Dr. Thomas O. Edwards hails from New Bern, NC, but has lived in New York since his teenage years. After completing his high school education with honors at the old Boys High School in Brooklyn, NY, Thomas enrolled in City College of New York where he completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology. For the next two years, he had an exciting experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica where he became fluent in Spanish. After the Peace Corps, Dr. Edwards enrolled in New York University and completed a master’s degree in English Education, while simultaneously teaching English-as-a-Second Language at Alexander Burger Junior High in the South Bronx.
As a founding faculty member of Medgar Evers College of the City University (MEC), Professor Edwards embarked upon a lengthy tenure in higher education at the College. His illustrious career began in September 1971 when he was an instructor in the Academic Development Division: later, he became Coordinator of Writing, and subsequently, Director of Testing. Other positions, he held, include Lecturer in the Humanities Division, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of psychology. Administratively, Dr. Edwards served as Chairman of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Chairman of the Psychology Department, Associate Dean of Administration, and Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Education. It was during his earlier years at MEC that he completed his Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy Degrees (Educational Psychology) at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. Dr. Edwards also taught courses as a Visiting Adjunct Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University.
He has been involved in several academic and professional organizations, including the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) where he served on the National Board of Directors as the Eastern Regional Representative; the local New York Chapter, serving two terms as President; and the International African American Cultural and Research Association, of which he was founding Co-President.
Dr. Edwards has traveled extensively throughout the world, both leisurely and professionally, including eight countries in Africa: Ghana (enstooled as tribal chief), Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Egypt, South Africa; several countries in Latin America, Costa Rica (Peace Corps), Brazil (Fulbright Scholar) and Dominican Republic (Youth Exchange Ministry); and Italy, Spain and Greece in Europe. Most of his international travels are chronicled in his recent memoir, From the Projects to the Peace Corps to the Professoriate.