Rekha R. Thomas

Rekha R. Thomas is a Professor of Mathematics and Undergraduate Program Director at the University of Washington. She holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell University (1994), with postdoctoral experience at Yale University and the Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum in Berlin. Her research focuses on optimization, applied algebraic geometry, and computer vision, with contributions to semidefinite programming, graphical designs, and geometric algorithms. She has held distinguished positions such as the Robert R. and Elaine F. Phelps Professorship (2008–2012) and the Robert B. Warfield Jr. Faculty Fellowship (2017–2020).

Her work bridges theory and application, addressing challenges in computer vision, combinatorial optimization, and algebraic geometry. Notable contributions include advancements in multiview geometry, kernel learning, and the geometric analysis of rank-deficient matrices. She actively collaborates across disciplines, publishing extensively and supervising numerous graduate students and postdocs.

Rekha also engages in academic leadership, mentoring students, and participating in international conferences. Her research has been recognized through invited talks at major events like the International Congress of Mathematicians (2018) and SIAM Annual Meetings. She continues to explore the intersections of algebraic geometry, optimization, and computational methods.