JTATM - North Carolina State University

Dr. Stephen Michielsen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management

Dr. Stephen Michielsen received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Chicago. After a short stint as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Stanford University, he joined the DuPont company in their Polymers Department. He spent the next 15 years performing research in polymer and fiber physics. In 1995, Steve moved to the School of Textile and Fiber Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology before joining the TATM faculty at NCSU in January, 2004. His research interests include tailoring the surface properties of fibers by modifying the surfaces on the nanometer length scale, as well as the evolution of the structure and properties of fibers as the polymer passes through its various processing steps. He has worked extensively with the Nonwoven Cooperative Research Center and is actively involved with both INDA and the Fiber Society. Steve has published over twenty five papers and three reference book chapters in fiber science.

Hooman Vahedi Tafreshi
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management
Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center

High-speed waterjets and nozzle cavitation
Liquid flow through nonwoven structures
Air filtration and aerosols
Subsonic-supersonic aerosol jets and nozzle flows
Flow field in dispersion tanks
Diffusive motion in granular material under shear

Courses Taught:

Bonding Fundamentals in Nonwovens (TAM 589-I)
College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, (Spring 2004)

Russell E. Gorga, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Textile Engineering and Chemical Science

Russell E. Gorga received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University, 2002, in Chemical Engineering.

His main interests lie in developing polymer nanocomposites with improved properties (mechanical, conductive, and barrier). Before coming to NC State, Dr. Gorga was a post-doctoral associate at MIT where he worked on improving the strength of brittle polymers (such as poly (methyl methacrylate). This work was carried out under Prof. Robert Cohen in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

His doctoral work focused on developing relationships between molecular-micro-macro properties of polymer-polymer interfaces. Specifically, interfacial strength was mechanistically related to miscibility and mobility characteristics of the polymer constituents.

In addition, Dr. Gorga worked as a research engineer at Union Carbide Corporation from 1997 through 2000, where he focused on structure-property relationships of semi -crystalline polymers for high strength commodity applications.

Dr. Gorga is also extremely interested in classroom innovations, and continually seeks new ways to make the classroom a learning-focused environment.

Dr. Juan P. Hinestroza,
Assistant Professor
Textile Engineering and Chemical Science

Juan P. Hinestroza received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University. Dr. Hinestroza comes from TIMES (Tulane- NASA Institute for Macromolecular Engineering and Science) where he pursued postdoctoral studies. His doctoral research work was focused on the effect of mechanical deformation on the barrier properties of polymeric materials and was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Energy. Prior to graduate school, Dr. Hinestroza was a process control engineer for The Dow Chemical Company.

His research interests are in the general area of protective clothing against chemical and biological agents. His research work is devoted to the synthesis and development of novel barrier materials including permselective block copolymers, inorganic-organic nanocomposites, and electrostatic nanolayer assemblies. Dr. Hinestroza also works in the mathematical modeling of transport phenomena in complex protective clothing ensembles.

In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Hinestroza is also interested into the use of technology as a teaching aid for undergraduate engineering courses as well as the involvement and recruitment of minority groups into science and engineering careers.

Dr. Renzo Shamey, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Textile Engineering and Chemical Science

Dr Renzo Shamey received his first degree in Textile & Fibre Chemistry Engineering from IUT in 1989. He then worked in the textile dyeing and finishing industry for three years. He obtained an MSc in Dyeing and Finishing, run by two departments of "School of Textile Industries" and "Color Chemistry" of Leeds University in 1993. He then pursued his interest in Automation and Color Science and obtained his PhD from the Department of Color Chemistry of Leeds University in 1997. While working on an industrial project for Unilever he contributed to the teaching program of the Color Chemistry Department at Leeds University.

In 1998 he joined Heriot-Watt University as Lecturer in Dyeing, Printing and Finishing. He established and was the head of Automation and Novel Coloration Research Group in the School of Textiles of Heriot-Watt University, formerly known as the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels, Scotland. In 2000, he was awarded the Chartered Colorist status by the Society of Dyers and Colorists in the UK. His research interests are in color science and technology, digital color measurement, expert systems, fuzzy logic, dyeing, printing and finishing and modeling, simulation, control and automation of dyeing machinery.