Doctor of Philosophy: Education Policy
University of Rochester

Master of Arts Liberal Studies: Education and English Literature
Rutgers University

Bachelor of Arts: African American Studies and Psychology
Rutgers University

Thomas Noel, Jr. is from Irvington, NJ, and has held positions in the areas of teaching, administration, and instructing roles in P-12 and higher education settings. His research is grounded in critical humanism with humanity and dignity for all. Dr. Noel’s research focuses on collaborations between higher education institutions and high schools and community organization for leadership development and civic and community engagement with youth. Additionally, his research also addresses how families and communities are impacted when youth lose their lives to state violence. When he is not working on research and teaching, Thomas spends his free time reading, listening to music, mountain biking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Research Interests:
YPAR with high school students and educators in urban schools; families who lost children and adolescents to state/police violence; Self-Directed Education and Black homeschooling.

Selected Publications:
Noel, Jr. T., Gardner, J., & Sylvester, A. (In Press). Our mission is to uplift: Afrofuturism and collective work for liberation in Black organizations. On the Horizon: The International Journal of Learning Futures.
Wright, D., Tovar-Murray, D., Noel, Jr., T. & Chennault, R. (2022). A phenomenological analysis of invisibility syndrome in formerly incarcerated Black men. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development.
Outland, R., Noel, Jr., T., Rounsville, K., Boatwright, T., Waleed, C., & Abraham, A. (2020). Living with trauma: Impact of police killings on the lives of the family and community of child and teen victims. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse
Psychological Issues.
Tian, Q., Bigelow, S. Noel, Jr., T., Gardner, J., & Michel, R. (2020). Endeavoring a critical and thoughtful response during and beyond covid-19: Community-based justice work in a catholic university. Journal of Catholic Education.