Nathan (E. Nate) Thomas III, PhD, has been named Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the UNC School of Medicine. Thomas will join the School of Medicine leadership effective March 16, 2020.
Dr. Thomas has more than 25 years of experience working with leaders in secondary and higher education, and is especially skilled at developing and implementing diversity, mentoring, and leadership initiatives. He earned his doctoral degree in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University and his Master’s and Undergraduate degrees in Clinical/Community Psychology from Norfolk State University. Dr. Thomas has served as an executive diversity leader at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine, the University of Kansas, and at the University of South Florida Polytechnic. He is recognized for his Thomas Principles, a mentoring model designed to increase college student progression and graduation rates. In 2018, Dr. Thomas with Dr. Arredondo received a $3.2 million grant to pipeline students from disadvantage communities to UMKC health science professional schools, and he helped the UMKC School of Medicine achieve national recognition by receiving the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
At the UNC School of Medicine, Thomas will work closely with leaders and administrators to promote and advance diversity and inclusion for faculty, trainees, students, and staff. He will oversee the work of the Office of Inclusive Excellence, and help implement the diversity initiatives of the UNC School of Medicine Strategic Plan, Forward Together. “I am excited about the increasing diversity across the state and the opportunity to join the UNC School of Medicine and the talented team in Chapel Hill,” said Thomas. “I look forward to getting to work meeting and building relationships with UNC’s outstanding faculty, staff, trainees, students, and community members.”