Jonathan Thomas: Breaking Out Of Traditions

If Ph.D. student Jonathan Thomas hadn’t jumped at the chance to work under Dr. Michele Marcolongo researching hydrogels (a soft water polymer) that could potentially serve as artificial discs for the back, he may have taken up meteorology and be nothing more than another local weatherman. Although this career path would have certainly helped Jon explain with greater confidence the exact atmospheric events leading to a Phillies rain-out and the consequential closing of the ballpark—one of Jon’s favorite places in Philadelphia—the field of biomaterials would certainly be missing out on a talented researcher.

Jon completed his BS/MS degree in the spring of 2000 and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree. In addition to being elected as the president of the Graduate Student Association and one of the directors of the Liberty Bell Chapter of ASM International, Jon has already presented his research findings at the Annual Society for Biomaterials Meeting, April 2001, Minneapolis, MN.

Jon anticipates graduating in June, 2004. “That is,” he says. “As long as the workload doesn’t break my back.”