Neff Hall B44A
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
Biography
Thomas Foley is a Lecturer and the Unit Lead of Health and Human Sciences at Indiana University Fort Wayne (IUFW). He serves on the IUFW Executive Committee, Faculty Council, and the Healthy IU Steering Committee. He is the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee and Faculty Advisor of the IUFW Chapter of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Courses he teaches include Survey of the U.S. Health Care System, Health Care Systems Across the World, Introduction to Rehabilitation, Aging and the Older Person, and Accessibility and Society.
Thomas earned a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion from George Washington University in Washington, DC and completed Community Health doctorate course work at the Oregon Health and Science University - Portland State University in Portland, OR. He has over 15 years-experience in disease prevention and health promotion, primarily focusing on prevention and rehabilitation of chronic diseases through physical activity and nutrition. He integrates participant-centeredness, the Stages of Change, and the Social Ecological Model into his examination and translation of prevention and rehabilitation of chronic disease through health behaviors.
Thomas has worked in medical weight loss clinics as the health behaviorist within collaborative care teams, within the health promotion departments of large healthcare providers, and as a research assistant at Portland State's Institute of Aging. He was part of a small inter-professional team that started a 501(c)(3) non-profit clinic serving people experiencing homelessness in Portland, OR and was the clinic's founding co-director of the training and education program.
Thomas taught graduate epidemiology courses to Master of Public Health students at Eastern Washington University's Spokane Campus. Courses he taught and helped design at Eastern Washington included Intro to Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Issues in Epidemiology and Public Health, Seminar in Epidemiology, Mixed Methods Research, and Seminar in Health Promotion.
Thomas has international experience. He served in Peace Corps Guyana as a teacher and community organizer. While serving in the Peace Corps, he helped start and served as an advisor to student-led health and environment clubs. The student health and environment clubs were initiatives prioritized and supported by Guyana’s Ministry of Health and USAID.
Thomas also worked as a scientific editor early in his career. He was a technical editor assigned to the Federal Aviation Administration. Aside from his academic and professional pursuits, Thomas enjoys lifting weights and running and exploring the outdoors with his dog PJ.
