MILTON
CHEN
PERSONAL DATA
Office Address: The George Lucas Educational Foundation
P. O. Box 3494 (415) 444-8902, fax (415) 507-0499 E-mail: mchen@glef.org
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Stanford University, Ph.D. Communication,
1986 Dissertation: Gender Differences in Adolescents' Uses Of and Attitudes Towards Computers
Stanford University, M. A. Communication,
1983
Harvard Law School Harvard Graduate
National Scholar,1975-76
Harvard College, A. B. Social Studies, magna
cum laude, 1974
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
1998-current Executive Director, The George Lucas Educational
Foundation, San Rafael, CA
Directs Foundation's development and distribution of
Web-based multi
using technology, including a documentary and book kit
(Learn & Live), newsletters and web site (glef.org).
Documentary distributed through PBS and cable channels.
Serves as spokesman and thought leader for Foundation's
activities, reporting to its Board of Directors.
1991-1997 Center Director, KQED Center for Education & Lifelong
Learning, San Francisco, CA
Directed PBS station KQED’s educational services,
including the largest instructional television (ITV) service
in the nation, providing broadcast and satellite access to
more than 100 educational TV series. KQED's Family
Services provided training and materials for child care
providers and parents. Raised annual support (approx. $1
million) from government, foundations, corporations.
1987-1991 Director of Instructional Television (ITV), KQED-San
Francisco, CA
Managed instructional TV service carried on KQED-San
Francisco, KVIE-Sacramento, and KVPT-Fresno to 3,000
schools, 80,000 teachers, and 1.7 million students.
Supervised Vacation Video project, summer children's TV
programming and magazine sent to over 100,000 children
through Bay Area public libraries.
1985-1987 Assistant Professor, Harvard Graduate School of
Education, Cambridge, MA
Taught and conducted research on educational television
and computing. Served on educational technology,
admissions committees.
1980-1987 Consultant,
Children's Television Workshop, New York, NY
Advised program design and conducted audience research
for 3-2-1 Contact and Square One TV, PBS children's
series on science and mathematics.
1980-1984 Graduate Teaching & Research Assistant, Department of
Communication, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Conducted research on educational technologies in Bay
Area schools, communication technologies in Kentucky
agriculture, and diffusion of medical innovations. Taught
introductory course on mass media.
1984 Director of Research, Season III of 3-2-1 Contact,
Children's
Television Workshop (CTW), New York, NY
Directed audience research for 40 half-hour programs on
science and technology for 8- to 12-year-olds. Supervised
research design, data collection and analysis, and reporting
to project staff.
1983
Researcher, Joyce Hakansson Associates, Berkeley, CA
Conducted research for development of children's educational
software.
1982 Production Assistant and Translator, NBC special
Big Bird in China,
1982 Lecturer, Beijing Broadcasting Institute, People's
Republic of China
Taught course on educational television in the U. S. to
Chinese broadcasting students.
1977-1980 Director and Assistant Director of Research,
Children's Television Workshop
Managed extensive program of audience research in development
of a new PBS series on science and technology for 8- to
12-year-olds. Conducted over 40 studies with 10,000 children and
advised program design, scripting, editing, promotion, community
outreach.
1976-1977 Researcher, Sesame Street and Executive
Assistant to Vice President for Research, Children's
Television Workshop, New York, NY
Designed science curriculum for Sesame Street and
conducted research studies with preschoolers. Provided
administrative support for research department.
RELATED PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
ACTIVITIES
National
Advisory Board, Scholastic, Inc., 2000-2002
Academy
of Sciences, 2000-2002
of Education, 1998-2000 World Affairs Council, Board of Trustees, San Francisco, 1998-
current
Dean's Advisory Council, University of California, Davis,
1997-2000 Golden Gate National Park Association, Board of Trustees, 1994-
current Dean’s Advisory Council, University of California, Berkeley,
Extension,
1994-current Japan Prize Jury, International Educational TV Prize, NHK, Tokyo,
November, 1998 Spokesman,
PBS Smart Parents Campaign, 1997 Executive Editor & Co-host, "The Smart Parent's Guide to TV
Violence,"
PBS special, Fall 1996 International Jury, Children's TV, Hungarian Television, Budapest,
August,
1996 Visiting
Scholar, Kansas State University, March, 1996 Prix Jeunesse Jury, International Children’s TV Prize, Munich,
March, 1996 Stanford
Alumni Association, Board of Directors, 1994-1997 Advisory Committee, The Magic School Bus, Scholastic
Productions,
1992-1996 National Advisory Committee, Ghostwriter, Children’s TV
Workshop,
New York, 1991-current Advisory Panel, Office of Technology Assessment, U. S. Congress
(teachers and educational technology study), 1993 Advisory Committee, Council of Chief State School Officers,
