Press Kit
When people first meet Barbara Hong, they often conclude that her life must have always been enriched. They assume she had loving, successful parents and all the support she needed to reach her goals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hong’s path to an Ivy League university and beyond started in a filthy tenement in Singapore where she lived with an abusive father and an illiterate mother.
Dr. Hong is available for speaking engagements, interviews, and appearances. She is also happy to speak to reading and writing groups via telephone or Skype.
Awards won:
- Kirkus STAR
- Top 100 Indie Books of 2018
Contact Info:
Dr. Barbara Hong
Phone: 814.441.7200
Email: contact@barbarahong.com
Speaker Bio
Dr. Barbara S. S. Hong is an educator, scholar, author, academic leader, and international speaker whose work focuses on a fundamental question: Why do capable students struggle, and what can educators and institutions do differently to help them succeed?
For more than 25 years, Dr. Hong has worked across K–12 and higher education to advance student success, college readiness and persistence, high-impact teaching, disability and inclusion, and the science of learning. A three-time tenured professor and former vice president and dean, she now also serves as a Principal Consultant, helping schools and educational organizations design sustainable K–12/postsecondary partnerships, Early College and college pathways, and data-informed systems that expand access and improve student outcomes.
Dr. Hong earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University and is a three-time Fulbright recipient. She has served as a U.S. Department of State Speaker Specialist and has taught, consulted, and presented internationally. Her work has been recognized with the International Teacher of Honor Award and University Exemplary Faculty Award.
She is the author of Failing Up: A Professor’s Odyssey of Flunking, Determination, and Hope, a Kirkus Star recipient selected among Kirkus Reviews’ 100 Best Indie Books of 2018, and M.A.P. My Aspiration Plan, which helps students develop the self-awareness, self-advocacy, and self-determination to take charge of their college success.
At the heart of Dr. Hong’s work is a simple belief: where students begin tells us very little about where they can ultimately go.