Dr. Thomas is the Founding Dean for the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University, and also serves as the Executive Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at TAMU Galveston, Associate Provost at Texas A&M University, and Professor of Oceanography.  She previously served as Dean of the College of Geosciences and Head of the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M. She joined the university as an assistant professor in 2004.
Dr. Thomas’ research applies the chemical composition of marine sediments toward the reconstruction of past climate, with a particular interest in the climate dynamics of globally warm periods of time in Earth’s history. Her work relies on sea floor samples collected through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).  She has led international research teams through IODP, most recently as co-chief scientist of IODP Expedition 378 in the South Pacific (January-February 2020). Dr. Thomas is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.
She received her Ph.D. in geological sciences and M.S. in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in geological sciences from Brown University.