He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Toronto. Thompson teaches modern European, U.S. and world history, as well as the sophomore core courses, Government and Economics and Global Village. His research interests include the Indochina War, as well as the intersection of European integration and decolonization. His article "Defending the Rhine in Asia: France’s 1951 Reinforcement Debate and French International Ambitions" is forthcoming with the journal French Historical Studies.