Ronald Thomas

Profile

Education

PhD in Psychological Anthropology, Harvard University
MA, Harvard University
BA, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania

Research & Teaching Interests

Dr. Thomas teaches and consults on managerial, social, and ethical implications of globalization, with particular reference to the European Union. He has a special interest in the enrichment of international management education.

Industry & Academic Experience

Dr. Thomas joined the College of Business Administration faculty in 1988. He has been a visiting faculty member at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the AT&T School of Business. He has also been a Senior Consulting Associate with Global Resources, Inc, with which he completed a consulting assignment in Turkey under a grant from the United States Department of Commerce. He has lived and worked for several years in Eastern Europe. Dr. Thomas is a former Chair of the Information Technology Task Force at the College, and member of the Northeastern University''s Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtable. He has developed innovative initiatives in internet-based distributed learning and collaborative group work; consulted to public and private organizations on these issues, and trained many faculty. He has co-authored a comprehensive information technology strategy for Northeastern University. Prior to joining the D''Amore-McKim School of Business faculty, Dr. Thomas was a partner in a management consulting firm, specializing in socio-technical systems. He has held clinical and research appointments in psychology at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Thomas has designed and taught executive level courses in the areas of global management, organizational change and information technologies for a wide range of Fortune 500 companies. Through a grant from a grant from the Socrates Program of the European Union, he has co-designed and taught several online seminars that link students and faculty in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Services to the Profession

Dr. Thomas was a member of the University Faculty Learning Community in Practice-Oriented Education, Member from 2001 to 2005. He also was a member of the University Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtable (TLTR).

Awards & Recognition

Profiled, "The Best 300 Professors," The Princeton Review, 2012

"Thinking Out of the Box" Award for Innovative Use of Technology in Teaching, Northeastern University Center for Innovative Course Design and the Education Technology Center

Teaching Excellence Award, Northeastern University

Publications

Selected Publications

Thomas, R. Globalization and the European Debate. DEC.KNOWL (Decentralized Knowledge:Networked Resource based Learning).

Thomas, R. Business to Consumer E-Commerce -NEW COURSE. Northeastern University.

Thomas, R. Globalization and the European Debate. DEC.KNOWL (Decentralized Knowledge: Networked Resource based Learning).

Thomas, R. Virtual Seminar on European Identity.

Thomas, R. Virtual Seminar on Globalization. International Partnership of Business Schools.

Presentations

Selected Presentations

Thomas, R., Baumeister, H., Annual Meeting, "Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Global Economy: A Possible IPBS Approach," International Partnership of Business Schools, Boston, MA.

Thomas, R., Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century Symposium, "Innovative Teaching with Technology," Office of the Provost and the Center for Excellence in University Teaching, NU, Boston, MA.

Thomas, R., Annual Meeting, "Practice Oriented Education in the International Business Curriculum," International Partnership of Business Schools, Barcelona.

Thomas, R., "Creating a Global Mindset: Transnational E learning and Exchanges for Practice Oriented Education," International Partnership of Business Schools, Reutlingen, Germany.