Department of Leadership and Educational Studies

Dr. Matthew Thomas-Reid earned a Ph.D. in cultural studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a M.A.T. in middle grades social studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a B.A. in history from Mars Hill University.

Dr. Thomas-Reid began his 15+ year career in education as a middle school social studies teacher in public North Carolina schools. In his career in K12 he worked with a diverse array of students in a variety of schools including traditional and magnet programs. Dr. Thomas-Reid was involved in the development of the International Baccalaureate in his former school district and was instrumental in bringing the IB Career Program to the district.  

His areas of research include philosophy of education, social justice education, disability studies, cultural studies, and gender and sexuality. His current research projects focus on emerging pedagogical strategies as well as advocating for gender inclusive health education.  

He is an affiliate faculty with Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies and serves as the faculty advisor for SNCAE. Dr. Thomas-Reid’s service also includes working with the University’s Early Intervention team to help struggling students obtain the resources they need to be successful in college.     

Dr. Thomas-Reid is the recipient of numerous awards in his career, both in k12 and at the university level. In 2023, he received the Governor’s excellence in teaching award for the Reich College of Education, and in 2020, he was the recipient of the college's Inclusive Excellence Award. In addition, his continued public service to k12 schools won him a Governor’s Volunteer of the year award for Ashe County, NC.