Lori Thomas

M. Lori Thomas, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She also serves as Executive Director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and the Charlotte Regional Data Trust. Her work bridges academic research with community engagement, focusing on urban development and data-driven policymaking. Contact: mthom117@charlotte.edu.

Research interests include leveraging data to address urban challenges, social welfare policy analysis, and community-driven solutions. Her leadership at the Urban Institute emphasizes collaborative projects that connect academic resources with regional needs.

No specific articles or awards were detailed in the provided text, though her role as Executive Director suggests involvement in high-impact applied research initiatives. Advising and grant activities are inferred but not explicitly listed here.

She leads the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, which acts as a hub for data-driven urban research and policy analysis, fostering partnerships between academia, government, and local communities.