Dr. Hong earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University in Special Education in addition to three masters in Instructional Practices for Diverse Learners, Educational Leadership & Policy, and as a Learning Specialist. She is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Senior Fulbright Scholar, Senior Fulbright Specialist, and Fulbright Hays Fellow awards. In 2014, Dr. Hong was appointed by the U.S. State Department, Bureau of International Programs, as a Speaker Specialist & Expert in Disability and Inclusion where she consults with the Ministries of Education for the U.S. Embassy worldwide. She was also the First Honorable Visiting Scholar at the Taiwan Municipal University of Education.

Dr. Hong serves on the Oxford Educational Research Symposium Advisory Board and was a former Executive Board member of the Council for Exceptional Children–the largest international professional organization for individuals with disabilities. She has been a professor for over two decades and has taught in New York, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Qatar, Turkey, Taiwan, Malaysia, Guatemala, Singapore, and Texas. Dr. Hong is also a certified K-1 educator, school principal, and district superintendent.

Dr. Hong’s research examines the barriers students face as they transition to and through college, particularly for low-income, first-generation, minorities, community colleges, non-traditional learners, and students with disabilities. She is sought after in restructuring postsecondary institutions by reframing high-challenging academic programs, intentional support services, proactive interventions, retention of first-year students, and targeted enrollment growth. Her expertise focuses on employing evidence-based research and predictive data analytics to identify at-risk factors through deconstruction, contextualization, and innovation. Thus far, her work has been cited in major Handbook of Adult Learning, Wiley Library of Higher Education, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Recommended Readings, British Library, and the Hong Kong Institute of Education Library, to name a few.

Dr. Hong is a recipient of the International Teacher of Honor by the largest International Education Society, Kappa Delta Pi, and the University Exemplary Faculty Awards at Brigham Young University Hawaii. 

Dr. Hong formerly worked as an Education Specialist for the Fairfax County Virginia Government where she provided professional development and designed curriculum for K-12. She has been a Dean of University College at Texas A&M International University and a Special Counsel to five Vice Presidents. She is currently the Vice President for Student Success at San Antonio College where she oversees the affairs of 19,000+ students within the Alamo Colleges District (78,000+).