Tova Williams
Bio
Dr. Tova N. Williams is the principal investigator of The Sustainable Dye Chemistry Laboratory. Ever since she took her first chemistry course, she fell in love with the science. When she found out as an undergraduate student that she could pair her love for chemistry with her love for color, she then fell in love with the field of dye/color chemistry, especially its applications and the need to improve the environmental impact of colorants and coloration processes. Thus, she is dedicated to advancing the field in this respect. In addition, Dr. Williams has a passion for education and teaching thanks to her hardworking parents, David and Calamity (Jean) Williams, who instilled in her and her older sisters at an early age the importance of pursuing a higher education, and her dedicated teachers, including her high school chemistry teacher, Carolyn Davila.
Dr. Williams is a double alumna of NC State University (Wilson College of Textiles), earning her Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science (Chemistry minor) in 2018 and her B.S. in Polymer and Color Chemistry in 2014. Her doctoral research investigated approaches to the design of sustainable permanent hair dyes and was conducted under the direction of Dr. Harold S. Freeman. Dr. Williams is a 2015 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and visionary and co-developer of the first publicly available hair dye substance chemical database (300+ compounds). In addition to her academic research experience, she has held various roles in the chemicals industry including research and sales and has worked at Tokyo Chemical Industry, Cotton Incorporated, and American & Efird. As part of her doctoral studies she was a visiting researcher at Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Materials Science division.
Beyond the bench, Dr. Williams is an advocate for mentoring underrepresented minority groups and engaging in STEM outreach. She enjoys a myriad of activities including DIY-projects, interior designing, outdoor biking, cooking, and traveling.
Education
Postdoctoral Research Scholar Textile Protection and Comfort Center NC State 2019
Ph.D. Fiber and Polymer Science (Chemistry Minor) NC State 2018
B.S. Polymer and Color Chemistry NC State 2014
Area(s) of Expertise
Dyeing and finishing
Textile chemistry
Hair dyeing
Environmental/green chemistry
Cheminformatics
Publications
- Evaluation of the Toxicological and Color Properties of Anionic Hydrophobic Monoazo Dyes for Sustainable Human Hair Coloration , ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING (2022)
- Mad about madder , NATURE CHEMISTRY (2022)
- Metal-complexed monoazo dyes as sustainable permanent hair dye alternatives-Toxicological and durability properties , DYES AND PIGMENTS (2022)
- Coloration, Hair , Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology (2021)
- In situ Chelation of Monoazo Dyes in Human Hair Keratin Fibers Using Environmentally Benign Metal Ions , ACS Applied Bio Materials (2021)
- Melanin , Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology (2021)
- Analysis of keratin films as screening tools for predicting the efficacy of potential hair dyes , COLORATION TECHNOLOGY (2019)
- Designing the next generation of hair dyes using cheminformatics , American Chemical Society National Meeting & Expo (2019)
- Development of a Colorimetric Sensor for the Detection of Methyl Salicylate during Man-In-Simulant Test , 133rd NC Local Section Meeting of the American Chemical Society (2019)
- Chemistry to Dye For: Hair Dyes— Designing the next generation of hair dyes using cheminformatics , (2018)