About me

My short Bio

As a Doctor of Education, I bridge the gap between high-level AI research and the practical demands of operational scaling. My work as a seasoned university administrator focuses on synthesizing postfoundational theory with practitioner-led priorities such as Institutional Effectiveness, Student Success, Learning Sciences, and Change Management. An active contributor to the global research community, I have published through the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), connecting with leading experts worldwide. By serving on the organizing committees for the International AIED conferences in Japan (2023) and Brazil (2024), and architecting licensure frameworks, I leverage data analytics and accreditation standards to guide organizations through large-scale change. My mission is to translate complex AI concepts into actionable literacy through initiatives like the "A.I. in Life" lecture series, ensuring that educators, philosophers, politicians, industrialists, and all members of the workforce are strategically positioned to thrive within an AI-driven global economy and supply chain.


My favorite book is The Impossible Truths of Loss by Hannah Beckerman, and my favorite show is The Phantom of the Opera. I enjoy swimming, taekwondo, and savory victuals. I’ve already tasted the world across five continents through bites, sips, and smiles.

In a bit more details, Son T. H. Pham, with over a decade in college administration, blends practice with passion in education. He holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, focusing on AI in Education, from Stephen F. Austin State University. As principal investigator at the Nha Viet Institute in Massachusetts, he explores AI’s role in teacher education, literacy, learning sciences, and workforce preparation, while challenging traditional educational frameworks through postfoundational studies.


Dr. Pham develops innovative approaches to educator training, promotes AI literacy for society leaders, investigates the role of wonder in learning, and draws on phenomenology to deepen understanding. He consults school district leaders and policymakers nationwide, guiding strategic decisions and examining AI’s broader impact on society and democracy.

 

Committed to forward-thinking education, Dr. Pham partners with local organizations to support youth development, study abroad opportunities, immigrant communities, mindfulness, and a profound sense of human interconnectedness. He believes education should cultivate both knowledge and empathy, preparing learners to thrive in a complex, rapidly changing world.

My Education and Lifelong Learning

Doctor of Education, Stephen F Austin State University, Texas, 2021

            Major: Educational Leadership

            Dissertation: Get ready for future education: A phenomenological study on artificial intelligence.

Master of Science, Skema Business School, France, 2006

            Major: International Project Leadership

MBA, Centre Franco-Vietnamien de Formation à la Gestion (CFVG), France and Vietnam, 2006

            Major: Marketing and Operations

Bachelor of Art, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics , Vietnam, 2002

            Major: Business Administration and International Trade

Computer Technician Diploma, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam, 2000                          Major: Network and Data management

My Research and Publications
Articles, Book Chapters, And Proceeding Papers (Refereed)

    • Pham, S. T. H. (in press). Leading with intelligence: Preparing future generations in an AI-driven world. In P. Jenlink, C. Lowery, & C. Gautam (Eds.), Educational leadership and political literacy: Empowering school leaders for informed civic and social engagement. Bloomsbury.
    • Pham, S. T. H., Kiekel, J., Fisher-Maltese, C. B., & Gailey, S. (in press). Wonder-full education: A collaborative discourse on wonder. In G. M. Richardson, H. R. Bacon, & A. G. Henry (Eds.), Addressing opportunity gaps in education: Insights from the Association of Teacher Educators Inquiry Initiative. Taylor & Francis.
  • Lowery, C. & Pham, S. T. H. (2025). AI Literacy and Educational Leadership: K12 School Leaders’ Perceptions of AI Integration. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2024). Exploring the lived experience of educators and philosophers in the phenomenon of artificial intelligence in education. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2023). Exploring the Lived Experience of Educators and Business Executives in the Phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence in Education. In J. DeHart (Ed.), Phenomenological Studies in Education (pp. 182-206). IGI Global. doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8276-6.ch010
  • Pham, S. T. H. and Sampson P. (2022). The development of artificial intelligence in education: A review in context. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12687
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2022, Oct 19 -21). Change management for campus: A practice model [Paper Session]. Northeastern Educational Research Association Conference (NERA) Annual Meeting, Trumbull, CT.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2022, April 11-15). Multi-dimensional thinking literacy through learning to code: An urgent request for current school leaders [Paper Session]. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2022, Feb 14-16) Transformational leadership: A research-based framework for practical project management in educational institutions [Paper Session]. Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2021). The distinctions of Heideggerian phenomenological research method. Qualitative Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-09-2021-0093
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2021). Understand Bourdieu’s habitus: My first step into phenomenological methodology. Bourdieu in Educational Research, AERA Bourdieu SIG Winter 2021. 20-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30154.70088
  • Vagle, M. D., Shelton, S., Bullock, E. C., Hughes, H. E., Phan, T. A., Bui, B. C., Pham, S. T. & Howard, C. (2020, Apr 17 - 21) Methodological stuckness in working with data and writing [Paper Session]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • McElyea, R. J., Pham, S. T. H., & Adkins, D. G. (2018, February). Lack of gender parity in STEM careers: A discourse analysis [Paper Session]. Southwest Educational Research Association Conference (SERA) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

