Missouri State University’s Dr. Kip Thompson skillfully juggles responsibilities in two distinct areas.
He has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for more than 23 years. He has also worked as an associate professor of public health in MSU’s McQueary College of Health and Human Services for nearly a decade.
Since commissioning as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2001, Thompson has been deployed five times to various countries during his military career.
Helping in the Middle East
His most recent deployment was to the Middle East from October 2022 to April 2024. While stationed in Kuwait, Col. Thompson served in multiple roles, including chief of staff for the 3rd Medical Command Forward, based out of Fort Gillem, Georgia.
“I managed a team of 50 soldiers, responsible for ensuring the delivery of essential health services across the Middle East region,” Thompson said.
While stationed in Qatar, Thompson was the medical liaison officer between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of State. In this role, he was responsible for the successful handover of the medical mission to support beneficiaries leaving Afghanistan from the Army to the Department of State.
“We gave basic medical and dental care to local communities and Afghan refugees in Qatar to help them prepare to move to their new countries of residence,” Thompson said.
For him, military service has never been just about conflict, weapons and uniforms. What matters most is the humanitarian work.
“Yes, I’ve had to carry weapons, but as a public health professional, I focus on providing health care to those in need,” he said.
Roots of passion and purpose
Thompson grew up in Springfield, Missouri. He graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s in biology and secondary education in 1989 and a master’s in zoology/animal biology in 1993.
In 2000, he completed his PhD in Marine Science from the University of South Alabama and joined the U.S. Army Reserve shortly after.
“I felt a sense of duty to give back, so joining the military seemed like the right thing to do,” he said.
While Thompson focused on fish and aquatic ecosystems early on in his career, he developed a passion for human and public health during his military service. Because of this, he returned to MSU and completed his second master’s in public health in 2014.
At this time, he connected with faculty members, who inspired him to consider teaching.
In May 2015, MSU offered him a faculty position in the public health program. He accepted and the rest is history.
“It’s rewarding when students graduate and return to share how my support benefited them in their careers,” he said. “I believe every faculty member wants to know their efforts truly make a difference in students’ lives.”
While deployed, he continues to teach online courses using Zoom and MSU’s learning management system.
He notes it is easy to forget everything else while stationed overseas due to his hectic work schedule. Moreover, different time zones create challenges for staying in touch with students and the university.
“But my goal is to stay connected with them even from far away,” Thompson said.
Healing across borders
Thompson’s commitment to serve goes beyond military duties. His dedication to improving health care reflects his belief that health is a fundamental human right.
During his deployment to Kosovo from 2007-08, Thompson was responsible for offering a one-day clinic twice a month to different communities in need.
During one such clinic, he and his team provided optical care to nearly 200 children in a local elementary school who struggled with blurry vision and chronic dry eyes due to heavy metal exposure in the area.
To address this, Thompson and his team provided eye lubrication to the affected children. They also gave them customized glasses, which helped them to see clearly for the first time.
“Helping those children to regain their vision is one of my proudest accomplishments,” Thompson said. “It always reminds me why I do what I do!”
Data-driven change in health care
In addition to his military and teaching duties, Thompson conducts research that affects public health.
He is currently working on two projects. The first is with Dr. Robert Niezgoda, a visiting assistant professor in the School of Health Sciences.
The project focuses on assessing the true error rate for emergency calls based on medical emergency types at CoxHealth.
“I’m assisting with data analysis to identify the gaps and propose a solution,” Thompson said.
For the second project, Thompson is collaborating with the Southwest Missouri Drug Poisoning Coalition team for a drug overdose study. He helps analyze data on rates of drug overdose calls and related deaths.
“Using data to see the pattern and find prevention methods is key to lowering overdose risks and saving lives,” he said.