Robert Thomas Receives Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor at Clarkson University
Clarkson University has announced that Robert Thomas has been granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Thomas’ research focuses on engineering concrete solutions for the next generation of civil infrastructure. He studies alternative cements and cement replacement materials that improve concrete performance while reducing its carbon footprint. His work on rapid-setting cements recently earned him the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Additionally, he has conducted extensive research on ground-glass pozzolan, a sustainable material made from landfilled glass waste that can replace a portion of the cement used in concrete.
A dedicated educator, Thomas primarily teaches courses in engineering mechanics and design. He is committed to hands-on learning and innovative teaching methods, earning him recognition as Clarkson’s Outstanding New Teacher in 2022. He also advises Clarkson’s ASCE Concrete Canoe team, which in 2024 competed at the national level for the first time in 20 years.
Thomas is an active member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), where he chairs the committee on alternative cements and contributes to several other committees. He is also involved with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures (RILEM). His professional achievements have been recognized with the ACI Young Member Award for Professional Achievement in 2023 and the ASTM Emerging Professional designation in 2020.
An upstate New York native with ties to the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions, Thomas is an avid outdoorsman and an accomplished woodworker. A three-time Clarkson alumnus, he looks forward to a long and productive career as a member of Clarkson’s tenured faculty.
