Chun Chih Chen, PhD, MEd

About me

I am a learning and organizational development professional specializing in leadership development and organizational change. As an Online Instructional Designer and Learning Specialist at the University of Waterloo, I partner with senior leaders to design and facilitate strategic learning experiences that build critical leadership capabilities—from emotional intelligence and team effectiveness to systems thinking and change management.

My work spans needs assessment, blended learning design, leadership facilitation, LMS optimization, and program evaluation. Currently pursuing my Executive Coaching Certificate from Rotman School of Management, I integrate coaching approaches into leadership development, helping individuals and teams navigate organizational complexity. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Online Learning Consortium (eCampusOntario), shaping digital learning strategy across Ontario's postsecondary system.

Passionate about accessibility and inclusion, I ensure all learning experiences meet WCAG and AODA standards and honor diverse ways of knowing. My unique background—combining advanced degrees in Education (MEd, OISE) and Biology (PhD, York University)—enables me to approach organizational challenges through multiple lenses, applying systems thinking and scientific rigor to design innovative, evidence-based solutions that drive lasting change.

Experience

Online Instructional Designer and Learning Specialist

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario

Board of Directors, eCampusOntario

Ontario Online Learning Consortium (OOLC), Toronto, Ontario

Instructional Digital Media Developer

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario

Curriculum Designer

Herzing College, Toronto, Ontario

Licenses & Certifications

Executive and Leadership Development

• Executive Coaching Certificate | Rotman School of Management

• Hogan Assessments Certification

• EQ-i 2.0 + EQ 360 Certification Program (MHS)

• Develop EQ – The Emotional Intelligence Training Co. (EITC)

• Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue

Process Improvement and Organizational Effectiveness

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | The Council for Six Sigma Certification (CSSC)

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt | McGill University

• Building a Lean and Agile Organization | McGill University

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Four Seasons of Reconciliation Special Campaign 2022 | Reconciliation Education Courses

• Indigenous Canada | Coursera Course Certificates

Program Design and Facilitation Experience

Leading with Emotional Intelligence (Leadership Development Program)

Emotional Intelligence Fundamentals

Emotional Intelligence at Work

Innovating with AI on Campus

Discovering Your Purpose - An Ikigai Workshop

Exploring Further Education

The Science of Strengths: A VIA Discovery Workshop

Select Publications and Presentations

Chen CC (2025, December 4) Beyond the Workshop: Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning in Higher Education. Presentation at the University of Waterloo WatITis Conference, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON.

Chen CC, Lithgow K (2025, November 19) PebblePad in Practice: Designing Workbooks for Staff Learning & Leadership Development. Invited online presentation for the PebblePad Coast-to-Coast meeting.

Chen CC, Fedy J (2024, May 1 – 2) Revitalizing Staff Learning: Maximizing Engagement through Online Learning Communities. Presentation at the University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON.

Chen CC (2024, April 10 – 11) Unlocking Professional Development and Growth with Online Learning. Workshop presentation at the Waterloo Staff Conference, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON.

Chen CC, Zaza C (2024, April 10 – 11) Quick and Easy Wins for Everyday Accessibility. Workshop presentation at the Waterloo Staff Conference, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON.

Chen CC, Beall J (2024, January 19) Supporting Staff Learning with LinkedIn Learning. Special workshop presentation with the IT Professional Development Advisory Group at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON.

Chen CC, Wilkie MP, Kelly SP (2023, July 4 – 7) Development of a Primary Cultured Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Gill Epithelium. Presentation at The Society of Experimental Biology Centenary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Chen CC, Sunga J, Wilkie MP, Kelly SP (2023, July 4 – 7) Peri-metamorphic tight junction-associated gene expression patterns in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) gill. Presentation at The Society of Experimental Biology Centenary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Chen CC, Shanbhag G and Fedy J (2022, May 26) Supporting the call back to campus: Transforming the way we learn to lead and work in hybrid teams. Presentation at the Continuous Improvement Showcase in Waterloo, ON.

Chen CC, Marshall WS, Robertson GN, Cozzi RRF and Kelly SP (2021) Mummichog gill and operculum exhibit functionally consistent claudin-10 paralog profiles and Claudin-10c hypersaline response. Biology Open 10 (7): bio058868.

Nadeem A, Nasiri A, Pishrow R, Wondwossen H, Chen CC (2021, March 19) A Climate Approach to Understanding Seasonal Temperature Variations as a Factor of COVID-19 Transmissions in Canada. Presented at the Incidium STEM Conference at York University, Toronto, ON.

Chen CC (2020, February 25) Reptiles – Curious facts about these cold-blooded organisms among us. Invited talk with the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science at the Princess Margaret Centre for Research, Toronto, ON.

Nogueira LS, Chen CC, Wood CM and Kelly SP (2020) Effects of copper on a reconstructed freshwater rainbow trout gill epithelium: Paracellular and intracellular aspects. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C 230: 108705.

Nowghani F, Chen CC, Jonusaite S, Watson-Leung T, Kelly SP, Donini A (2019) Impact of salt-contaminated freshwater on osmoregulation and tracheal gill function in nymphs of the mayfly Hexagenia rigida. Aquatic Toxicology 211:92-104.

Chen CC, Wilkie MP, Kelly SP (2018, October 25 – 28) Development and Characterization of a Primary Cultured Model of the Larval Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Gills. Presentation at the American Physiological Society Intersociety Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

Marshall WS, Breves JP, Tipsmark CK, Kelly SP, Chen CC, Robertson GN, Doohan EM and Shulte PM (2018, July 3 - 6) Claudin-10 paralog expression responds to salinity in cation-selective junctions of salt-secreting epithelia of killifish. Presented at the Society of Experimental Biology, Florence, Italy.

Nogueira LS, Chen CC, Wood CM and Kelly SP (2016, November 10 - 11) Effects of copper on primary culture of a rainbow trout gill epithelium (DSI system): intracellular and paracellular aspects. Presented at the 7th SETAC World Congress/SETAC North America 37th Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.

Chen CC, Kolosov D and Kelly SP (2016) The liquorice root derivative glycyrrhetinic acid can ameliorate ionoregulatory disturbance in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) abruptly exposed to ion-poor water. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A - Molecular & Integrative Physiology 199: 120-129.

Chen CC, Kolosov D and Kelly SP (2015) Effect of liquorice root derivatives on salt and water balance in a teleost fish, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A - Molecular & Integrative Physiology 180: 86-97.

Chen CC, Kolosov D, Kelly SP (2013, May 13 – 17) Licorice root derivatives glycyrrhizic acid and glycerrhetinic acid as adaptogens in teleost fish hyperosmoregulation. Presentation at the Canadian Society of Zoologists annual conference in Guelph, ON.