Jackie C. Thomas, Jr., Ph.D., Lone Star College-Tomball vice president, Student Success, has been selected for the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S.-Germany International Education Administrators (IEA) Program and will travel to Berlin this November for a two-week seminar.
Participants will get a comprehensive overview of Germany’s higher education system through campus visits, presentations from public and private higher education leaders, and briefings from government officials. This unique professional development opportunity also allows educators to exchange best practices and explore the potential for cross-cultural partnerships.
“When you work in higher education, we talk a lot about best practices,” said Thomas. “That typically means taking a look at other institutions in your state, your region or your city. I'm really excited about expanding that to go beyond and really looking at how people are doing things internationally.”
Sponsored by the U.S. government, the Fulbright Scholar Program is an international educational exchange program designed to increase mutual understanding between people from other countries. Recipients receive round-trip transportation to the host country and funding to cover accommodations and other travel expenses.
Thomas was heavily involved in student activities through campus clubs and organizations as a student at the University of Houston, and when he realized he could make a career out of working with college students, he knew that was the path he wanted to pursue. After earning a master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida State University, Thomas landed his first role in residential life at the University of Houston in 2006.
By 2012, he found his way to LSC-Tomball to teach in the Education Department. From there, he advanced to roles including assistant dean of instruction, executive director of college relations, chief strategist and, since 2022, the vice president of student success. Today, he prioritizes spending time with students as they experience successes and challenges throughout their education journeys—from dressing up for Halloween events to bonding over a game of basketball.
“I’ve worked in pretty much every side of higher education, from being faculty to working in marketing and communications, and professional development,” said Thomas. “So I'm back where it all started, and the departments that are within the division are so closely tied to students—from outreach to recruitment, to admission, to advising, to student activities.”
The Germany trip also feels like a full-circle moment for Thomas, who lived in Darmstadt from second through sixth grade. Additionally, the city of Tomball was settled by German families and continues to celebrate its German heritage today. Thomas said he is particularly looking forward to learning more about the country’s applied science vocational academies, considering Lone Star College System’s focus on preparing students for the workforce.
"The Office of Honors and International Education is proud to support our faculty and staff through Fulbright trainings and International Education Administrators trips,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSCS associate vice chancellor, Honors and International Education, and recipient of the 2024-25 Fulbright IEA Award to Japan. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Thomas represent Lone Star College System in Germany this fall as part of our ongoing global education initiatives."
The Fulbright Scholar Program awarded scholarships to two faculty members in 2022-23: Claire Phillips, Ph.D., LSC-CyFair dean, Science and Engineering Instruction, who supported the development of internationalized science courses and built relationships with partnering universities in France; and John Theis, Ph.D., LSC-Kingwood Political Science professor and Center for Civic Engagement director, who helped establish a study abroad partnership with Dankook University following his trip to South Korea. Additionally, Lone Star College System was named a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution Leader in 2023 and 2024.
According to the Fulbright Program, alumni have received 63 Nobel Prizes, 98 Pulitzer Prizes and 82 MacArthur Fellowships. Other countries participating in the IEA program include Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, France and India. Visit FulbrightScholars.org/US-Scholar-Awards/IEA to learn more.
Lone Star College System enrolls over 90,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSCS is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D., serves as Chancellor of LSCS, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2024 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education. LSCS consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.