Dr. Cynthia E. Thomas
Founder & Lead Consultant
Dr. Cynthia E. Thomas is a postsecondary Career and Technical Education scholar-practitioner, workforce development leader, and educator with over 15 years of experience across industry, education, and workforce systems. Her work focuses on designing personalized, relevant, and inclusive learning experiences that prepare learners for career success and workforce advancement.
Dr. Thomas began her career as a licensed cosmetologist and salon owner, where she also served as a Cosmetology Examiner for the New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, and as a platform artist for L’Oréal Matrix. These early industry experiences shaped her commitment to applied learning, professional standards, and career-aligned education.
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Dr. Thomas earned a master’s degree in Career and Technical Education from SUNY Oswego and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Instructional Design and Development from Syracuse University. She holds an Ed.D. in Learning and Teaching in Social Contexts from the University at Buffalo, where her doctoral research focused on postsecondary CTE and workforce education and informed the development of the PATHWAYS Framework, a culturally responsive approach to technical and workforce education.
Dr. Thomas currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Career and Technical Educator Preparation (CTEP) Department at SUNY Oswego. In this role, she prepares and mentors future CTE educators, coordinates work-based learning initiatives, supports certification pathways across New York State, and contributes to statewide and national CTE leadership efforts. She is recognized for her leadership in educator preparation, workforce-aligned program design, and professional learning, and regularly contributes to research, presentations, and initiatives that strengthen postsecondary CTE systems. Through her work, she partners with postsecondary institutions, workforce organizations, and industry leaders to support educator capacity-building, instructional design, and workforce readiness. Her work is grounded in the belief that technical and workforce education is most effective when it is intentionally designed, learner-centered, and aligned to real-world career pathways.