AnnMarie Thomas

AnnMarie Thomas is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering and the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, where she joined the faculty in the fall of 2006. Prior to her current role, she was a faculty member at Art Center College of Design. She is the founder and director of the Playful Learning Lab, which explores the integration of arts and engineering to foster creative thinking in students of all ages. Additionally, Thomas is the co-director of the University of St. Thomas Center for Engineering Education (CEE), which she co-founded to enhance engineering education for P-12 educators and to conduct pivotal research in pre-collegiate engineering education.

Thomas teaches a variety of courses that include Engineering Graphics and Design, Machine Design, Dynamics (coupled with Circus Lab), Toy Design, Product Design for an Aging Population, Technology Prototyping (for Business majors), Environmental Sustainability/Innovation, and Brain Machine Interfaces (seminar). She is actively involved in overseeing the School of Engineering Design Night, which features the ENGR320 Machine Design competition, and she coordinates the Design Discussions seminar series. Her innovative teaching methods and curriculum development have significantly influenced engineering education at the university.

Her research and project involvement extend beyond the classroom; Thomas has worked on underwater robotics at prestigious institutions such as MIT, Caltech, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, focusing on biologically inspired propulsion. Moreover, she authored the book "Making Makers: Kids, Tools, and the Future of Innovation," reflecting her dedication to integrating practical maker skills into education. Her foundational work with the Maker Education Initiative as the Founding Executive Director, where she helped launch the national Maker Corps program, underscores her commitment to expanding access to engineering and maker education.