Thomas Abbey

Background

About Thomas Abbey

I am a dedicated educator, researcher, and student affairs professional currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on Adult and Community Education. My dissertation explores the concept of language ownership among bilingual and multilingual international students navigating predominantly English-speaking academic environments. With fluency in English and working proficiency across multiple languages from Slavic, Turkic, and East Asian families, I bring a culturally responsive approach to student support and curriculum development. My work centers on multilingual learners and is informed by international research and adult learning theory. With over 7 years of progressive leadership experience in Housing and Student Affairs across three institutions, I have managed residential communities of up to 350 students, supervised and mentored student staff, led crisis response efforts, and advised hall councils and student government to foster engagement and belonging. Professional Highlights-Launched and advised student government and hall councils with up to 50% resident participation-Recognized with Hall Gov Advisor of the Year and Hall Government of the Year awards (2022–2023, NDSU)-Published and presented language acquisition research on Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL)-Conducted fieldwork in Azerbaijan on multilingualism, language identity, and cultural navigation-Experienced in curriculum design, qualitative research, training facilitation, and applying adult learning theory in diverse educational contexts. I am eager to leverage my combined expertise in research, student affairs, and language education in leadership roles within international education, curriculum development, and student success initiatives—particularly those that support multilingual learners, global engagement, and inclusive community building.