Embry-Riddle-Aeronautical University
Faculty Member, Worldwide
Dean of Online Instruction
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence
About
I first came to higher education in the late 70s on the President's staff at Gulf Coast Community College where I worked in public relations and also taught a journalism course. After that, I accepted a faculty appointment to Central Florida Community College where I was assistant professor of communications and served a year as Faculty Senate President.
Industry beckoned and I served as education director for a medical center and, later, for the Treasurer of the State of Florida.
From 1993 to 2001, I was the chief instructional officer (and for half a year the interim Superintendent) for the Florida State Fire College and, in partnership with the University of Florida, developed online interdisciplinary bachelor's and master's degrees in emergency services.
From 2001 to 2006, I was on the faculty at Florida State University, with a dual appointment in the College of Communication (where I taught comm theory) and in the Center for Teaching and Learning. At CTL, I conducted workshops for faculty and TAs, did individual consultations and classsroom observations, and was responsible for the training of all graduate teaching assistants campus-wide. In addition, I oversaw faculty and student support services for all of FSU's online undergraduate and graduate degrees.
My A.A. (business) is from Gulf Coast Community College, B.A. (communication arts) is from West Florida, my M.S. (communication) is from Florida State, and my Ed.D. in higher education administration is from Florida. I completed a summer fellowship at Vanderbilt and have done further post-doctoral graduate work through Harvard.
Among my areas of scholarly interest is international terrorism on which I have written and lectured around the country and consulted for domestic and foreign governments. I have written numerous articles on military units and technology for national magazines and I spent several years as a reserve officer with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
My other research interests include community colleges and I have a book on community college finance forthcoming from University Press of America later this year. On a personal level, I'm a collector of books and art. I also enjoy historical travel with many trips to sites like Gettysburg (I'm a Civil War buff) and The Alamo (I'm a 6th-generation Texan).
Contact Information
http://worldwide.erau.edu/campuses-online/online-learning/index.html
Ronald C. Thomas, Jr., Ed.D., C.P.M.
Dean, Online Instruction
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
600 S. Clyde Morris Boulevard
Daytona Beach, Florida 32114-3990
386-226-4947 (office)
