Rate My Professor Kim Thompson

Kim M. Thompson is a Professor of Instruction in Biology at Ohio University, serving in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology since 2014. She holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Cincinnati (2013), with a dissertation titled “Biodiversity in Forests of the Ancient Maya Lowlands and Genetic Variation in a Dominant Tree, Manilkara zapota (Sapotaceae): Ecological and Anthropogenic Implications.” Thompson also earned an M.Ed. in Secondary Education, Life Sciences from the University of Cincinnati (2006) and a B.A. in Social Work from Thomas More College. Prior to her current role, she served as Adjunct Instructor and Field Station Instructor at the University of Cincinnati in 2014.

Thompson's academic interests focus on biodiversity in ancient Maya lowland forests, genetic variation in neotropical trees such as Manilkara zapota, ethnobotany, ancient plant use practices of the Maya, and sustainable green infrastructure. Her key publications include “Genetic variation and structure in the neotropical tree, Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen (Sapotaceae) used by the ancient Maya” (Tree Genetics & Genomes, 2015, with Culley, T., Zumberger, A., Lentz, D.); “Forests, fields, and the edge of sustainability at the ancient Maya city of Tikal” (PNAS, 2014, with Lentz et al.); “Connecting Contemporary Ecology and Ethnobotany to Ancient Plant Use Practices of the Maya at Tikal” (in Tikal and Maya Paleoecology, Cambridge University Press, 2015); and “Comparison of plant species richness, diversity, and biomass in Ohio wetlands” (The Ohio Journal of Science, 2007, with Miller, M.C., Culley, T.M.). More recently, she contributed “Green Roofs” in Pathways to Research – Sustainability (EBSCO, 2022) and “Green Roof Offers Learning Opportunities at Ohio University” (Living Architecture Monitor, 2021). She teaches courses such as Botanical Pedagogy, Plants and the Global Environment, Plants and People, Principles of Biology, and Women in Science. Thompson has led green roof initiatives, securing grants including the Academic Innovation Accelerator ($256,000, 2018–2020) for campus installation and regional outreach, and the 1804 Endowment Fund ($43,272, 2019–2021). Her service includes advising the Plant Biology Graduate Student Association (2014–present) and Plant Club (2015–present), University Science Fair Committee membership, and outreach to local schools and conservation events. She has delivered presentations on STEM education, green infrastructure, and professional development for women in science.