Mikkel A. Thomas has worked for the Institute for Matter and Systems since 2008. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1997, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1999 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Optoelectronics in 2008, all from the Georgia institute of Technology. Prior to his employment at Georgia Tech, Thomas worked at OptiComp Corporation located in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. His research at the company revolved around the development of VCSEL based, integrated optical communication systems for use in satellites and other aerospace applications. Since arriving at Georgia Tech, in the IMS, Thomas has provided cleanroom processing support to the academic faculty and their graduate students. He also provided processing support and fabrication services for entities not directly affiliated with the institute. Additionally, he was the lab instructor for ChBE 4050. In 2022, Thomas was named the Associate Director for Education and Outreach in IMS. In this role, Thomas is responsible for all the outreach efforts of the IRI covering K-Grey. He also organizes all the education coordinators in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) as part of his role in the NNCI coordinating office located at Georgia Tech.