Biography
Tony Thomas is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Florida International University (FIU), where he has been a faculty member since 2020. He teaches a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including Manufacturing Processes, Mechanical Design, Finite Element and Volume Methods, and serves as core faculty for the senior capstone design sequence. In addition to his teaching role, Thomas holds Graduate Faculty Status, supervises master’s theses, serves on multiple Ph.D. committees, and advises the FIU student chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He was elected a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (2024) and has received multiple awards for excellence in teaching, including the FIU Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching (2024). Thomas’s research expertise lies at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, materials science, and corrosion science. His work spans additive manufacturing, porous ceramic and composite processing, and biomedical scaffolding, with applications in aerospace, energy, and regenerative medicine. He has co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the inventor on eight U.S. patents, with two currently under licensing. His contributions to externally funded projects include serving as Co-Principal Investigator on a multi-phase Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies grant examining the corrosion behavior of additively manufactured stainless steel and titanium alloys, and as Principal Investigator on a NASA-supported senior design initiative.
Prior to his current role, Thomas was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at FIU’s NSF Engineering Research Center for Cellular Metamaterials (Cell-Met), where he advanced 3D printing technologies for cardiovascular applications. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and MSc in Engineering Design from the University of Bath, United Kingdom, and his MS in Materials Science and Engineering from West Virginia University. His early research on Ti2AlC ceramics and fuel cell materials established a foundation for his continuing interest in developing novel materials and processes for high-performance, sustainable, and biomedical applications.
Awards & Honors
- Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors (NAI), 2024
- Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2024
- Rewarding Excellence in Teaching, FIU Faculty Leadership and Success, 2023
Education
- Master of Science (MS) in Material Science and Engineering, 2017
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering, 2015
- Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering Design, 2011
- Bachelor of Engineering (B. E) in Industrial and Production Engineering, 2010