FIT Partners with Stony Brook to Explore Convergence of Design and Engineering

In May of this year, FIT and Stony Brook College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (another State University of New York institution) joined forces on collaborative research to explore the convergence of design and engineering. The schools awarded seed grants to three faculty teams to advance early-stage research activity at the intersection of design and engineering (funding was provided by both schools). On October 23 at FIT, the teams presented their preliminary findings:

  • Advanced Textile Materials with Selective Wetting Dynamics. Research brings recent knowledge developed for the study of colloidal micro/nanoparticles and nanostructured solid surfaces into the development of materials that can selectively absorb and repel water and different oils. Collaborators: Ajoy Sarkar, associate professor, Textile Development and Marketing, FIT, and Carlos Colosqui, Department of Mechanical Engineering, SBU CEAS.
  • Waste to feedstock: Green chemistry degradation of cotton muslin waste to cellulosic precursors for circular economy textiles and biomaterials. The team is designing a prototype fiber that will break down into feedstock, resulting in a zero-waste cellulosic material. Collaborators: Theanne Schiros, assistant professor, Science and Mathematics, FIT, Asta Skocir, associate professor, Fashion Design, FIT, and Gary Halada, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, SBU CEAS.
    Circular Economy diagram by AlgiKnit, Inc.
  • Next Generation of Wearable Electronics on Textile: Carbon Fiber Textile as Flexible Supercapacitor Electrodes. The team is conducting conduct an analysis to provide preliminary data for further funded research on energy storage devices that can be embedded in textiles. Collaborators: Karen Pearson, professor, Science and Mathematics, FIT, and Vladimir Samuilov, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, SBU CEAS.

Among follow-up activities is the potential for ongoing research, including publication in academic journals and conference presentations.

“The project represents promising opportunities for FIT faculty to engage with other academics outside their own disciplines,” said Joanne Arbuckle, deputy to the president for industry partnerships and collaborative programs. “With Stony Brook School of Engineering, we are using the strength of another SUNY institution to bring science and design together. We look forward to seeing what ideas the FIT faculty might pursue in this way in the future.”

 

 

 

 

 

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