Brian Thomas

Brian Thomas is a Research Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines), where he has been since 2015. He holds a B.Eng. from McGill University and a PhD from the University of British Columbia, both in Metallurgical Process Engineering. His research focuses on computational modeling of metals processing, particularly the continuous casting of steel, integrating experimental and computational methods to improve process understanding and quality control. He is also the C.J. Gauthier Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Continuous Casting Consortium (now Continuous Casting Center) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Education:

• B.Eng., Metallurgical Process Engineering, McGill University
• PhD, Metallurgical Process Engineering, University of British Columbia

Research Interests:

• Computational modeling of multiphase flow and solidification in steel casting
• Defect formation and mitigation in continuous casting processes
• Thermal and mechanical behavior during steel solidification
• Development of advanced control systems for metallurgical processes

His work has led to fundamental insights into continuous casting dynamics, including air gap measurement, bubble behavior, and metallurgical length control. He leads the Continuous Casting Center, a collaborative initiative focused on advancing steel manufacturing technologies.

Labs & Collaborations: Continuous Casting Center (Mines), previously leading the Metals Processing Simulation Laboratory at UIUC.