Jian (Lily) Chen is a nationally Certified Nurse Educator, passionate community organizer, mental health advocate, and mental health disparity researcher. She started her community work in the Chicago Chinese Community more than a decade ago, promoting public health especially in the underserved communities. She successfully coordinated multiple national and local programs including the UCA Youth Mental Health Collaborative WAVES (Wellness, Advocacy, Voices, Education, Support) since 2016 to promote Mental Health in AAPI communities.

Chen served on steering committees of the 2016, 2018, and 2022 National Chinese American Conventions in her capacity as the former Executive Director of UCA, founding President of UCA Illinois Chapter, and Convention Director.

She is a Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Clinical Scholar fellow, Project Director for Mental Health First Aid Training in Chinese Americans (MHFA – CA) funded by Service Administration of Mental Health and Substance Abuse(SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services.

Chen currently teaches at North Carolina Central University Department of Nursing, directs the UCA WAVES program, and is a PhD student in Nursing at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. 

She also serves as the Vice Chair of the Senior Advisory Board for the town of Cary, and as a member of the Health and Human Service Board of Wake County, North Carolina. Chen is married with five wonderful adult children and a beautiful granddaughter.