Rate My Professor Jennifer Thomas

Dr. Jennifer Thomas is a Professor of Psychology in the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Wilkes University, where she joined the faculty in 2006 and was promoted to full professor in 2024. She earned a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Purdue University and an MA in psychology from Wake Forest University. As a developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas specializes in children’s and adolescents’ friendships and peer relationships. Her research explores how friendships influence children’s and adolescents’ adjustment and prosocial behaviors, connections between adults’ friendships and their wellbeing, factors associated with emerging adults’ engagement in gender-based and political activism, women’s physiological reactions to stress to understand resilience versus vulnerability to sexism, and mechanisms that foster metacognitive processes and student achievement in the scholarship of teaching and learning. She teaches courses including Developmental Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Research Methods, the Psychology of Gender, and Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies.

Dr. Thomas serves as Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies program, advisor for Psi Chi, the international psychology honor society, and advisor for the Wilkes Feminist Alliance. She coordinates the psychology department and co-organizes the annual Women’s and Gender Studies Conference with King’s College, drawing approximately 300 students to present capstone projects and hear keynote speakers. Her commitment to student mentorship is evident in collaborative research presented at conferences such as the American Psychological Association. Among her honors, Dr. Thomas received the Carpenter Award for Teaching in 2020, Wilkes University’s highest teaching honor including a $1,000 prize, recognizing her stellar classroom instruction, research-based techniques fostering critical thinking and social responsibility, and dedication to mentoring psychology students. Earlier, she earned the Outstanding New Faculty Award. Key publications include "College men’s action for gender equality: A test of critical consciousness" (2024, Journal of Social Psychology), "What Motivates Action for Gender Equality among College Men?" (2023, Journal of Genetic Psychology), and "Adolescents' conceptions of the influence of romantic relationships on friendships" (2012, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships).