Anderson-Interface Chair of Natural Systems and
Professor
Education
- B.A. Physics, Mathematics minor (1981), Swarthmore College
- Ph.D. Theoretical High Energy Physics (1986), Cornell University
Expertise
- Industrial ecology
- Energy
- Environmental
- Technology assessment
About
Valerie Thomas is the Anderson-Interface Chair of Natural Systems and Professor in the H. Milton School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, with a joint appointment in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.
Dr. Thomas's research interests are energy and materials efficiency, sustainability, industrial ecology, technology assessment, international security, and science and technology policy. Dr. Thomas is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the American Physical Society. She has been an American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellow, a Member of the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board, and a Member of the USDA/DOE Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee.
She has worked at Princeton University in the Princeton Environmental Institute and in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, and at Carnegie Mellon University in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy.
Research
Professor Thomas’ research centers on the development and application of probabilistic models and methods for reliability, risk assessment, and decision analysis. Her work addresses stochastic modeling of complex systems, with an emphasis on quantifying and mitigating uncertainty and risk. She investigates methodologies that integrate statistical inference with system optimization to enhance the reliability and safety of engineered systems. The research program engages theory alongside practical modeling challenges in engineering and related domains.
Teaching
Professor Thomas’ teaching interests encompass applied probability and statistics, with a focus on modeling uncertainty and decision-making under risk. She instructs both undergraduate and graduate students in courses related to stochastic processes, risk analysis, and reliability engineering. Professor Thomas emphasizes rigorous quantitative reasoning and practical problem solving in her pedagogy, aiming to develop students’ analytical skills and their ability to apply probabilistic methods to complex engineering and systems challenges.
Awards and Honors
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2010
- Excellence in Review Award, Environmental Science and Technology 2005
- Fellow of the American Physical Society 1999
Representative Publications
- D’Souza, S., Johnston J., Thomas, V. M., Harris K., Tan E. C. D., Chance R. R., Yuan Y. Integrating Direct Air Capture with Algal Biofuel Production to Reduce Cost, Energy, and GHG Emissions. J. CO2 Utilization 86, 102911, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2024.102911
- Broesicke, O.A., Thomas, V. M., Grubert, E., Crittenden, J. C. Water consumption from absorption chillers is not negligible: water-for-cooling consumption of chiller systems for commercial buildings in the United States. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 67, 103827, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2024.103827
- Azuero-Pedraza, C., Lauri, P., A. Lessa Derci Augustynczik, Thomas, V. M. Managing forests for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Envir. Sci. Technol. 58, 21, 9175–9186, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c07163
- Chen, Y., Basciftci, B., Thomas, V. M. Chance-constrained multi-stage stochastic energy system expansion planning with demand satisfaction flexibility. International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, 155, Part A, Jan 2024, 109499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijepes.2023.109499
- Can Şener, S.; Thomas, V. M.; Hogan, D.; Maier, R.; Carbajales-Dale, M.; Barton, M.; Karanfil, T.; Crittenden, J.; Amy, G. Recovery Potential of Critical Minerals and Metals from Aqueous Sources. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 9 (35): 11616–11634, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03005