Yanran Chen

Yanran Chen is a graduate associate at Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence. Currently pursuing her Ph.D. in psychology at Notre Dame, she earned dual B.A. degrees in English and economics from Tsinghua University and an M.A. in public administration from Cornell University. After completing her graduate studies at Cornell, she worked as a research assistant at the International Food Policy Research Institute, where she led field surveys and managed collaborative projects with international agencies on agricultural development.

At Notre Dame, Yanran’s research centers on psycholinguistics, particularly bilingualism and how native language affects second-language use. She has also served as a teaching assistant for multiple courses in the Department of Psychology. Beyond her academic pursuits, she has extensive experience in tutoring and has volunteered as a teacher at a local school, introducing elementary students to Chinese language and culture.

Yanran’s pedagogical interests include interactive learning strategies and inclusive teaching practices, especially for language-minority students. She is also passionate about integrating modern technologies into education to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.