Meet Lauren Thomas ’21
- Hometown
- Attapulgus, Georgia
- Education
- Curriculum & Instruction EdD, Educational Leadership MA from UCF
- Role
- Assistant Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness & Planning at Valencia College
- Career
- Educational Leadership & Curriculum Development
Lauren Thomas pursued her Curriculum & Instruction EdD at UCF while teaching mathematics at Valencia College, balancing her career and education without compromise. She wanted the skills and knowledge to make a greater impact on her students, stating, “The more skills and experience you have, the more influential you can be.”
Thomas earned first place in the 2020 UCF 3MT Competition, presenting her dissertation research in three minutes to non-expert judges. Her work, “Interrupting the Achievement Gap Ideology: Exploring the Academic Achievement and Lived Experiences of Black Students Taking College-level Mathematics Courses,” investigates the factors influencing the success of Black students in college-level math courses. She feels a personal connection to this research, drawing from her own experiences in educational environments that lacked diversity and inclusion.
After graduating in summer 2021, Thomas continued to teach and lead at Valencia College, applying her expertise to improve student outcomes and equity in education.
- First prize in 2020 UCF 3MT Competition
- Featured in UCF articles for 3MT win and research impact
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