Thomas is starting his 15th year at LSU (lasierra.edu/art), and his third year as Chair of the Department of Art+Design. Thomas is passionate about creating immersive experiences that connect ideas and spaces through creative activity. This can be seen in the FAM nights at LSU, where students, alumni and friends come together to cook, share a meal and celebrate their creative work. This can also be seen in the light sculpture installations that encourage reflection through quite engagement with the work.

Prior to LSU, Thomas worked in the technology and entertainment fields of design, pioneering some of the early Flash animation work at Atomfilms.com during the dot com boom of the late nineties. His clients at the time included Microsoft, Warner Brothers, A&M Records, Swatch International and KPMG. Thomas maintains an active design practice (t13media.com) providing design consultation for non-profit institutions, small businesses and entertainment clients.

This active engagement in the business world of design ensures that his courses are based on real world design practices. He recently exhibited a light installation titled “Resonance” at the Brandstater Gallery in the Fall of 2014. Thomas has a BFA in Illustration from Art Center College of Design, and an MFA in Graphic Design from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Thomas is a founding member of Sustain Initiatives that seeks to transform South Los Angeles through projects that nurture community and cultivate sustainable thinking while providing opportunities for an underserved population. Thomas has a number of interactive games under development that are inspired by urban gardening (cometfarms.com) and promote sustainable thinking. His experience at VCFA has truly changed his world view.