Edward Thomas Jr. was appointed dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn University in Alabama. He is the first dean of the college that also holds a doctorate from Auburn University.
Dr. Thomas has been serving as interim dean since 2021. Earlier, he was associate dean for research and graduate studies. Dr. Thomas joined the faculty at Auburn in 2000 and was promoted to full professor 0f physics in 2007. He is a prominent scholar in the field of experimental and computational plasma physics.
“I am deeply humbled to take on this new role to serve the College of Sciences and Mathematics,” Dr. Thomas said. “The past year and a half as interim dean has been an invaluable learning experience that has allowed me to work with our college’s leadership team in new and different ways. The opportunity to learn from our faculty, students, and staff has enabled me to identify new approaches to optimize our work and foster important relationships with our stakeholders.”
Professor Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. He earned a master’s degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate from Auburn University.
