Tommy Wells

Tommy Wells is an assistant professor of educational leadership at DePaul University. His scholarship focuses on K-12 educational policy, leadership development, adult social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed educational practices. He is also a licensed school administrator, school counselor, and clinical professional counselor. He previously served as a visiting scholar in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University.

Education

• EdD, Educational Leadership and Policy, Vanderbilt University
• MS, Educational Leadership and Policy, Purdue University
• MEd, Educational Psychology, Loyola University Chicago
• EdS, Counseling and Counselor Education, Indiana University
• BA, Psychology; B.Mus., Contemporary Voice Studies, Northwestern University

Courses Taught

• A&S 493 Data Driven Decision Making
• A&S 823 Community and Consensus Building for School Improvement

Research Interests

Educational leadership and organizational development; education policy analysis; educator workforce capacity and social-emotional competencies; trauma-informed systems

Selected Publications

• Wells, T., & Auletto, A. (2025). The effect of teachers’ social and emotional competencies on students’ academic achievement. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 33(57). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.33.8905
• Wells, T., & Auletto, A. (2025). Factors influencing elementary school teachers’ modification of adaptive technologies to personalize student learning. Computers in the Schools, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2025.2485053
• Wells, T., & Archibald, J. (2023). A phenomenological study of Black female secondary school counselors and their experiences with self-care. Professional School Counseling, 27(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X231182138
• Wells, T., Taylor, A. J., & Young, R. (2022). Kentucky school administrator perspectives on trauma-informed practices: Implications for critical supervision. Journal of Educational Supervision, 5(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.31045/jes.5.3.3