By: Seshadri Ramkumar, Professor, Texas Tech University, USA
With Summer on its way, it is pleasing to see high school students want to utilize their time in research laboratories.
Heat wave is blowing from Michigan to New England and summer had already done its job with temperatures reaching as high as 127o F in New Delhi, India.
Heat waves in many countries emphasize the importance of comfortable wear made using cotton, linen, and blends. Additionally, restrictions on the use of single-use plastic products necessitate exploring natural and biodegradable advanced products in defense, PPE, and infrastructure sectors.
In the textiles sector, in addition to research, there is a need to effectively outreach and communicate with the public, and other stakeholders such as producers, retailers and brands. On June 19, 2024, while inaugurating the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar, India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of international interactions and spreading knowledge for economic and cultural excellence. In addition to teaching and research, academia needs to focus on outreach and engagement.
The next phase of development for textiles and manufacturing sector is to engage with middle to high school students to highlight the importance of the sector in providing jobs, and how the industry is developing products that provide comfort, personnel protection, and other industrial products.
The Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory engages with local community and high school students in its outreach efforts and supports students to spend time in the laboratory on short term projects. High school students who have graduated in research projects from the laboratory have gone on to building start-ups such Inversa Leather, E Innovate, LLC which have focused on sustainable products such as cotton mats for high-end applications, fashion products, etc.
Ms. Nandhanaa Anand, who recently completed 10th grade at Lubbock High School is undertaking research in our laboratory on understanding the fiber content in commercially available personnel and household wipes and evaluating their absorbing properties to broaden the scope of these products. The project has already delivered results and Nandhanaa is drafting a peer-reviewed paper.
