Thomas has been at Georgia Tech for 21 years, serving 11 as either provost or executive vice president. "I've been fortunate to watch the incredible growth of this Institute, both quantitatively and qualitatively," he says. "It someone else's turn to take Georgia Tech to the next level." Thomas came to Georgia Tech in 1978 from the University of Florida. As ISyE school director, he helped lead the School to national prominence as the number-one ranked program.

In his new role, Thomas will be responsible for increasing collaboration, expanding research opportunities, and forging new research alliances in such areas as information security, information technology policy, e-business, and new hardware and software systems. The position will also focus on forging new linkages with private industry.