Dr. Hai Nguyen
Hai Nguyen is a senior researcher at the University of Missouri and the Founder and CEO of SEARINET Corporation in the United States. His research and practice focus on the professional development of teachers and educators in the areas of STEAM, 21st century learning skills, socio-scientific issues, arts integration, and AI infusion. He has 18 years of experience in teaching, research, and leadership in STEM education in Vietnam and the United States. He is a published author and regular presenter at international conferences on science teaching and STEAM education and has hundreds of citations as a researcher. He holds a Bachelor of Biotechnology, a Master of Plant Physiology from VNU-HCM, a Master of Plant Science, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education, emphasis on STEAM, from the University of Missouri. He is one of the first Vietnamese scholars to earn a PhD in this field.
Dr. Hai Nguyen seeks to bridge the gap in STEAM education, making the latest STEAM knowledge accessible for the most underrepresented and underserved students in society. He published a book about hands-on and minds-on STEM/STEAM education that promotes accessibility of STEM for all students. Dr. Nguyen was a VEF fellow (2011) and was awarded $25,000 from the US Embassy for his efforts to advance STEM education in Vietnam. For five years, he held a research position at the ReSTEM Institute, which was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as a three-year role at the HHMI-funded THRIVE Program at the University of Missouri. As a science education researcher, he utilizes quantitative research tools to study and improve science teaching, particularly linear causal links among variables in the larger picture.
He is dedicated to supporting students’ interest and retention in STEM fields, as well as assisting instructors in using diverse, innovative, and inclusive teaching methods. He resides in Missouri with his wife and two kids. He spends his free time fishing, hiking, playing soccer, and shooting photographs.
