About Dr. Thompson

An Advocate for Equity

Dr. Angelica Thompson is a researcher and analytical strategist who has always been driven to help others reach their full potential. Self-motivated and progress-driven, she’s teamed up with community-based organizations and government agencies, researching and proposing strategies that led to measurable and meaningful change.

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After obtaining her M.S. in Psychology in 2001, Dr. Thompson worked as a child and adolescent continuous treatment team counselor. In this role, she worked to ensure youth’s successful transition home after inpatient mental health hospitalization by providing in-home family counseling and coordinating with community-based organizations and school officials to ensure youth received the full spectrum of care. This experience led to her keen awareness of the vast ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the education system, prompting her to return to school to obtain her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology.

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Since then, Dr. Thompson has held roles as a Program Evaluator for Memphis City Schools, Research Advisor for Shelby County Schools, and Senior Education Researcher for CSEdResearch.org, where she played a pivotal role in helping to advance academic and behavioral outcomes of underrepresented youth. Most recently, as Director of Evaluation for Per Scholas, Dr. Thompson analyzes data to convey key insights and research opportunities that provide leadership with the information needed to make informed programmatic decisions that promote economic equity by closing the tech skills divide.

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In her study Investigating Inequities in Disciplinary Practices in SCS, Dr. Thompson explored school-level factors contributing to ethnic- and gender-based discipline disparities throughout the district. She has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the Memphis College of Art, the University of Phoenix, the University of Memphis, and Christian Brothers University. Course instruction has spanned Introduction to and Essentials of Psychology, Lifespan Development, Learning Processes and Assessment, and Educational Psychology.

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Dr. Thompson is committed to equity and access, particularly in advancing the academic, social, and economic outcomes of historically marginalized youth. She is the co-founder and co-host of the A Queer Understanding podcast, providing a safe space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to come together to share stories, perspectives, and resources. And she is a member of the board for Communities in Schools Memphis.

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Dr. Thompson holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and an M.S. in Psychology from the University of Memphis. She also holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and is a member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Stand for Children, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and the US Women’s Chamber of Commerce.