Dr. Didimo Dewar
Dean of the School of Business and Social Sciences
ITESM Campus - Morelos, Mexico

Dr. Dewar received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas - Austin in Business Administration. He has published and presented papers in fields of interest/expertise that include: Operations Management, Service Operations Management, Productivity, Development, Entrepreneurship, and International Business. Prior to his current position as Dean, Dr. Dewar was a faculty member in the Quality and Productivity Center, Graduate and Research Division; and the Department Director, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, ITESM Morelos.

Dr. Lawrence T. Drzal
University Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Mechanics,
Michigan State University, USA

Dr. Drzal's research expertise includes fiber-matrix adhesion in composite materials and how it affects composite properties, their processing and performance. Larry also serves as Director, Composite Materials and Structures Center, and Co-Director, NSF State/Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Low-Cost High Speed Polymer Composites Processing. A faculty member at Michigan State University since 1985, Dr. Drzal has published extensively and has been awarded 11 patents.

Dr. Simon C. Harlock
Senior Lecturer
School of Textiles and Design - University of Leeds, United Kingdom

Dr. Harlock is a graduate of the University of Leeds, Department of Textile Industries, with both B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Textile Engineering. He is currently Director of Learning and Teaching, School of Textiles and Design, University of Leeds. His teaching and research interests includes: textile/ apparel technology and management, computer based modeling and production simulation, CAD/CAM/CIM, physiological properties of textiles and apparel, knitted fabric engineering and computer based learning. Dr. Harlock has over 60 publications/conference proceedings to his credit.

Dr. Nigel Johnson
General Manager of the Processing and Consumer Products Division
WRONZ - South Island, New Zealand

Having completed textile degrees at the Universities of New South Wales and Leeds and a short stint at the International Wool Secretariat in England, Dr. Johnson returned to lecture at the University of New South Wales before moving to WRONZ nine years ago. He specializes in innovation and development related to fibre processing, and now leads a team of 60 scientists and technicians conducting contract research from theoretical fabric mechanics, to textile process inventions, wearable electronics and drycleaning efficiencies.

Dr. V. K. Kothari
Professor in the Department of Textile Technology
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India

Dr. Kothari completed his B.Tech. in Textile Engineering from IIT, Delhi, M.Sc. (Tech.) in Textile Technology from UMIST, Manchester and Ph.D. from Leeds University, Leeds. His fields of work and research interests are: textile testing and quality management, industrial and functional textiles, engineering of textile structures, textured yarn technology and clothing science. Dr. Kothari has guided a number of research projects which have led to the design and development of various innovative experimental devices, products and processes.

Dr. Bulent Ozipek
Head of the Department of Textile Engineering
Istanbul Technical University, Turkey

Dr. Marc Renner
Professor, Ensitm (College of Textiles)
University of Mulhouse, France

Dr. Renner received his Ph.D. in Textiles, University of Mulhouse in 1986 and serves as Director of the ENSITM, College of Textiles of the University of Mulhouse. In addition, he has responsibility for the implementation and development of engineering science research. He has published numerous articles related to textile surfaces and the tribological properties of fabrics and serves as an expert witness in the area of textiles. Dr. Renner received the WALLACH Foundation gold medal for research in mechanical engineering and textile engineering.

Gary F. Simmons
President
VF Playwear, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Mr. Simmons is President of VF Playwear, a division of VF Corporation, Inc., one of the world's largest apparel companies. VF Playwear is a manufacturer and marketer of childrenswear, with brands such as Healthtex®, Nike®, Lee Kids®, Girls Club®, and Little Impressions®. Since joining VF Corporation in 1991, Gary has advanced through the positions of Vice President Retail Marketing, Vice President Marketing, President of Healthtex, prior to becoming President of VF Playwear in November 1997. Gary has served as Past President and Board of Directors of the Childrenswear Manufacturers Association (CMA).

Sid Smith
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
The Hosiery Association, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Mr. Smith is chief spokesman for the domestic hosiery manufacturing industry and serves as a cleared advisor to the United States government on international trade matters through service on various government committees. Sid joined the Hosiery Association in 1972, starting as the Director of Statistics with oversight responsibilities for the industry's economic studies. Mr. Smith has advanced through the positions of Vice President and then Senior Vice President before being named President and CEO of the national trade group in 1983. Sid is a frequent speaker on hosiery product and international trade issues to industry and government groups.

Dr. XiaoMing Tao
Professor and Associate Head of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Prof. Tao is a Fellow of the Textile Institute and has published more than 180 scientific papers, books and patents, and won numerous scholarships and prizes from USA, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Hong Kong and China. Her research activities cover smart and intelligent fibrous materials and structures, fibre science and technology, structural mechanics including yarn, fabrics, and other integrated structures for technical applications and composites, manufacturing technology of textile and clothing, optic properties of fibrous materials, surface modification techniques and characterization techniques.

J. Berrye Worsham III
President and Chief Executive Officer
Cotton Incorporated, Cary, North Carolina, USA

Mr. Worsham is President and CEO of Cotton Incorporated, the research and marketing company representing U.S. upland cotton. In his post, Mr. Worsham oversees the company's global research and marketing programs. Berrye is located in the company's world headquarters (Cary, NC) where the company conducts its research and development activities. Berrye joined Cotton Incorporated in 1983 as manager, cotton analysis. He also served as director, fiber & economic analysis; director, market research; vice president, corporate planning and program development, and most recently, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Cotton Incorporated has international offices in Basel, Switzerland; Osaka, Japan; Singapore; Mexico City, and Shanghai, China in addition to U.S. offices in Dallas and Los Angeles.