 

Presentations (Refereed)

  • Pham, S. T. H., & Lowery, C. (2026, April 8–12). AI literacy for educational leaders: Imagining futures in K–12 policy and practice. Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Los Angeles, CA
  • Pham, S. T. H., Fisher-Maltese, C. B., Gailey, S., & Kiekel, J. (2026, April 8–12). Wonder-full education: A collaborative discourse on wonder. Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Los Angeles, CA
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2026, February 8–11). AI literacy for education leaders: Leading change for the future of education. Paper to be presented at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Annual Meeting, Crystal City (Arlington), VA
  • Lowery, C., & Pham, S. T. H. (2025, April 23-27). AI literacy and educational leadership: K–12 school leaders’ perceptions of AI integration. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2025, March 10). Artificial intelligence in education and teacher preparation: A shared perspective on the future of education from business leaders and educators. Paper presented at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Annual Meeting.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2023, March 25–29). Artificial intelligence and teacher preparation: How to overcome the gap? Paper presented at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2022, July 31). Artificial intelligence and teacher preparation: Where is the gap? Paper presented at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Summer Conference, Nashville, TN.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2022, January 26). Doing qualitative research using phenomenological inquiry: An approach from Heidegger’s standpoint. Paper presented at the 6th World Conference on Qualitative Research (WCQR) Annual Meeting, Online.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2022, January 7). American thoughts with socio-educational movements in the 20th century. Paper presented at the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy (SAAP) session, American Philosophical Association (APA) Eastern Division Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2021, October 15). Three distinctions of the Heideggerian phenomenological research method. Paper presented at the Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA) Annual Meeting, Trumbull, CT.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2020, April 7). International branding in higher education: Different perspectives by institutional experience and institutional size. Poster presented at the SFASU Graduate Research Conference, Nacogdoches, TX.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2019, June 29). Ethics in AIED: Wheels in computer scientists’ heads? In W. Holmes (Chair), Ethics in AIED: Who cares? Workshop conducted at the 20th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, Chicago, IL.
Workshops & Training Sessions Provided

  • Atha, M., Manly, C., Anwansedo, A. E., Shi, Y., Pham, S., Wright, T., Ottmar, E., Castel, D., Culbreth, D., Lee, H.-R., Moreno, M., Mushi, D., Ocak, C., & Pham, S. T. H. (2026, April 27–May 1). Teaching with the LASER BEAM curriculum: Advancing learning analytics instruction in the classroom. Workshop to be held at the 16th International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK26), Bergen, Norway
  • Williamson, F., Manly, C., Cloude, E., Ayieko, R., Shi, Y., Lee, S. Y., Pham, S. T. H., Lee, H.-R., McClure, J., Wright, T., Kellogg, S., Nazim & Houchins, J. (2026, April 8–12). Foundations of learning analytics with R. Workshop to be held at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Pham, S. T. H. (2026, February 8–11). Introduction to advancing learning analytics instruction with the LASER curriculum. Workshop to be conducted at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Annual Meeting, Arlington, VA.
  • Strom, K., Jeong, S., Pham, S. T. H., & Varga, B. (2024, April 11–14). Posthuman and postfoundational studies in education: Putting theory to work. Workshop organized for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

 

Books (Selected)

  • Pham, S. T. H. (2023). An Easy Explanation of Artificial Intelligence for People from Any Field: A common ground for any discussion about artificial intelligence in the twenty first century. ISBN-13: 979-8392534494. KDP. https://www.amazon.com/Explanation-Artificial-Intelligence-People-Field/dp/B0C2S2797L/
  • Arum, R. & Roksa, J. (2018). Bất định về học thuật: Tình trạng học tập hạn chế trong trường đại học [Academically adrift: Limited learning on college campuses]. (S. T. H. Pham, Trans.). Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Hoa Sen University Press.
  • Baker, D. P. & LeTendre, G. K. (2009). Khác biệt quốc gia, đồng dạng toàn cầu: Văn hóa thế giới và tương lai của giáo dục học đường [National differences, global similarities: World culture and the future of schooling]. (S. T. H. Pham, Trans.). Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Hoa Sen University Press.

