Dr. Hong obtained her Ph.D. from Columbia University in Disability Studies. She also earned three masters in Instructional Practices for Diverse Learners, Leadership Policy & Administration, and as a Learning Specialist.

 

She is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Senior Fulbright Scholar, Senior Fulbright Specialist, Fulbright Hays Fellow awards, and the First Honorable Visiting Scholar to Taiwan Municipal University of Education. 

 

In 2014, Dr. Hong was appointed by the U.S. State Department, Bureau of International and Information Programs, as a Speaker Specialist & Expert on Disability and Inclusion where she consults with governmental agencies around the world.

 

Dr. Hong has been a professor for more than twenty-three years and has taught in New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Hawaii, Qatar, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Guatemala, and Turkey. She is also a licensed special educator, school principal, and district supervisor/superintendent.

 

Her two decades of research examine the barriers students face as they transition to and through college.  She also conducts professional development on the cognitive science of teaching and learning, including the development of self-determination and debunking myths about teaching and learning. 

 

Dr. Hong is the recipient of the International Teacher of Honor award by the Education Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi, and the University Exemplary Faculty Award. She is also a graduate of the American Academic Leadership Institute, “The Becoming A Provost Academy,” sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges & Universities.

 

She serves on the Advisory Council for the Oxford Educational Research Symposium, is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Council for Exceptional Children, and is the Founder of P.A.C.E.^™—Parents As Advocates for Change in Education. 

 

Previously, Dr. Hong worked as the Education Specialist for the Virginia Fairfax County Government, Department of Family Services, and Institute for Early Learning. Later, she became the Special Assistant to Vice Presidents on A.I.D.E. (Access. Inclusion. Diversity. Equity) and the 504/ADA Coordinator. She was the former Dean of University College and Professor of Special Education at Texas A&M International University. Currently, she is the Vice President for Student Success at San Antonio College and a Special Advisor to the Office of International Programs at the Alamo Colleges District.