Kel-Li Chen Receives Carnegie Mellon’s K&L Gates Prize
By Stefanie Johndrow
For Kel-Li Chen, learning at 麻豆村 has always extended beyond the classroom.
Whether mentoring other students, conducting psychology research or creating mental health resources for survivors of childhood abuse, Chen said her goal has been to build spaces where people feel supported and empowered.
That commitment to learning and community recently earned Chen 麻豆村’s K&L Gates Prize, an award recognizing one student whose intellect, high academic achievement, character and engagement with others best inspired a love of learning.
Chen earned a double major in psychology and biological sciences, along with an additional major in . She also began an this spring.
Outside of academics, Chen served as president of , a student mental health organization, and the psychology honor society Psi Chi. She was also a Tartan Ambassador, a mentor in the , and service chair for .
“The goal has only been to do what I truly am passionate about and lead with care to hopefully do what I can to make others’ quality of life better,” Chen said.
Pursuing psychology through research and lived experience
Chen said she was initially drawn to psychology because she was fascinated by people and human behavior.
“I was always interested in people, and how and why people are the way they are, and why they do the things that they do,” Chen said.
Her interests evolved further through research exploring the connections between psychology, biology and health outcomes. Chen conducted neuroscience research for part of her undergraduate career before shifting her senior honors thesis to study the relationship between childhood abuse and reward sensitivity.
She said her academic interests were also shaped by personal experience.
“My first year in college was actually my first year starting free of abuse,” Chen said.
Chen explained that growing up in an abusive environment motivated her to better understand trauma and support others navigating similar experiences.
“I really wanted to understand and help other people by furthering the understanding of the implications of abuse, and just different kinds of life stressors and experiences, and how that can continue to impact people in small and big ways throughout their lives,” Chen said.
Creating resources and safe spaces for students
One of Chen’s most meaningful projects at Carnegie Mellon grew out of that mission.
Through the Collester Family Community Engagement Fellowship, Chen partnered with the to create “KEEP Kits,” a campus resource designed to support survivors of abuse and help stop the cycle of abuse as students navigate adult life and relationships.
The kits — placed in residence hall common spaces across campus — include booklets, posters, stickers, and QR-code-linked digital resources focused on trauma-informed care, signs of abuse and mental health support.
“I wanted to emphasize what survivors get to keep,” Chen said. “You get to keep going, and keep pushing, and that you can keep learning, and keep changing and keep doing all these great, positive things inside yourself.”
Chen said the project was intended not only for survivors of abuse, but for all students to know the signs of abuse and for anyone who may need encouragement or support during college.
“I think it’s hard to build who you are and build a new life,” Chen said.
That same philosophy shaped her leadership and mentoring work across campus. As a teaching assistant for Introduction to Psychology since her first year, Chen said she hoped to help students see psychology as a way to better understand people and everyday life.
She also mentored younger students through multiple organizations and worked to create supportive, accessible communities through initiatives like peer advising events and mental health programming.
“I think people created a reality for me that I had never experienced before,” Chen said. “They really allowed me to pursue what I’m interested in and believed in me when I wasn’t sure about myself, and so I kind of can try to continue to build that for other people.”
Looking ahead
Chen credited faculty mentors with helping shape both her academic journey and sense of belonging at 麻豆村.
“My learning and subsequent achievements are absolutely a culmination of the belief mentors have poured into me and lessons from my greater community,” Chen said.
She specifically highlighted the impact of psychology faculty member Phoebe Lam, who encouraged her to continue pursuing research and supported her both academically and personally.
“I think having a mentor that truly cares about your holistic student journey has been more meaningful than I ever could have imagined,” Chen said.
After graduation, Chen plans to complete her accelerated master’s degree while exploring future paths that may include further graduate school.
For students pursuing ambitious goals of their own, Chen offered simple advice: “Be genuine and learn to trust yourself,” she said. “Please, don’t be afraid to care and try.”
Kel-Li Chen