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Dr. Debbie Thomas joined Texas A&M University in 2004 as an assistant professor and holds the rank of professor in the Department of Oceanography. She was appointed Executive Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs of Texas A&M University at Galveston and Associate Provost of Texas A&M University in August 2022. Previously, Dr. Thomas served as the Dean of the College of Geosciences and head of the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Thomas received her master’s degree in Marine Sciences and her doctoral degree in Geological Sciences from the University of North Carolina. She earned her undergraduate degree in Geological Sciences from Brown University, while also fulfilling her dream of competing as a four-year Division I scholar-athlete.

Dr. Thomas, who specializes in the field of paleoceanography, studies the chemical composition of marine sediments to reconstruct 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 and successfully proposed and led IODP Expedition 378, to recover cores from the South Pacific to contribute to our understanding of past climate (January-February 2020).

Dr. Thomas’ honors include being named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, a Center for Teaching Excellence Montague Scholar, and college-level Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching from the Texas A&M Association of Former Students.