Ian Thomas

Ian Thomas is an expert in internet and data technology with 20-years of experience developing software. His broad expertise encompasses the data application development lifecycle, with achievements in leading interactive dashboards and large-scale analytical pipelines. As an advocate for user-centered design and agile development practices, Ian believes in an iterative approach to project design and development where he guides activity in cross-functional groups, empowering developers, subject matter experts, users, and client stakeholders to engage collaboratively to create effective, user-friendly tools.

Ian has managed the development of many advanced interactive dashboards, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey Data Dashboard (N-DASH), and the Georgia Strategic Prevention System (GASPS) Data Warehouse dashboard collection. In addition, he has created data centric web applications that include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Data Analysis System (DAS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Interactive Process Map (IPM). Currently, Ian serves as a co-principal investigator for the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Estimation System, a statistical processing pipeline that leverages cloud computing to produce over 300 million estimates annually for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Crime in the United States publication. The project combines RTI’s statistical expertise with large scale cloud-based software development.

Before joining RTI, Ian worked at Epic Games, where he built data systems for video games, worked with large amounts of player data, and contributed to the company’s planning and strategy.