Washington, DC (national educational telecommunications planning),
1993 Board
of Directors, San Francisco Bay Girl Scout Council, 1991-1995 Board of Directors, Arts, Research, and Curriculum Associates (ARC),
Oakland, CA (educational research firm specializing in language-
minority
students), 1988-1991 Proposal Reviewer, National Science Foundation, 1985-1996;
Corporation
for Public Broadcasting, 1988-1997 Book Reviewer, Los Angeles Times, 1986-1988 Editorial Reviewer, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,
1990, Child Development, 1986, Communication Yearbook, 1986,
Journal of Communication, 1985, 1987, Communication Research,
1985 Consultancies include St. Vincent College, Pennsylvania, proposed
Fred Rogers Center (2002); Discovery Channel (preschool TV
programming; 2002); South African National Department of
Education and South African Broadcasting Corporation (1993-1998);
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (educational TV on
entrepreneurship, 1998); Taiwan Public TV (1997); KNPB-Reno
(family literacy, 1997); Foundation for Advancements in Science
Education (commissioned paper on children's learning from
educational TV, 1996); Scholastic (educational cable channel, 1995);
Hughes Public Education Project (commissioned paper on
educational video; 1990); National Geographic Society (TV and
interactive videodisc, 1986-89); SRI International (study of National
Science Foundation education activities, 1986); University of
Vermont (smoking prevention for adolescents using mass media,
1984-86)
COURSES TAUGHT
Survey of Interactive Media, 1985, 1986 Designing & Evaluating Educational Television,
1986 Television and the Developing Child, 1986 Social Equity & the Media in Math, Science, &
Technology Education, 1987
HONORS & AWARDS
Internet Innovator, Marketing Opportunities in Business and
Entertainment
(MOBE), New York, 2002 Technology Leadership Award, Congressional Black Caucus,
Washington,
DC, 2001 Innovative Technology Award, National Educational Media Network,
Oakland, CA, 1998 Parents’ Choice, The Smart Parent’s Guide to Kids’ TV, Parents’
Choice
Foundation, 1995 Vacation Video: Elmo Award, Children’s TV Workshop, best
outreach campaign, 1991; PBS Advertising and Promotion Award,
1992 Best of the West Award, Pacific Mountain Network PBS organization
, for best teachers' materials promoting instructional television, 1988-
1992 Best Paper, Writing Competition on Instructional Video, Agency for
Instructional
Technology (AIT), 1987 Student Paper Award, Division of Psychology of Women, American
Psychological Association, 1986 Selected one of 100 young Americans for Anglo-American Leadership
Award, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins
University, 1985 Top Paper Award, Human Communication Technology, International
Communication Association, 1983 (with William Paisley) and 1985 Stanford Graduate Fellowship, 1980-81 Shaw Travelling Fellowship, Harvard University, 1974-75 Harvard National Scholarship, 1970-74
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS Books
Chen, M. & Armstrong, S. (Eds.) (2002). Edutopia: Success Stories for
Learning in the Digital Age. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Chen, M. (1994). The Smart Parent’s Guide to Kids’ TV. San Francisco:
KQED Books.
Chen, M. & Paisley, W. J. (Eds.) (1985). Children and microcomputers:
Research on the newest medium.
Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Book Chapters
Chen, M. (1994). Television and informal science education: Assessing
the state of research and evaluation. In V. Crane (Ed.), Informal Science
Learning. Dedham, MA: Research Communications
Ltd.
Chen, M. (1986). Gender differences in computer uses and attitudes of
adolescents. In M. McLaughlin (Ed.), Communication Yearbook 10.
Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Chen, M. (1985). A macrofocus on microcomputers: Eight utilization
and effects issues. In M. Chen & W.J. Paisley (Eds.), Children and
microcomputers: Research on the newest medium. Beverly Hills, CA:
Sage.
Chen, M., Lieberman, D., & Paisley, W. J. (1985). Microworlds of
research. In M. Chen & W. J. Paisley (Eds.), Children and
microcomputers: Research on the newest medium. Beverly Hills, CA:
Sage.
Chen, M. (1984). Computers in the lives of our children: Looking back
on a generation of television research. In R. E. Rice (Ed.), The new
media: Communication, research, and technology (pp. 269-286). Beverly
Hills, CA: Sage.
Paisley, W. J., & Chen, M. (1984). The Second Electronic Revolution:
The computer and children. In R. Bostrom (Ed.), Communication
Yearbook 8 (pp. 106-136). Beverly Hills,CA:
Sage.
Mielke, K. W., & Chen, M. (1983). Formative research for 3-2-1 Contact:
Methods and insights. In M. Howe (Ed.), Learning from television (pp.
31-55). London: Academic.
Journal
Articles
Chen, M. (2001, May). Seeking Edutopia. Education
Week.
Chen, M. (1994, April 27). South Africa’s fast forward: Beyond bullets,
building systems for learning. Education Week, 28.
television: A riposte.
Education Week, 32, 25.
Chen, M. (1989, Fall). Instructional television in California: Current |