Jamia Thomas-Richmond

Jamia Thomas-Richmond serves as Dean and Professor of Special Education in the Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences at Coastal Carolina University (CCU), while also directing the CREATE program and acting as International Programs Liaison for the College. Her leadership spans academic administration, community engagement, and professional organizations dedicated to advancing educational equity.

Dr. Richmond earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in Exceptional Student Education from the University of Central Florida in 2004. Her scholarly foundation drives her commitment to transformative educational practices for marginalized populations.

Her research program centers on improving quality of life for culturally diverse exceptional students through family-school partnerships. Key foci include parental engagement strategies, culturally responsive collaboration between educators and families, and systemic approaches to recruiting and retaining minority candidates in teacher preparation pipelines. She operationalized this work through founding the Richmond Educational Center for Exceptional Students and Supports (R.E.C.E.S.S.) in 2008, which provides direct services to students, families, and schools.

Dr. Richmond actively mentors future educators through campus initiatives including Call Me MiSTER (focused on increasing minority male teachers), CCU Teaching Fellows, and Coastal Inspirational Ambassadors. Her community impact extends through leadership roles with Freedom Readers Afterschool Literacy Program, Horry County Schools advisory boards, and local arts ministries.

Through R.E.C.E.S.S. and CREATE directorship, she bridges academic research with community-based solutions, particularly in developing inclusive educational frameworks for exceptional learners across cultural contexts. Her 2016 South Africa study abroad experience further informs her global perspective on special education practices.