Sue Thomas, PhD
Senior Research Scientist I
The Calverton Center
Santa Cruz, California

Phone: (831) 621.7937
Email: thomas@pire.org


Sue Thomas, Ph.D. is Senior Research Scientist and Director of PIRE-Santa Cruz, which specializes in the intersection of law and social science research. Among her several PIRE projects, Dr. Thomas has served on NIAAA’s Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) project and SAMHSA's Report to Congress on Underage Drinking, both since their inceptions. Her project specialties include fetal alcohol spectrum disorders policy, reproductive rights, municipal smart growth policy, and methodological questions pertaining to using legal data for social science research. Reflecting the latter, Dr. Thomas is co-author of a monograph on the topic for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Public Health Law Research Program, a journal article in Evaluation Review, and a book chapter published by Wiley.

In addition to PIRE projects, Dr. Thomas has published seven books and dozens of journal articles, books chapters, encyclopedia entries, and book reviews on women, politics, and policy. Among Dr. Thomas's other publications are two widely recognized titles published by Oxford University Press: How Women Legislate, and Women and Elective Office: Past, Present and Future, the latter in its third edition She is also a co-author of an award-winning text on American government entitled Understanding American Government, now in its 14th edition.

Dr. Thomas's published work has been recognized with two awards. An article on the impact of gender on activities and priorities of state legislators was commemorated as the top cited article in Political Research Quarterly in its 60 year history. Additionally, an article on the determinants of federal job advancement was awarded the Jeffrey Pressman Award for the best article published in Policy Studies Review in 1995.

Dr. Thomas has also taught courses on women and politics at University of California, Santa Cruz and served as an Associate Editor and Book Editor of the political science journal Politics & Gender.

Before joining PIRE, Dr. Thomas was Associate Professor of Government and Director of Women's Studies at Georgetown University. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Thomas worked as a legislative advocate in California on behalf of women's issues.