Craig W. Thomas

Craig W. Thomas is a Professor at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington, where he has served since 2006. His expertise spans policy processes, environmental governance, and qualitative methods. He previously taught at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Education:

• Ph.D. and MPP in Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
• B.A. in International Studies, University of Washington

Research Interests:
Professor Thomas focuses on collaboration among public, private, and nonprofit sectors, science-driven decision-making, and environmental policy topics like habitat conservation, watershed management, and marine policy. His work emphasizes institutional dynamics and policy implementation.

Publications:
Authored Bureaucratic Landscapes (2003) and co-authored Collaborative Environmental Management (2004). He published two additional papers in 2018 (titles unspecified).

Awards:

• Leonard D. White Award (APSA) for best public administration dissertation

Leadership & Service:

• Editor of Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (2009–2013)
• Former Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Evans School (2016–2018)
• Commissioner on NASPAA’s accrediting body (2016–2019) and Board Member of the Public Management Research Association (2019–2023)