Thomas Benton

True happiness for Thomas Benton entails his head in the stars or his kayak floating down a whitewater river.

The Hendersonville, N.C., native is joining the Math Department this year. His biggest passions are paddling local waters and scientific pursuits in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics.

Mr. Benton received his undergraduate degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from UNC Asheville. While there, he received N.C. Space Grant funding for research in radio astronomy and for his work at UNCA’s Lookout Observatory. Mr. Benton later earned his master’s in the Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona.

He has taught in North Carolina and Arizona, most recently as a Math instructor at his hometown’s Hendersonville High School.

Mr. Benton has been an avid kayaker for nearly 20 years. When he is not at work or out on the water, Mr. Benton also partakes in woodworking, model-making, writing, and watching science fiction programming. He is married and has a young son.