Hoyet Hemphill

Dr. Hoyet Hemphill is a tenured Professor in the Instructional Design and Technology program within the School of Engineering and Technology at Western Illinois University. He has held leadership roles including Department Chair (2002–2016) and Graduate Program Director (2016–present). He is also affiliated with the Illinois Online Network (ION) as an Adjacent Faculty since 2021. His academic journey began with a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from Utah State University in 1996.

His research focuses on online student engagement, interactivity in eLearning, instructional project management, and usability/UX in web design. He has contributed significantly to the understanding of systemic change in educational systems, U.S.-China educational comparisons, and psychometric evaluations. His expertise spans instructional design, online course development, educational assessment, and technical communication.

Dr. Hemphill has received multiple professional recognitions, including the Reviewer Excellence Award (2021), the STC Distinguished Service Award (2016), and awards from the Society for Technical Communications for technical writing and illustration. He served as President of the AECT Division of Systems Thinking & Change (2014–2017) and was President of the Illinois AECT for five years.

• Reviewer Excellence Award (2021)
• STC Distinguished Service Award (2016)
• STC awards in technical illustration and technical writing

He has advised numerous graduate students and led program development in instructional technology. His professional experience includes roles as Research Manager at NETg, Director of a K-12 STEM outreach program at Utah State University, and Director of the Center for Technology at North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. He has presented at major conferences including AERA, AECT, SITE, and NECC.

Dr. Hemphill is actively involved in academic service, having served as a journal reviewer for Educational Technology Research and Development and held leadership positions in national educational technology organizations.