BIO

Thomas Leek completed his BA in German Literature and Classical Humanities at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He completed his undergraduate studies while taking part in the Academic Year in Freiburg program through the UW Madison Study Abroad Office. An extra year of study in Freiburg gave Professor Leek the opportunity to prepare for a graduate career at the University of Minnesota in the Germanic Medieval Studies program offered through the Department of German, Scandinavian and Dutch. In June of 2009, he defended his dissertation on a set of 13th-century folktales attested in German, French and Latin sources. His research interests include medieval literature, folklore and historical linguistics.

Leek has been with the UWSP Department of World Languages since the fall of 2009.  As of 2026, he now serves as chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures. He teaches courses in German language, literature and culture.