Art History alumnus Michael Thomas (Ph.D., 2001) has been appointed as the director of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History (EODIAH) at The University of Texas at Dallas, succeeding founding director Dr. Richard Brettell. He currently serves as the director for the Center for the Study of Ancient Italy (CSAI) at the Department of Art and Art History at UT Austin, spearheading its initiatives with The Oplontis Project, a multidisciplinary and systematic study of Villa A (Villa di Poppaea) at Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Italy) conducted under Thomas and UT Art History Professor John R. Clarke's direction.
The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History was established by a gift of $17 million from Edith O’Donnell in 2014. The institute, housed in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building on the UT Dallas campus, also maintains facilities in the Dallas Museum of Art.
With his extensive experience in interdisciplinary research and large international collaborations and international experience, Thomas is well-qualified to further cultivate the many engagements of the O’Donnell Institute with other organizations. Such collaborations have included the Getty Research Institute, the Clark Art Institute, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Read more about Thomas and his new appointment at The University of Texas at Dallas.