 

Awards and Recognition (Selected)

  • Pham, S. T. H., “LASER Summer Training,” sponsored by Friday Institute, NCSU and University of Pennsylvania, $1500 (Raleigh, NC | July 14-18, 2025)
  • Pham, S. T. H., The Association of Teacher Educators’ Inquiry Initiative, for the commitment to advancing educational research and inquiry-driven practices, from Aug 2022 to Mar 2025.
  • Pham, S. T. H., “AERA 2025 Conference Meeting Registration,” sponsored by the Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Evaluation Research in Educator Preparation Special Interest Group (AAPE SIG), $340.00 (April 23-27, 2025)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “AIED 2024 Conference Meeting Organizing Committee Member,” sponsored by the International AIED Society, $3850.00 (Recife, Brazil | July 8-12, 2024)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “EngageAI Forum,” sponsored by Digital Promise and EngageAI Institute, $1000 (Raleigh, NC | May 24, 2024)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “AERA 2024 Conference Meeting Registration,” sponsored by the Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Evaluation Research in Educator Preparation Special Interest Group (AAPE SIG), $300.00 (April 11-14, 2024)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “CIRCLS’23 Convening: Shaping AI and Emerging Technologies to Empower Learning Communities,” sponsored by Digital Promise and NSF, $806.02 (Alexandria, VA | Nov 1-3, 2023)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “AIED 2023 Conference Meeting Organizing Committee Member,” sponsored by the International AIED Society, $3222.00 (Tokyo, Japan | July 3-7, 2023)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “AIED 2022 Conference Meeting Registration,” sponsored by the International AIED Society, £175.00 (July 27-31, 2022)
  • Pham, S. T. H., “AERA 2022 Conference Meeting Registration,” sponsored by the Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Evaluation Research in Educator Preparation Special Interest Group (AAPE SIG), $250.00 (April 21-26, 2022)
My Professional Development and Conferences

TRAINING 

  • Train the Trainers in Learning Sciences with the LASER Curriculum, Friday Institute, NCSU (July 14-18, 2025).
  • National Science Foundation Grant Proposal Reviewer Training, Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences (April – May, 2023).
  • Multilevel Modeling with International Large-Scale Assessment Databases Using the HLM Software Training Course, AERA 2023, the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL (Apr 13-16).
  • Diagnostic Measurement Models workshop, and Transforming Our Practice to Support the Immigrant and Other Culturally Diverse Students in Our Classrooms workshop, NERA 2022, the 53rd annual conference of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Trumbull, CT (Oct 18-21).
  • Induction System for New Professors and the ATE Inquiry Initiative, the 2022 ATE Summer Conference of the Association of Teacher Educators, Nashville, IL (Jul 29 – Aug 02).
  • CITI Human Subjects Protection courses, Virginia Tech (2024), Stephen F. Austin University (2018)

 

CONFERENCES

  • AERA 2025, the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, Denver, CO (Apr 23-27).
  • ATE 2025, the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, New Orlean, LA (Mar 7-12).
  • AIED 2024, the 25th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, Recife, Brazil (Jul 8-12).
  • AERA 2024, the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA (Apr 11-14).
  • AIED2023, the 24th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, Tokyo, Japan (Jul 3-7).
  • AERA 2023, the annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL (Apr 13-16).
  • ATE 2023, the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, Jacksonville, FL (Mar 25-29).
  • NERA 2022, the 53rd annual conference of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Trumbull, CT (Oct 18-21).
  • AIED 2022, the 23rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, Durham, UK and Virtual (Jul 27-31).
  • Stepping in the future 2022, the virtual meeting of the Science, Technology & the Future scifuture.org (Apr 23-24).
  • AERA 2022, the virtual meeting of American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA (Apr 21-26).
  • SITE 2022, the 33rd annual conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, San Diego, CA (Apr 11-15).
  • ATE 2022, “Educator Preparation for an Uncertain Future: Preparing Anti-Fragile Teachers”, the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, Chicago, IL (Feb 11-16).
  • WCQR 2022, the 6th annual meeting of the World Conference on Qualitative Research, Virtual (Jan 26-28).
  • APA 2022, the 118th annual meeting of the American Philosophical Association Eastern Division, Baltimore, MD (Jan 5-8).
  • NERA 2021, “Using Data to Solve Education's Challenges”, the 52nd annual conference of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Virtual (Oct 13-15).
  • CERI 2021, “Digital education for a strong recovery: A forward look”, the online international conference organized by OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, Paris, France (Jun 8 -10).
  • ICNAP 2021, “Methodology in Interdisciplinary Phenomenology”, the online meeting on of Interdisciplinary Coalition of North American Phenomenologists, Pittsburgh, PA (Jun 9-10).
  • AERA 2021, the online meeting of American Educational Research Association, Orlando, FL (Apr 9-12).
  • AERA 2020, the online meeting of American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA (Apr 17-21).
  • AIED 2019, the 20th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, Chicago, IL (Jun 25-29).
  • UCEA 2018, the University Council for Educational Administration convention, Houston, TX (Nov 14-18).
  • SERA 2018, the Southwest Educational Research Association meeting, New Orleans, LA (Feb 14-16).
My Teaching Experience , and Scholarly Services

