Faculty Research Areas

2025 Project Topic(s): Polymer synthesis and Applications – Students who work on this project will learn gain experience on hands-on experiments on polymer synthesis, characterization and applications. Nanosensor Development and Applications – Students who work on this project will learn how to design and develop optical nanosensors based on photoluminescent single-walled carbon nanotubes.

My team focuses on the shape-changeable textiles and their applications in the biomedical devices. The summer REU research project involves to fabricate fiber actuator samples and integrate them into the biomedical devices.

2025 Project topic(s): Wearable assistive orthosis devices driven by fiber-based actuators

The Ford Research group study the spinning of sustainable fibers for use in the technical textile and apparel industries. We study the spinning of fibers, that are made from polymers extracted from nature or those engineered to possess advance material properties. Students learn the process of spinning fibers to be used in new commercial markets. And student gains skills on how to scale spinning technologies, characterize the internal microstructure of fibers, as well as their macrostructure, and learn how to measure their physical properties. Some projects have students turn novel fibers in to yarns and fabrics.

2025 Project Topic(s): Multi-scale Spinning of Sustainable Fibers form Polysaccharide Polymers, Multi-scale Spinning of Sustainable Fibers form Protein Polymers, Fabrication and Testing of High Performance Yarns and Fabrics

My group develops fibrous biomaterials to use for tissue engineering. Specifically, we design biomaterials to mimic what is found in the body. We target heart and eye development as our main research areas. For Summer 2025, we will have projects evaluating how cells interact with fibers and work with collaborators to model those interactions. We will also have ongoing work in the area of biomaterials development to use with guided stem cell differentiation.

2025 Project Topic(s): Modeling how cells respond to different fibrous biomaterials, Developing biomaterials for tissue engineering

My group researches smart textiles. We create smart systems on fabrics using a number of fabrication techniques: inkjet printing, direct write printing, embroidery, weaving, and knitting. We look at how to integrate novel materials and devices that capitalize on the capabilities of textile materials. We engineer the interface between dissimilar materials to maintain functionality and user comfort.

2025 Project Topic(s): Inkjet printed origami capacitors, Armsleeve design for muscular activity monitoring, Conductive scaffolding for biomaterials

My research group is focused on protective clothing and equipment for first responders. One emerging hazard that we are working to understand are the exposures that firefighters face from electric vehicle fires and which cleaning approaches are the most effective to remove the heavy metals and other contaminants from their gear. To answer this question, we are collecting gear that has been exposed to EV fires and running solvent extractions followed by ICP-MS analysis (heavy metals) or GC/MS analysis (SVOCs).

When cleaning firefighter gear, there is a concern for the contaminants to redeposit on the fabrics during the wash and not actually be removed. We are working on a laundry solution that could adsorb or catch the contaminants in the wash before they have a chance to redeposit. We would like to use our 3D printing capabilities to design a “laundry ball” that could be filled with a sorbent material that could adsorb the contaminants. We need to determine how effective the sorbent would be and also what design could be best suited for this application.

There is a significant push in the fire service to remove fluorinated materials from their gear. There are now new moisture barriers that are coming on the market that no longer have PTFE as the base material. Instead they are using combinations of polyurethanes and potentially other polymers. We don’t currently have a good idea of how well these new materials hold up to heat, UV light, and laundering. We will be working during the summer to investigate the new materials and also try to determine what levels of exposure we should be using by comparing to what firefighter gear experiences in the field. This may involve running some experiments in fire stations or at training fires.

My Supply Chain Analytics and AI (SC&AI) Lab leverages data analytics, AI, and geospatial modeling to address major challenges in supply chain management and sustainability. For summer 2025, our projects include forecasting recycling participation rates for sustainable packaging using demographic and economic data, and analyzing transportation patterns and greenhouse gas emissions to promote sustainable practices in logistics and hemp production. We are specifically collecting and analyzing data on transportation patterns, fuel usage, logistics costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and hemp production volumes from industry partners and public datasets.

2025 Project Topic(s): Forecasting recycling participation rates for sustainable packaging, Analyzing transportation patterns and greenhouse gas emissions in hemp production

Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi also serves as an NWI mentor. The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) is the world’s first accredited academic program for the interdisciplinary field of engineered fabrics. NWI engages government, industry and academia to enable next-generation nonwoven solutions to mission-critical challenges. Summer REU student with NWI will have additional opportunity present their poster to in Fall IAB (Industrial advisory board meeting) poster session and engage with member company.

2025 Project Topic(s): Nonwoven process/product, Filtration, Techical textiles

The Schroeder lab develops new ways to manipulate ion transport processes and phase changes to achieve various functions in the context of polymer solutions, gels, and fibers. For summer 2025, we have projects on topics that include crystal growth control, fiber and fabric finishing for mechanical property enhancement and flame-retardancy, and electrical power generation and signaling.

2025 Project Topic(s): Crystal growth control, Fiber/fabric finishing, Electrical power/signaling

In the undergraduate teaching labs we assist faculty, students, and industry with their research as well as host outreach and camp events. Over the summer we will conduct fiber burn tests and weathering tests, train students on SEM and digital microscopy, make textile parachutes and make slime. We also have new spectrophotometers that will be installed and ready for use. We are looking for an REU student to help with our normal microscopy and weathering needs and develop a research project of their choice using our fancy new equipment.

2025 Project Topic(s): Projects could be optimizing digital microscopy protocols to determine fiber diameter, create new methodology to analyze exhaustion of direct dyes during a jet dyeing process using a spectrophotometer, or even developing new outreach activities to share TECS topics with middle school students

My lab studies how dyes interact with different materials, including other dyes, textiles, and human hair. We also examine how their structure affects key properties like stability to UV light (also known as photostability). Our work focuses on designing and developing sustainable dyes for applications such as waterless textile dyeing and permanent hair coloration. Additionally, we explore sustainable methods for designing and synthesizing dyes, as well as approaches to enhance dye properties such as photostability, to create longer-lasting, more durable colors.

2025 Project Topic(s): Bio-Based Dyes for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Dyeing, Exploring a Green Approach to Diazotize Amines

Our lab focuses on sustainable textile innovation through two primary research areas. We explore chemical and mechanical recycling of textile wastes, aiming to develop efficient methods for fiber recovery and reuse to reduce environmental impact. Additionally, we study hemp fiber characterization, processing, and application, investigating its properties and potential as a sustainable alternative in textiles and composites. Our work integrates material science and engineering to address critical challenges in circularity and renewable resources.

2025 Project Topic(s): Chemical and mechanical recycling of textile wastes, Hemp fiber characterization, processing, and application

My lab focuses on the synthesis of fluorescent dyes for biomedical imaging applications. We have projects related to organic synthesis and light microscopy of biological sample investigations.

2025 Project Topic(s): Organic dye synthesis of biocompatible fluorophores, Cell and biomaterials imaged through fluorescence super-resolution microscopy

Students have the opportunity to work in one of our extension labs. These projects give you hands-on experience in operating textile fabrication and testing equipment.