Education

• Masters in Public Administration, Health Administration,
  Long Island University, Dobbs Ferry, New York, 1997
• B.S., Recreation Therapy, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, 1981

Interest & Expertise

Professor Thomas major interests include undergraduate education in the discipline of therapeutic recreation, disability and cultural diversity.

Professor Thomas teaches primarily in a distance education format with hybrid and totally online courses. She uses several different instructional strategies to engage a diverse group of students from across the nation. Some examples include creative icebreaker activities, Second Life, and blogs. She was recognized for her creative teaching with the UWM Academic Staff Outstanding Teaching Award, 2010.

Professional activities include National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) – board of directors 2011-2014 and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA). She served as the Joint Commission Team Leader for many years before becoming a NCTRC board member. She also received the ATRA President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 1988, 2002 and 2007 when she was the Annual Conference Chairperson for the national conference held in Milwaukee, WI.

Awards

UWM Academic Staff Outstanding Teaching Award, 2010