Jamie A. Thomas

About Jamie A. Thomas

How is bias perpetuated through our language? What can the zombie teach us about marginalization and exclusion?”I am a social scientist and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB), and Accessibility training and implementation expert— a linguistic anthropologist, applied linguist, & inclusive educational administrator.In my additional teaching and facilitating as a professor and equity & inclusion coach, I seek to address gaps in equity, knowledge, opportunity, and achievement. My leadership style guides by cultivating curiosity, and encouraging stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students, to generate their own questions and consider the power of their words.I am a social scientist by training, with a PhD in Second Language Studies (Applied Linguistics) from Michigan State Linguistics, as well as a BA in Anthropology & Swahili Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. My interests include using sociocultural and emotional insights on language and communication to drive inclusion, representation, and access for underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. My books explore the social intersections of biased language, cultural behaviors, higher ed pedagogy, and Hollywood representation: Zombies Speak Swahili: Race, Horror, and Sci-fi from Mexico and Tanzania to Hollywood.(forthcoming, Oxford University Press) Embodied Difference: Divergent Bodies in Public Discourse (2019, Lexington Books) I have also produced and edited documentary film shorts based on my international research in study abroad learning, community-building, and interviewing in English, Arabic, Spanish, and Swahili. This is my #LanguageStory series.

Experience

1. Training Facilitator, Zero Textbook Cost Technical Assistance Provider (Ztctap)

   California Community Colleges

   Jul 2023 — Present · CA, US

   Assessing training and learning needs for grant participants. Advise project directors on implementation and scheduling. Providing regular, detailed feedback to all participants and coaches. Emphasis on language, behaviors, and policies that improve digital access, representation, and success.

Education

• Michigan State University

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Second Language Studies

  2007 — 2013

• Washington University in St. Louis

  Bachelor's degree, Anthropology & Swahili Studies

  2002 — 2006

Skills

• Writing
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Editing
• Stakeholder Management
• Research Methods
• Natural Language Programming / Nlp
• Quantitative Research
• Participant Observation
• Text Analytics & Nlp
• Research
• Ethnography
• Semiotics
• Sociology
• Program Evaluation
• Public Speaking
• University Teaching
• Language Technology
• Project Management
• Non-Participant Observation
• Linguistic Review
• Communication
• Community Outreach
• Focus Groups
• Grant Writing
• Digital Storytelling
• Sociolinguistics
• Verbal & Written Communication
• Higher Education
• Applied Linguistics
• Consulting & Teaching
• Usability Testing
• Data Reporting & Interpretation
• Qualitative Research
• Curriculum Design
• Ethnographic Field Research
• Interviews
• Intercultural Communication
• Teaching
• Anthropology