Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

Dissertation Title: Justice… Not Just Us: How One District-Level Social Justice-Oriented Transformative Leadership Team Addresses Marginalization and Oppression

12/2017

M.Ed. Equity and Diversity Issues in Education

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

5/2012

B.A. Major - Psychology; Minor – African American Studies

The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

6/1998

Awards and Honors

Thomas C. Rumble Graduate Fellowship

Wayne State University – Full tuition and stipend

Awarded for outstanding scholarship - GPA 4.0

2013-2017

Nominee - Graduate Student of the Year, University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign

2012

Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society

2012-2017

Golden Key Honor Society

2012-2017

Phi Theta Kappa - Outstanding Student in Foreign Languages, Miami-Dade College

1998

Publications and Presentations

Refereed Journals

Zook, Thomas A. (Submitted). What about the bathrooms? Challenging educators’ understanding of and behavior towards gender fluid and transgender youth. Submitted

Zook, Thomas A. (Submitted). Just leadership: A transformative journey towards justice.

Zook, Thomas A. (Accepted). School leadership and gender and sexuality-related equity. In C. Mayo (Ed.), Oxford Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality in Education. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Zook, Thomas A. (Accepted). Restroom dramas and (trans)gender politics: A transformative approach to the hysteria over gender-neutral bathroom policies and transgender and gender diverse youth in a Canadian context. In C.M. Shields (Ed.), School leadership for equity, excellence and social justice. Toronto, Ontario CA: Toronto University Press

Zook, Thomas A. (2016) Promising pedagogy: Advancing the educational experience of queer students through transformative leadership theory. Journal of Homosexuality.

Refereed Conference Presentations

Zook, Thomas A. (2019, June). But what about the bathrooms…? Challenging educators’ understanding of and behavior towards gender fluid and transgender youth. Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE), Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Zook, Thomas A. (2019, April). Just Leadership: A Transformative Journey Towards Justice. American Educational Research Association (AERA), Toronto, Canada.

Zook, Thomas A. (2016, November). Social Media as a Methodology. University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), Detroit, Michigan.

Zook, Thomas A. (2016, November). Participant. A Critical Conversation about Marginalization and Oppression in Complex Urban Environments. University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), Detroit, Michigan.

Zook, Thomas A. (2016, January). Climate Change: Creating Safer and More Welcoming Schools for Queer Youth Through Transformative Leadership Theory. Michigan SOGI, Plymouth, Michigan.

Zook, Thomas A. (2015, November). Promising Pedagogy: Advancing the Educational Experience of Queer Students Through Transformative Leadership. University Council for Educational Administration, San Diego, CA

Zook, Thomas A. (2015, June). The Promise of Transformative Leadership in Creating Safe and Supportive Schools for Queer Youth. Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration, Ottawa, Canada.

Zook, Thomas A. (2015, April). Out On the Street Is No Place To Be: Recognizing and Responding to the Educational Needs of Sexual and Gender Minority Homeless Youth. American Educational Research Association (AERA), Chicago, Illinois.

Zook, Thomas A. (2015, January). Just Not Those Kids… Michigan’s Failed Anti-Bullying Legislation and the Potential of Transformative Leadership to Complete the Job. Michigan SOGI, Plymouth, Michigan.

Zook, Thomas A. (2014, June). No Child Left Out: The Implications of Non-Inclusive, Heteronormative Curriculum for Queer Youth. Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration in partnership with the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management, Fredericton, Canada.

Work Experience

Higher Education

2019 – Invited Guest Lecturer – University of Texas at El Paso

Angus Mungal, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Developed and delivered seminars in LGBTQ+ issues in education and leadership

for masters and doctoral students, assigned readings, evaluated student work, and

led classroom discussions.

2015 - 2017 - Graduate Teaching Assistant - Wayne State University

Carolyn M. Shields, Ph.D., Professor

Planned and delivered graduate courses and seminars in Educational Leadership, lead classroom discussions, facilitated on-line activities including blogs and blackboard posts, reviewed and edited manuscripts for conference, journal, and book publications, and assisted in the creation of professional development materials and special projects.

2013 – 2018 – Research Assistant – Wayne State University

Carolyn M. Shields, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Involved in developing and conducting all aspects of qualitative and mixed method research, including grant writing, study design, instrument validation, literature review, data collection, transcription and analysis, manuscript editing, and presenting research at national and international conferences.

Human Resource Education

2003 - 2009 – Director of Corporate Training - Social Service Coordinators, Inc.

I was recruited to develop and subsequently manage a training program for a nationwide call center of over 500 employees providing free assistance to low-income senior citizens. I was directly responsible for hiring and directing the activities of a staff of 12. Together we delivered a highly effective two-week new-hire training, buttressed to job-specific instruction lasting between one and four additional weeks. I developed and delivered numerous professional development courses, as well as leadership and management seminars. I was also responsible for the training and development of all remote staff working in all 50 states. I developed and merged our training program onto a Distance-Learning Management (DLM) Platform and taught our curriculum in an on-line format.

It was my responsibility to ensure that all new employees were able to demonstrate understanding, competency, integrity, and respect for the senior population. To that goal, I developed and delivered proprietary courses on a variety of topics including senior sensitivity, diversity and cultural awareness, customer service excellence, HIPAA and Compliance training, sexual harassment prevention, leadership and mentoring, effective coaching, and many others. Further, I was responsible for company-wide compliance and quality assurance. To that end, I developed and administered a telephonic quality evaluation and call monitoring program leading to significant improvements in customer service and compliance with state and federal laws and accepted business practices.

I regularly consulted with the board of directors on issues related to professional development, corporate climate and diversity, motivation, employee retention, quality assurance, leadership, and management development.

2009 - Present - Director of Business Operations - Hung Duy Nguyen, O.D. LLC

Responsible for all business aspects of a busy multi-office Optometry practice, including accounting, insurance billing, records management, payroll, human resources, and purchasing.

Service to the Discipline

Submission Reviewer, 2020 Annual Conference, American Educational Research Association (AERA). Leadership for Social Justice SIG & Queer SIG

Submission Reviewer, 2019 Annual Conference, American Educational Research Association (AERA). Leadership for Social Justice SIG

Manuscript Reviewer – NASSP Bulletin, May 2018.

Award Presenter, 2017 Roald F. Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award. Recipient: Carolyn M. Shields, Wayne State University. University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)

Member, Faculty Recruitment Committee, College of Education, Wayne State University - 2015

Member - Recruitment and Retention Committee – College of Education, Wayne State University – 2014

Instructor Trainer – American Red Cross Water Safety, CPR, and First Aid

Professional Affiliations

2014 – Present

American Educational Research Association (AERA)

Division A – Administration, Organization, and Leadership member

Leadership for Social Justice SIG member

Queer SIG member

University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)

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