About Optimus IEC
Optimus International Education Consulting, LLC was founded in 2020 in response to the needs of university leaders for professional consulting in international education. Optimus IEC is an independent organization dedicated to provide professional support for education leaders throughout the world. Though Optimus IEC is new, we draw upon decades of experience and practice in the world of international education.
A central focus for us is on partnering with the leadership in universities and international offices around the world as they work to create or expand their institution’s levels of internationalization. We have expertise in virtually every area of international education. Our experiences and those of our partners can help your office navigate new challenges, expand the impact of your office on and off campus, generate revenue streams, and advance your career as an international professional.
About the Founder
The founder and CEO of Optimus IEC is Dr. Dennis Hart. Dr. Hart served as a leader of Comprehensive Internationalization and international offices at leading universities for over a decade. In those roles, he provided overall leadership and administration for university-wide globalization efforts and ensured all these international initiatives and activities were consistent with the strategic planning, goals, and missions of the universities.
Dr. Hart served as the Senior International Officer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the University of St. Thomas. He has also provided leadership for globalization at Michigan State University, University of Pittsburgh, and Kent State University.
Dr. Hart is an award-winning teacher and faculty member with a passion for internationalization.
Dennis Hart, Ph.D.
Board of Advisors Edutourism LLC
Between 1994 and 2008, he was a professor of Political Science at Kent State University where he taught courses on Comparative Politics, International Relations, American Politics. His teaching awards include the Distinguished Teaching Award from Kent State University and Who’s Who Among American Teachers, among others.
He is widely published, with internationally recognized and published research, including an award-winning book and over 50 academic and popular articles, book reviews, and chapters. He areas of published research include nationalism and politics in North and South Korea as well as international educational trends in East Asia. He has authored over 30 grants to promote internationalization, worth nearly $4,000,000. These grants were provided by a wide range of government, university, private, and NPO organizations.
Dr. Hart has a Ph.D. in Comparative Politics. His Master of Arts is in Korean Studies and his Bachelor of Arts is in East Asian Studies. All his degrees are from the University of Washington, Seattle.
His experiences as a leader are strengthened by attending professional leadership development workshops offered by the world-leading organizations in internationalization:
- NAFSA Symposium on Leadership.
- AASCU/NAFSA International Leadership Institute.
- ACE/CIGE Institute for Leading Internationalization.