About Dr. Erwin K. Thomas

A Guyanese-born author Erwin K. Thomas, PhD, was raised in Georgetown, Guyana, in South America as the eldest of eleven children. At the age of 26 he came to the United States to further his studies. He completed his undergraduate degree in Speech at the University of Oregon, Eugene, did graduate work in Television (Speech) at Brooklyn College (CUNY), worked at CBS Network Radio News, NYC, before teaching at three universities - International Journalism, Ethics, History, and TV Directing. His present interest is writing about World Religions & Beliefs, and is a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR).

In 1978 Thomas earned the PhD degree in International Journalism and Broadcasting from the School of Journalism, University of Missouri - Columbia. After 28 years at SUNY - Oswego, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, and Norfolk State University, VA, he retired as a professor and graduate coordinator from the Department of Mass Communications & Journalism. He was vice president of the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) at Old Dominion University, Virginia Beach, VA, and is a member of the Association for Education for Journalism in Mass Communication (AEJMC) Religion Media Interest Group.

Thomas has published eight books. One of the earliest is entitled, Mass Media in 2025 with Brown H. Carpenter (Greenwood Press); and the latest a biography, Life's Passages: From Guyana to America, and novel Guyana's Seawall Girl - (both in 2018) with CreateSpace Independent Platform. He has participated in book festivals at Virginia's Beach Central Library, Norfolk Public Library, Suffolk Literary Festival, and Wiiliamsburg Book Festival. Thomas is married to Mary Barta Thomas - a retired librarian, and they are the parents of Matthew J. Thomas, of Charlottesville, VA. They are life-long members of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Virginia Beach - an ecumenical community of Episcopalians and Roman Catholics, where he was on the Vestry Council, Eucharistic Minister, and editor of the church's Facebook page.