Dr. Thompson is a professor emeritus in the department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology at Western Michigan University, where he previously served as Vice President for Research/Dean of the Graduate College, and Dean of the College of Education. He began his academic career at the University of Michigan and held joint professorial appointments in Education and Urban Studies; he also directed PURA, an evaluative metropolitan research center. On the national level, he served as Division Director and Assistant Director of the Education and Human Resources Directorate for the National Science Foundation. Currently, Dr. Thompson serves as a consultant to numerous foundations, public agencies, and Fortune 500 corporations.
Dr. Thompson has served on Greater Texas Foundation’s board since 2014. He currently chairs the Committee on Strategy and Learning and serves on the Charitable Activities Committee.
Dr. Thompson lives in Chicago with his wife, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, and their daughter Taylor.