Biography

Patrick Hong is a professor at the University of California, Irvine, and a National Science Foundation-funded startup founder/CEO of Prenostik, developing AI-powered My Learning Coach software for student success. His belief in the responsible use of AI is reflected in his pedagogy, which includes a flipped classroom, active learning, and specification grading, all to coach students to develop durable, uniquely human skills: critical thinking (growth mindset), perseverance (resilience), and accountability (agency), not only to enhance engagement, retention, graduation, but also lifelong learning skills needed for workforce development. With over 20 years of experience spanning industry and academics, Patrick brings deep expertise in designing evidence-based, student-centered tools that support both learning success and mental wellness.

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Academic Background:

DUAL MBA–University of California, Los Angeles and National University of Singapore, June 2007

M.S. AEROSPACE ENGINEERING–University of Southern California, June 1997

B.S. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, Cum Laude–University of California, Irvine, June 1995

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Professional Experience:

•    Speaker – Annual National Advanced Writing Symposium (NAWS), Innovative Pedagogies and Student Engagement in Advanced Writing, Winter 2025; Empowering Voices: Fostering Student Agency in Technical Writing for the AI Era.

•    Speaker – International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) Annual Conference, Fall 2024; Designing Technical Communication Guides to Bridge the Gap between University Curriculum and Employer Needs in the Age of AI

•    Speaker – The Taipei Medical University Department of Healthcare Management, Fall 2024; Effective communications for medical service providers.

•    Speaker – UC Irvine lunchtime discussion, Spring 2023; Voice, Agency & Style in the Age of AI.

•    Speaker – The UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, Fall 2023; Graduate and undergraduate entrepreneur course pitch demonstration. 

•    Speaker – AI in Higher Education, Coastal Carolina University, Fall 2023; AI vs AI - Is Artificial Intelligence Friend or Foe of Academic Integrity?

•    Faculty Fellow – UC Irvine Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI), 2022-2023 – help DTEI achieve its mission of supporting faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars through developmental opportunities focused on integrating innovative, evidence-based teaching practices. Conducted three workshops for UC Irvine Faculty:
o    Fall 2022 – Want Your Students to be More Engaged in Learning? Teach Like a Coach
o    Winter 2023 – Bring the Growth Mindset of a Sports Coach to the Classroom: A Workshop on Teaching Critical Thinking
o    Spring 2023 – Help Students Learn How to Learn: Team Sports Coaching Can Motivate Students to Learn More Effectively in The Classroom

•    Speaker – Specification Grading Training and Showcase and California Learning Lab Inspire Meeting, Fall 2022; Specification grading best practices for summer training course and California Lab conference: Aligning Course Design to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset, Grit, and Agency Using Specification Grading Leveraging the Canvas Learning Management System.

•    Speaker – Specification Grading Training and Showcase, Summer 2022; Specification grading course design best practices virtual conference.

•    Principal Investigator – UC Irvine Samueli School of Engineering Writing-Across-the-Curriculum Technical Communications Resource Guide, 2021-Present; Developed a technical communications digital resource guide within the Canvas Learning Management System at UC Irvine, providing the best speaking, writing, and teamwork practices content serving the entire engineering curriculum.

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Awards:
•    UC Irvine Writing Awards - Best Public or Professional Writing by students, 2022-2023
•    UC Irvine Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation Faculty Fellow, 2022 – 2023
•    UC Irvine Lecturer of the Year Honorable Mention, Spring 2022
•    UC Irvine Writing Awards - Best Public or Professional Writing by students, 2021-2022    
•    Active Learning Certified by UC Irvine Division of Teaching and Innovation, May 2019
•    UC Irvine Samueli School of Engineering Hall of Fame Inductee, 2015
•    UC Irvine Distinguished Alumni for the Samueli School of Engineering, 2007