Dr. Sunggye Hong is an internationally recognized scholar whose work advances equitable education, social participation, and improved life outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. He is the David and Minnie Meyerson Distinguished Professor, Chair of the Special Education Unit, and Program Director of the PhD program in Special Education in the College of Education at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Hong’s research addresses a central human and societal challenge: how educational systems, technologies, and professional practices can be redesigned so that individuals with visual impairments can fully participate in schooling, STEM fields, employment, and community life. His scholarship examines how policies, institutions, and instructional systems shape access, opportunity, and human behavior, with a focus on dismantling structural barriers to inclusion.

Dr. Hong has secured nearly $10 million in external funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the Institute of Education Sciences, and international partners. His work is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together collaborators from special education, planetary sciences, engineering, rehabilitation counseling, and community organizations to address systemic conditions influencing access and participation for students and adults with visual impairments. In addition to his national leadership, Dr. Hong maintains a strong global research and policy presence. He collaborates with international research centers and education agencies and is frequently invited to consult on accessibility, STEM participation, and disability policy across Asia, Europe, and Latin America.