diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h b/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h
index 6e1fe1b55..bb284701a 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ namespace Cantera
 {
 
 class XML_Node;
+class AnyMap;
+class UnitSystem;
 
 //! Create a new SpeciesThermoInterpType object given a corresponding constant.
 /*!
@@ -50,6 +52,15 @@ SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const std::string& type,
  */
 SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& thermoNode);
 
+//! Create a new SpeciesThermoInterpType object using the specified parameters
+/*!
+ * @param thermo_node  An AnyMap specifying the model type (e.g. "NASA") and any
+ *                     model parameters necessary to instantiate the object
+ * @param units        Specification for the unit system to convert from
+ */
+unique_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> newSpeciesThermo(
+    const AnyMap& thermo_node, const UnitSystem& units);
+
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
index a23cd2521..37089734c 100644
--- a/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "cantera/thermo/VPStandardStateTP.h"
 #include "cantera/base/ctml.h"
 #include "cantera/base/stringUtils.h"
+#include "cantera/base/Units.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -141,6 +142,39 @@ static SpeciesThermoInterpType* newNasaThermoFromXML(vector<XML_Node*> nodes)
     return newSpeciesThermoInterpType(NASA, tmin, tmax, p0, &c[0]);
 }
 
+void setupSpeciesThermo(SpeciesThermoInterpType& thermo,
+                        const AnyMap& node, const UnitSystem& units)
+{
+    double Pref = OneAtm;
+    if (node.hasKey("reference-pressure")) {
+        Pref = units.convert(node.at("reference-pressure"), "Pa");
+    }
+    thermo.setRefPressure(Pref);
+}
+
+void setupNasaPoly(NasaPoly2& thermo, const AnyMap& node,
+                   const UnitSystem& units)
+{
+    setupSpeciesThermo(thermo, node, units);
+    vector_fp Tranges = units.convert(
+        node.at("temperature-ranges").asVector<AnyValue>(2, 3), "K");
+    const auto& data = node.at("data").asVector<vector_fp>(Tranges.size()-1);
+    for (const auto& poly : data) {
+        if (poly.size() != 7) {
+            throw CanteraError("setupNasaPoly", "Wrong number of coefficients "
+                "for NASA polynomial. Expected 7, but got {}", poly.size());
+        }
+    }
+    thermo.setMinTemp(Tranges.front());
+    thermo.setMaxTemp(Tranges.back());
+    if (Tranges.size() == 3) { // standard 2 temperature range polynomial
+        thermo.setParameters(Tranges[1], data[0], data[1]);
+    } else { // Repeat data for single temperature range for both ranges
+        thermo.setParameters(Tranges[1], data[0], data[0]);
+    }
+}
+
+
 //! Create a Shomate polynomial thermodynamic property parameterization for a
 //! species
 /*!
@@ -339,4 +373,19 @@ SpeciesThermoInterpType* newSpeciesThermoInterpType(const XML_Node& thermo)
     }
 }
 
+
+unique_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType> newSpeciesThermo(
+    const AnyMap& node, const UnitSystem& units)
+{
+    std::string model = node.at("model").asString();
+    if (model == "NASA7") {
+        unique_ptr<NasaPoly2> thermo(new NasaPoly2());
+        setupNasaPoly(*thermo, node, units);
+        return unique_ptr<SpeciesThermoInterpType>(move(thermo));
+    } else {
+        throw CanteraError("newSpeciesThermo",
+            "Uknown thermo model '{}'", model);
+    }
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/test/thermo/thermoParameterizations.cpp b/test/thermo/thermoParameterizations.cpp
index 93a2254db..f614ffa0a 100644
--- a/test/thermo/thermoParameterizations.cpp
+++ b/test/thermo/thermoParameterizations.cpp
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 #include "cantera/thermo/speciesThermoTypes.h"
+#include "cantera/thermo/SpeciesThermoFactory.h"
 #include "cantera/thermo/IdealGasPhase.h"
 #include "cantera/thermo/ConstCpPoly.h"
 #include "cantera/thermo/NasaPoly2.h"
 #include "cantera/thermo/ShomatePoly.h"
 #include "cantera/thermo/PDSS_HKFT.h"
 #include "cantera/base/stringUtils.h"
+#include "cantera/base/Units.h"
 #include "thermo_data.h"
 #include <sstream>
 
@@ -121,3 +123,43 @@ TEST(Shomate, modifyOneHf298)
     S.updatePropertiesTemp(298.15, &cp, &h, &s);
     EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(hf, h * 298.15 * GasConstant);
 }
+
+TEST(SpeciesThermo, NasaPoly2FromYaml1) {
+    AnyMap data = AnyMap::fromYamlString(
+        "model: NASA7\n"
+        "reference-pressure: 1 atm\n"
+        "temperature-ranges: [200, 1000, 6000]\n"
+        "data:\n"
+        "- [3.944031200E+00, -1.585429000E-03, 1.665781200E-05, -2.047542600E-08,\n"
+        "   7.835056400E-12, 2.896617900E+03, 6.311991700E+00]\n"
+        "- [4.884754200E+00, 2.172395600E-03, -8.280690600E-07, 1.574751000E-10,\n"
+        "   -1.051089500E-14, 2.316498300E+03, -1.174169500E-01]\n");
+    UnitSystem U;
+    double cp_R, h_RT, s_R;
+    auto st = newSpeciesThermo(data, U);
+    st->validate("NO2");
+    st->updatePropertiesTemp(300, &cp_R, &h_RT, &s_R);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(st->refPressure(), OneAtm);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(cp_R, 4.47823303484);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(h_RT, 13.735827875868003);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(s_R, 28.913447733267262);
+}
+
+TEST(SpeciesThermo, NasaPoly2FromYaml2) {
+    AnyMap data = AnyMap::fromYamlString(
+        "model: NASA7\n"
+        "reference-pressure: 1 atm\n"
+        "temperature-ranges: [200 K, 1000 K]\n"
+        "data:\n"
+        "- [3.944031200E+00, -1.585429000E-03, 1.665781200E-05, -2.047542600E-08,\n"
+        "   7.835056400E-12, 2.896617900E+03, 6.311991700E+00]\n");
+    UnitSystem U;
+    double cp_R, h_RT, s_R;
+    auto st = newSpeciesThermo(data, U);
+    st->validate("NO2");
+    st->updatePropertiesTemp(300, &cp_R, &h_RT, &s_R);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(st->maxTemp(), 1000);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(cp_R, 4.47823303484);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(h_RT, 13.735827875868003);
+    EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(s_R, 28.913447733267262);
+}