Dr. Jessica Thomas was hired at ETSU August 2022 as the Assistant Athletics Director for Academics. She is currently the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success.
As the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success, Dr. Thomas oversees all of Academics and Student-Athlete Development for the department. She is lead Athletic Academic Advisor for Football, which she shares with Directors Chynna Cerina and Dr. Elizabeth Forbes, as well as for Men's and Women's Basketball, Volleyball, and Softball.
Dr. Thomas is a former high school English teacher, teaching in Knoxville, TN, Chattanooga, TN, Clarksville, TN, and Oldham County, KY (2005-2015). Seeking a career change, she moved in higher education serving as an Academic Advisor at Indiana University Southeast while simultaneously tutoring at the University of Louisville (2015-2018). Both of these positions lead her to pursue her doctorate in Global Sport Leadership at ETSU while serving as an intern for the Athletics Academic Department in the Fall of 2018. At the conclusion of the 2017-2018 school year, Dr. Thomas went on to serve as the Learning Specialist and an Athletic Advisor for the University of Memphis until she returned to ETSU in 2022.
Dr. Thomas received her Bachelor's of Arts in English and Master of Science in Secondary Education from the University of Tennessee and her Doctor of Education in Global Sport Leadership from East Tennessee State. In addition to her role in the Athletics Department, Dr. Thomas also serves as an instructor for the ETSU First Year Experiences courses. In her spare time, Dr. Thomas enjoys traveling around the world, attending sporting and music events, and supporting all her students - past and present.
