Thomas studied Geography at the University of Oxford for his Bachelor’s degree. His dissertation looked into the spatial distribution of food poverty in Oxfordshire. Since leaving university he has worked for a water and sanitation NGO in Cambodia, completed internships at a marketing agency and the national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey.
Thomas is currently investigating methods to improve drought monitoring in East Africa with the hope to combine earth observation, water resource modelling and in situ monitoring to identify spatial and temporal patterns in drought conditions. This involves developing new vegetation health indices to remotely monitor drought and infer land surface conditions, as well as developing automated approaches to provide decision support tools for partners in Ethiopia and Kenya.