Teaching and Training

  • Doctoral level, Stephen F. Austin State University, 2020-2021: AED 613 - Operationalizing the Dynamics of Change in Educational Systems, D2L course.
  • Undergraduate level, Houston Community College, 2010 - 2012: BUSG 2309, Small Business Management, BUSG 2380, Cooperative Education, BUSG 2309, Small Business Management, HRPO 2301, Human Resource Management, MKTG 1311, Principles of Marketing, MRKG 2333, Principles of Selling. 
  • Executive level, Institute of Accounting and Business Management, Facilitated Mini-MBA modules on Branding and Sustainable Competitive Advantage for mid-to-senior level professionals. 
  • Middle School level, Delivered core instruction in Mathematics (Algebra and Geometry), Computer Science, and English as a Second Language (ESL), bridging foundational technical skills with language proficiency.

 Organizing International conferences

  • Served as Publicity Chair, an active organized member of the International AIED 2024 conference in Recife, Brazil, achieving a 150% increase in participants. 
  • Served as Publicity Chair, a member of organization team for the International AIED 2023 conference in Tokyo, Japan, achieving a 180% increase in participants. 

Scholarly Service roles

  • 2023 – now Associate editor of Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education (https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jcihe)
  • 2023 – 2025 Officer of the American Educational Research Association Critical Posthuman and Postfoundational Studies in Education Special Interest Group (AERA SIG #45)
  • 2022 – 2024 Science Communications Officer, International Artificial Intelligence in Education Society (IAIED.org)
  • 2022 – 2025 Member of the ATE Inquiry Initiatives: A Collaborative Exploration of Opportunity Gaps in Education, Association of Teacher Educators, focusing on Equitable Learning Opportunities
  • 2022 – 2025 Member of Educator-As-Researcher Award Committee, Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA)

Reviewer experience for leading academic journals and conferences (selected)

  • Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (Nature)
    • Education and Information Technologies (Springer)
    • Action in Teacher Education (Taylor & Francis)
    • Qualitative Research Journal (Emerald)
    • International Journal of Qualitative Methods (Sage)
  • Conferences: AERA, SITE, IAIED, NERA, UCEA, etc. 
My Affiliations
  • AERA: American Educational Research Association (2018 - now)
  • ATE: Association of Teacher Educators (2022 – now)
  • IAIED: International Artificial Intelligence in Education Society (2018 - now)
  • APA: American Philosophy Association (2021 – now)
  • NERA: Northeastern Educational Research Association (2019 - now)
  • UCEA: University Council for Educational Administration (2018 – now)
  • TASA: Texas Association of School Administrators (2017 - 2020)
  • SERA: Southwest Educational Research Association (2017 – 2018)
  • PMI: Project Management Institute (2005 – 2007)
My Employment History


Research and Operations Director | Nha Viet Institute, Massachusetts

Architects the integration of AI into executive licensure and teacher training while spearheading national research collaborations with Virginia Tech, UTEP, and Vermont State University. Directs multi-sector public operations, including language access services for public services and the management of holistic, state-compliant support programs for vulnerable people.

Research and Teaching Assistant | Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas

Drove institutional effectiveness by leveraging Tableau analytics to support high-stakes accreditation processes for SACSCOC, NCATE, and HLC. Co-developed doctoral-level curricula and provided technical expertise for federal grant applications and peer-reviewed academic publications.

Principal | Knowledge Management Institute, Vietnam

Scaled daily academic operations for secondary education (Grades 6–9) by modernizing and enhancing core curricula in Mathematics, Music, and English. Established a high-performing transnational framework between Vietnam and New Zealand to facilitate international student success and seamless study-abroad transitions.

Chief of Enrollment | Hoa Sen University, Vietnam

Directed a 27 member division comprising five departments: Admissions, Marketing, Web Development, Student Support, and Public Relations. Executed a national brand strategy that doubled student enrollment within a single year and steered the university’s strategic planning committee to architect a comprehensive 10 year organizational roadmap for long term growth and market dominance.

recent Conversations
TalkatTHPTThuDuc
A.I. in Life Lecture Series 2026 | Vietnam

Delivered keynote presentations on the practical applications of AI to an audience of 5,000+ high school students, teachers, and college lecturers. 

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A note from LASER Institute Summer Workshop 2025 , Raleigh, NC

LASER Curriculum Workshop for Trainers:  Learning analytics, knowledge tracking, text mining, and more, Jul 14-18

denver Rino Art District
A note from AERA 2025, Denver, CO

Presenting research findings on AI literacy with school district leaders, Apr 23-27

recife
A note from Recife, Brazil, 2024

Attending the International AIED conference July 8-12

trending01
A note from Engage AI Forum, May 24, 2024, Raleigh, NC 

Fire chat with AIED policy makers and leaders

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A note from Tokyo, Japan 2023

Attending the International AIED conference July 3-7, 2023