The founding faculty member in the NCSSM Online Program, since 2007 Chris Thomas has contributed greatly, from setting procedures and initiating processes and key academic components of a new school, to developing curriculum in the NCSSM Online and Mentorship and Research Program. Chris now works to grow experiential and workplace learning (research and internship) opportunities in North Carolina, through teaching AP Seminar/Research, coaching District C Teamship, and creating more resources and opportunities for experiential learning. More recently, he worked within the expansion of NCSSM’s unique Research and Mentorship Program and co-developed a novel curriculum that helps build professional and communication skills among research students working with 100 different researchers in dozens of fields of study. He also serves as Director of the NC Academy of Science, co-director of the Summer Ventures program, and helped co-manage the logistics of Duke and NCSSM co-hosting a state undergraduate research conference, SNCURCS.

Prior to NCSSM, Chris co-developed through grants several online courses and laboratories at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) as a Lecturer in Earth Science, and served as a senior scientist on an NSF-funded grant on geoscience education in climate change.

BS, Geology/Communication, Juniata College

MS, Geology, Vanderbilt University

MTSC, Technical and Scientific Communication, Miami University