in academia in the United States. I’ll keep my options open, but I really hope I can be involved with an R1 research institution like Temple University, because I enjoy doing research,” he says. “I don’t know what the future will be with all the current uncertainty, but I just try to control what I can control and do my best.”

Well, it’s worked so far.