Hengtao Tang
University of West Georgia

Dr. Hengtao Tang, a faculty member at the University of West Georgia, is running for the President-Elect position for the International Division. He obtained a dual-title Ph.D. degree in Learning, Design, and Technology as well as in Comparative and International Education from Pennsylvania State University. Hengtao has been an active AECT member since 2012. During the past six years, AECT has been his professional home. Hengtao has also been serving the organization in different capacities, as an ICEM Intern, as a Division Officer, as a Conference Planner, and also as a Volunteer. Currently, he serves as the Secretary of the International Division (2017-2019), before which he was the International Division Board Representative at Graduate Student Assembly (2014-2016). With the long-time commitment to AECT and the International Division, Hengtao seeks the opportunity of leading the division to a new horizon built upon the accomplishments achieved by the past and present presidents and officers.

Since 2014, Hengtao has been actively serving the International Division (INTL). Starting with the role of the International Division Board Representative at Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), Hengtao acted as the liaison between two divisions. In addition to this responsibility, he also worked as the GSA conference planner in 2014 and 2015. Especially at AECT 2015, Hengtao organized the first "INTL and GSA Night on the Town" session, co-sponsored by these two divisions. Since then, this social event has become a tradition as a highlighted session for both divisions.

With his active involvement in INTL projects, Hengtao was appointed as the Secretary of International Division in 2017. His main responsibility has been to coordinate the division archives, assist the President in recording project updates and meeting notes, and keep an updated record of bylaws and also significant actions taken during the board meetings. In particular, coordinating the divisional archives presented Hengtao a unique opportunity of reflecting upon the history of the division and preserving the traditions. In addition, the experience of keeping a record of the division bylaws, meeting notes, and also action logs provided Hengtao a comprehensive view of all ongoing initiatives in the division. In all, serving as the Secretary has helped Hengtao develop a more insightful understanding of the history, the vision, and the mission of the division in addition to a stronger dedication to the division.

Another important initiative of the International Division is to collaborate with our AECT international affiliates. As Hengtao becomes more involved in the organization, he has got more opportunities of working with numerous AECT affiliates, such as International Council of Educational Media (ICEM), Society of International Chinese in Educational Technology (SICET), and HKAECT. For example, Hengtao has been actively working with our ICEM colleagues in planning the conference and creating opportunities for early career professionals and graduate students investing in educational technology. In 2015, Hengtao was selected as the ICEM Intern at AECT with his contributions and leadership potentials. In September 2019, Hengtao will continue to work with ICEM colleagues in organizing ICEM 2019 which will be held in Memphis, TN. In addition, Hengtao has been contributing to the growth of the SICET as the Executive Secretary and the AECT/SICET Conference Planner. He is also a Program Committee Member of HKAECT2019. In summary, working with these international affiliates further consolidated his outreach competence and extended his international professional network. Hengtao believes these experiences will be great assets for him to better fulfill the future leadership roles in the International Divisions and AECT.

Hengtao is looking forward to the opportunities of working with all officers and members of the International Division to further fulfill its vision in “facilitating communication among educational technology professionals and students worldwide”. If he can be selected as the President-elect of the International Division, Hengtao will further reinforce the following initiatives build upon the accomplishments of the past and present board members:

• Consolidate the collaborations with AECT international affiliations.
• Seek new outreach opportunities in different continents to increase the awareness of AECT and the International Division.
• Collaborate with other divisions to create opportunities of academic collaborations in a global context.
• Work with other divisions to improve the voice of underrepresented populations in our organization.
• Offer professional development opportunities for early- and mid- career international professionals.
• Provide international members with opportunities and mentoring resources regarding publications with the support of journal/section editors.
• Continue to provide enriched social events and mentoring sessions at Jenny Johnson International Hospitality Center during the convention.
• Build up a more comprehensive and accurate archive of the division’s history.
• Strengthens the connections with past-presidents and past-officers.

In closing, Hengtao would like to highlight that AECT has been his professional family and his home organization. Hengtao is looking forward to this opportunity of continuing his service at the International Division as the President-Elect. Thank you for your time and consideration.