User:Anncw/sandbox



= Sylvia Wilson Thomas, PhD = Sylvia Wilson Thomas was appointed the Vice President for Research & Innovation at the University of South Florida in 2023, after serving as interim vice president for the previous two years.[1] She is the only African-American woman serving in this role at any of the top research universities in the U.S. and Canada that are member institutions of the Association of American Universities[2]. She is also the President and CEO of the University of South Florida Research Foundation.

Education
She received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University (1990) and a PhD in electrical engineering from Howard University (1999)[3]

Career
In addition to serving as Vice President for Research & Innovation, she is also a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida [4]. She leads the Advanced Materials Bio and Integration Research (AMBIR) laboratory at USF[5], and formerly served as Assistant Dean of the USF College of Engineering.

Thomas’ research and teaching endeavors are focused on bio (biomedical, biological) and nano electronic device integration using advanced membrane/material systems to meet global technological challenges for alternative energy sources[6], sustainable environments, and bio-applications[7]. Her research explores the synthesis and device integration of inorganic and organic thin films and nanofibers[8].

She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)[9], a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)[10] a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)[11], and a former Board Member of Black Girls Code. She is the recipient of the 2020 Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) Education STEM Educational Leadership Award[12] from US Black Engineer and Information Technology Magazine. [1] https://www.usf.edu/research-innovation/news/2023/sylvia-wilson-thomas-named-vp-research-innovation.aspx

[2] https://www.eetimes.com/i-dont-think-it-gets-any-better-than-sylvia/, Electrical Engineering Times, 2024-01-07

[3] Alumna Sylvia Wilson Thomas Inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows, Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture, 2020-06-12

[4] https://awards.research.usf.edu/profiles/?id=1076

[5] The Advanced Membrane and Materials Bio and Integration Research Laboratory, AMBIR Laboratory

[6] Mini Notched Turbine Generator, US Patent No. 9,618,002, 2017-04-11

[7] Optimization of PVDF-TrFE Based Electro-Conductive Nanofibers: Morphology and In Vitro Response, Materials, 2023-04-14

[8] Eco-friendly, Biodegradable, and Biocompatible Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes and Applications, Sustainable Nanotechnology: Strategies, Products, and Applications, 2022-3-4

[9] AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2020, AIMBE, 2020-3-30

[10] National Academy of Inventors Senior Members, National Academy of Inventors

[11] IEEE Member Directory, IEEE Computational Intelligence Society

[12] The BEYA Winner is Forging New Paths in STEM, US Black Engineer News, 2020-03-05