Geoffrey Thomas is a PhD student primarily interested in modern French art, especially in the association between painting and the sciences at the transition from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century, working with the mentorship of Professor Dorothy Johnson. His dissertation, tentatively, will attempt to analogize the recurring motifs in the oeuvre of Paul Cézanne with contemporaneous scientific philosophy that contributed to the eventual development of quantum theory.

Geoffrey is a native of South Carolina, having graduated with the BA in art history and the BS in biology, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College, where he was inspired by the art historical teaching of Professor Peter Schmunk. He earned his MA in art history at the University of South Carolina, working as an advisee of Professor Andrew Graciano, where he wrote his MA thesis, "Visions for the Viewer: the Influence of Two Unique Easel Paintings on the Late Murals of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes."

Geoffrey had a previous career as a secondary science and art history teacher, having worked in various schools in South Carolina and Mississippi, before deciding to pursue his doctoral degree. He also proudly coached a competitive high-school quizbowl team that finished as high as fourth in national championships, and he directed summer camps focused on teaching quizbowl players content and strategy relevant to the activity, as well as the middle-school version of the National History Bee.

In addition to his studies, Geoffrey is fortunate to serve as a graduate teaching assistant in the School of Art, Art History, and Design and previously served as an instructor of record in the Department of Rhetoric at the University of Iowa.

Research interests

• Modern French Art, Art and Science