Cristina Thomas, PhD

Dr. Cristina Thomas has been recently inducted to the National Academy of Engineering (class of 2024!). She welcomes the opportunity to serve the nation and the world with her scientific and engineering background, and industry experience. She has more than 34 years of technical and leadership experience in research and development in the oil industry, IBM and 3M. She has had a variety of assignments including Global R&D Services Director, R&D Global Process Owner, Strategy Manager, Laboratory Manager, Commercialization Manager, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Technical Black Belt and Group Leader of Materials Modeling.

She has undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.  She is a co-inventor in more than 26 patents and is recognized for persistently nurturing team high performance to deliver innovative ideas that move new technologies into markets. She has a passion for institutions that focus on education of underrepresented students and women in science and engineering. She is a board member at Cristo Rey Jesuit Twin Cities High School, at CACHE Corporation and at Project Scientist. She chairs the Public Affairs and Information Committee at AIChE and is the chair-elect of ACS PMSE Division. She received the 2019 AIChE Industry Leadership Award, the 2019 AICHE Management Division Award, the 2023 ACS Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, and is an ACS fellow, an ACS PMSE fellow and an AIChE fellow. She enjoys spending time with her husband and her three accomplished and caring adult children.