Michele Thornton

Michele Thornton, PhD, MBA, serves as an Associate Professor at the State University of New York College at Oswego since August 2017, and previously held the position of Assistant Professor. Thornton has extensive experience as a Health Insurance and Employee Benefits Consultant at thorntonpowell since January 2000, focusing on industry trends and dynamic benefit package creation. As Vice President of the Health & Employee Benefits Division, Thornton coordinated hiring and training efforts and chaired the Budget and Strategic Planning Committee. Additionally, an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Concordia University, Thornton teaches graduate-level courses related to health insurance, risk management, and healthcare administration. Prior experience includes being an ACA Navigator Trainer and Research Assistant at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Residential Treatment Specialist at The Children's Foundation. Educational qualifications include a PhD in Health Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois Chicago, an MBA in Health Sector Management from DePaul Driehaus College of Business, and a BA in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University.