Dr. Sylvia Wilson Thomas is Professor in Electrical Engineering where she leads the Advanced Materials Bio and Integration Research (AMBIR) laboratory, and Vice President for Research at the University of South Florida. She previously served as Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering at USF. Dr. Thomas' research and teaching endeavors are focused on the investigation of bio (biomedical, biological) and nano electronic device integration using advanced material systems for nano membrane technology, energy harvesting, sustainable environments, drug delivery, and bio-applications to meet global technological challenges. With over 25 years of global experience in academia and industry, Dr. Thomas has authored or co-authored over 50 publications and six book/book chapters. She holds 12 patents/pending patents and has received over $4M in funding. Her involvement and constant dedication to STEM education, diversity, and professional development have led to her recognition in local and national news and publications, including Guide to Florida's High Tech Corridor magazine, "The Faces of Technology"; St. Petersburg Times, "Recruiter, Role Model, Engineer"; the United Nations-NGO Briefing on "Girls and Technology: New Educational Opportunities"; and Electronic Design 50th Anniversary Issue among others. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has been recognized with a number of prestigious awards including, National Academy of Inventors Fellow, USF Undergraduate Teaching Award, Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Faculty Research Award, STEM Woman of the Year Award from Pinellas County Girls Inc., USF Graduate Faculty Mentor Award, McKnight Junior Faculty Fellow and more. Dr. Thomas holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, where she was a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Howard University, as a NSF Materials Research Center of Excellence Fellow and was a National Science Foundation (NSF) research engineer in Korea at Chonbuk National University during her doctoral program.