Congratulations to Cristina Thomas ’92 PhD, the 2026 Chemical Engineering recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award!
Thomas is a chemical engineering leader with more than 35 years of experience in research and development across the oil, chemical, and advanced materials industries. Over her career, she has led large-scale innovation initiatives at organizations including IBM and 3M, driving the development and commercialization of new materials and technologies.
She and her husband Scott have been steadfast supporters of UMass Amherst for many years, including establishing an endowed fund to support undergraduate chemical engineering students and contributing to UMass Amherst Foundation fundraising for Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science and Engineering graduate students. She enjoys traveling and cherishing moments with her family and dog.