Thomas served at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business as its Dean from 2011 to 2016 and as the William R. Berkley Chair and Professor of Management from 2016 to 2017.
Thomas was earlier a professor of business administration at Harvard University, from 1990 to 2011, where he rose to direct the school's Organizational Behavior Unit as the Fitzhugh chair from 2006 to 2011.
When he was applying for undergraduate studies, he wanted to go to Morehouse College and was accepted, but instead chose Yale, where he was able to receive financial aid.
The newly designed MBA curriculum focuses on breaking down silos between subject areas and is a more integrative approach to education.
[6] In addition, Thomas expanded the evening MBA program to Tysons Corner, Virginia, launched a global business initiative, and recruited a diverse set of new faculty.
[8] David Thomas has researched and written extensively on diversity within organizations,[9][10] executive development[11] and higher education Dr. Thomas has co-authored two books: Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America (Harvard Business Press, 1999) and Leading for Equity: The Pursuit of Excellence in Montgomery County (Harvard Education Press, 2009), and written more than 60 case studies and articles for academic journals and others publications.