Huapei Chen joined Berea College as the new chief information officer September 1, 2015. In announcing her appointment, Berea College President Lyle Roelofs said, “Huapei brings with her a depth of leadership experience, most recently as the chief information officer at the University of Nevada, Reno.” Roelofs added that Chen will also serve on the Administrative Committee of the College. “Throughout her career, Huapei has focused on creating strong partnerships within campus communities by enabling the institutions she has served to improve and enhance their technological infrastructure.”
Chen stated that “being able to serve as the CIO is my passion, a meaningful path that allows me to enable others, especially those who are underserved, like I was years ago. It is truly my honor and privilege to be a part of the Berea community and its greater cause. ”
Berea’s great aspirations inspire her. “There is a lot of potential for Berea in shaping the future of higher education and not just for our region. It also inspires and gives me a chance to make an impact in a profession to which I have devoted more than 30 years of my life.”
Calling herself “a perpetual learner,” she loves to experience the variety that the United States has to offer, with Kentucky being the tenth state in which she has lived. “In my various jobs, I have had the opportunity to partner with extraordinary teams. All these enrich my life greatly, in many ways.”
Before serving as CIO at the University of Nevada, Reno, Chen was employed as senior director of systems, services, and infrastructure at the University of Texas, Austin; director of architecture and infrastructure at the Georgia Institute of Technology; and director of information technology for the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from SUNY Albany. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Management of Technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Chen said her greatest therapeutic hobby outside of work is playing tennis. “I am a singles player so I meditate on the court and strategize on how to whack the ball as hard as I can.” She added, “However, as I get older, my body tends to not play ball with my brain!”
Finding great satisfaction in her work, Chen said, “So far I have been able to say, at the end of each day that I have truly done my best, and that Berea College is stronger and better because of these efforts. I hope to continue that.”
