Thomas Sutton

Dr. Thomas Sutton is a longtime, respected political science professor who has served in a range of leadership roles at BW since arriving in 1998, including as acting president and interim provost in 2024. Previously, Sutton served as interim dean of BW's School of Humanities and Social Sciences and president of the BW Faculty Senate.

An esteemed educator, Sutton received a prestigious Fulbright Scholar award in 2014, which funded a semester of scholarly work in Ghana. He received BW's Distinguished Faculty Award for Leadership in 2018 and the Strosacker Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019. He was also chosen by the Student Senate for four Faculty Excellence Awards in 2004, 2009, 2012 and 2016 and is a recipient of the United Methodist Church Exemplary Teaching Award.

Sutton served as chair of the political science department and held the Burton D. Morgan Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies from 2014-2021. In addition, he was director of the BW Community Research Institute, a successful center that engages students in applied research with local, regional and statewide nonprofit and government agencies.

Sutton provides public opinion research results and expert analysis to a wide range of media outlets that rely on his expert voice to explain Ohio politics, government, public policy and more. His insights have regularly appeared in Cleveland media, and he has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many more.

Sutton earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in Political Science/Public Policy from Kent State University.