Political Science and Criminal Justice

Matthew Thomas, PhD

Interim Associate Dean, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Professor Matt Thomas received a BA from St. Joseph’s University, and an MA and PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park. He teaches political science, criminal justice, and public administration in the department’s undergraduate and graduate programs. He is the coordinator of the MA in Political Science program, and is the internship coordinator for the MPA program. His research focuses on both urban politics, including work on New Orleans (Reforming New Orleans: The Contentious Politics of Change in the Big Easy with Peter Burns, Cornell Press), and on criminal justice topics, including work on police strength, concealed weapons on campus, and the impacts of AB 109 and Prop 47 on California’s criminal justice realignment agenda. Matt received the university’s Outstanding Service Award in 2016-17.
Portrait of Matthew Thomas, PhD