Rowen Thomas

Rowen has worked as a teacher, speaker, coach, and group leader for over ten years. They help people learn and grow, especially those who come from groups that have often been treated unfairly. This includes people who are queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and people of color. Rowen uses humor, kindness, and truth to bring people together to make the world more fair and free.

Rowen is now the Director of the Stryker Institute for Leadership Development. Before this, they were the first Associate Director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). While at UNC, they also worked with the GSRC and the UNITE program as a Graduate Assistant. Rowen is currently working on a Ph.D. in Higher Education, Student Affairs Leadership, and Research Methods at UNC.

Rowen is a researcher who uses art and storytelling to understand people’s lives. They focus on doing research that helps communities and is done in ethical and caring ways. Rowen is also skilled at helping students, leading projects, building communities, and creating lessons and programs that help others grow as leaders.

Outside of work, Rowen is an artist and slam poet. They believe in building relationships based on freedom and trust, not strict rules. Their personal and professional work is all about healing, justice, and helping people become their full selves.