By Raymond Jones<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marc Mathews is a research associate and quality systems engineer at NC State\u2019s <\/span>Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC).<\/span><\/a> On paper, his credentials for the job seem nearly perfect. His specialty as an undergraduate at NC State was chemical engineering, and he then went on to earn a <\/span>Master of Science in Textile Engineering<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time he first enrolled at the university however, he was far from certain about a career path. After taking courses for four years, he had amassed only about three years\u2019 worth of credits towards his degree. So, looking for a new focus and a change in lifestyle, Mathews enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ensuing lifestyle change was indeed dramatic, but it didn\u2019t occur completely out of the blue. He had served in a Marine Corps Junior ROTC unit while attending Asheville High School, and later thought about applying for an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After reporting for boot camp Mathews realized that 22-year-olds with college experience were not plentiful in his group of trainees. <\/span>His fellow recruits called him \u201cold man.\u201d Because he was able to choose his military occupational specialty at time of enlistment, he picked one that utilized his chemistry background at NC State. He then trained for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) warfare. The commander at his first duty station nicknamed him \u201cEinstein.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Months later, with proper certification in hand, he was deployed to Kuwait as part of the war on terror. In March 2003 his Marine artillery unit (part of Regimental Combat Team 5) took part in <\/span>Operation Iraqi Freedom<\/span><\/a>. Fortunately, he and his comrades did not endure any attacks using unconventional weapons during the invasion of Iraq. They did, however, get caught up in a number of situations that many combatants call \u201cthe fog of war.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One incident that sticks out in particular was the time Mathews and his unit ended up getting positioned <\/span>in front of<\/span><\/i> friendly forces advancing into Iraq. \u201cObviously,\u201d he says, \u201cartillery batteries are supposed to stay behind the front lines. This situation was unnerving to say the least!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After serving four years in the Marines, and earning a combat action ribbon, Mathews returned to NC State to complete his bachelor\u2019s degree. \u201cThis time,\u201d he says, \u201cI was duly motivated and focused.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n He completed his<\/span> bachelor\u2019s degree in chemical engineering <\/span>and then enrolled in the Institute of Textile Technology fellowship program at the <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles<\/span><\/a>. That program required an internship; and, when considering available options, he relied on his military experience yet again. He was selected for a summer internship at the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (now called the <\/span>U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n He was offered a full-time job after completing his master\u2019s degree and stayed in Massachusetts another five years. He then accepted a position doing research and development for <\/span>Ansell<\/span><\/a>, a global company that manufactures personal protective equipment (PPE). Assigned to a lab in Pendleton, South Carolina, he worked to improve the company\u2019s line of protective gloves for military personnel and first responders. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The assignment was a tough challenge technically. The textile characteristics that promote flame resistance can also inhibit flexibility. \u201cI knew what the Marines did with hard-to-use equipment,\u201d he says. \u201cIf their gloves didn\u2019t provide good tactile sensation, they simply cut the fingers off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n His job at Ansell took him to production facilities in such diverse countries as Lithuania, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and South Korea. In the process, he learned that \u201cglobalization\u201d is not just a catch phrase. The Australian military, for example, contracted for gloves that were physically manufactured in Vietnam, in a plant owned by a South Korean company, based on designs perfected in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnsell transferred their designs all over the world,\u201d Mathews says, \u201cand my job was to make sure those designs were produced according to the company\u2019s exact specifications. Shipping things back and forth over long distances took forever. To monitor product development properly, it was more efficient for me to work on-site.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After a point, though, Mathews began looking for a job that might afford less adventure but also less stress. He applied for a position at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and contacted Dr. Roger Barker, TPACC\u2019s director, for a reference. Barker ended up recruiting him to TPACC, and the rest, as they say, is history. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the lab\u2019s more interesting \u201ctoys,\u201d Mathews says, is a sweating mannequin that can measure a fabric\u2019s evaporative resistance and thermal insulation. The mannequin is useful to companies like Nike and Adidas when they are testing new fabrics to see how well they shed or retain body heat. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The mannequins also play a vital role in designing protective clothing that is adequately safe yet sufficiently comfortable. \u201cYou can make a garment that affords the proper level of protection,\u201d Mathews says, \u201cbut if it causes too much heat stress or inhibits job performance, people just won\u2019t wear it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not surprisingly, the TPACC labs have also done a lot of work with protective masks. Lab trials have focused on protection from flame, thermal and chemical hazards. Now, in response to COVID, TPACC is focusing more intently on aerosol penetration as well. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n TPACC\u2019s laboratories, Mathews says, not only boast <\/span>PyroMan<\/span><\/a> and sweating mannequins; they also have an animatronic head that\u2019s been used successfully to test a variety of products. Currently, with the help of <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a> funding, the lab is acquiring a second animatronic head with advanced functionality. \u201cTo test our masks more effectively,\u201d Mathews says, \u201cwe\u2019re hoping to develop a mechanical head that can cough or sneeze on command.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n By Raymond Jones<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marc Mathews is a research associate and quality systems engineer at NC State\u2019s <\/span>Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC).<\/span><\/a> On paper, his credentials for the job seem nearly perfect. His specialty as an undergraduate at NC State was chemical engineering, and he then went on to earn a <\/span>Master of Science in Textile Engineering<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time he first enrolled at the university however, he was far from certain about a career path. After taking courses for four years, he had amassed only about three years\u2019 worth of credits towards his degree. So, looking for a new focus and a change in lifestyle, Mathews enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ensuing lifestyle change was indeed dramatic, but it didn\u2019t occur completely out of the blue. He had served in a Marine Corps Junior ROTC unit while attending Asheville High School, and later thought about applying for an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After reporting for boot camp Mathews realized that 22-year-olds with college experience were not plentiful in his group of trainees. <\/span>His fellow recruits called him \u201cold man.\u201d Because he was able to choose his military occupational specialty at time of enlistment, he picked one that utilized his chemistry background at NC State. He then trained for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) warfare. The commander at his first duty station nicknamed him \u201cEinstein.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Months later, with proper certification in hand, he was deployed to Kuwait as part of the war on terror. In March 2003 his Marine artillery unit (part of Regimental Combat Team 5) took part in <\/span>Operation Iraqi Freedom<\/span><\/a>. Fortunately, he and his comrades did not endure any attacks using unconventional weapons during the invasion of Iraq. They did, however, get caught up in a number of situations that many combatants call \u201cthe fog of war.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One incident that sticks out in particular was the time Mathews and his unit ended up getting positioned <\/span>in front of<\/span><\/i> friendly forces advancing into Iraq. \u201cObviously,\u201d he says, \u201cartillery batteries are supposed to stay behind the front lines. This situation was unnerving to say the least!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After serving four years in the Marines, and earning a combat action ribbon, Mathews returned to NC State to complete his bachelor\u2019s degree. \u201cThis time,\u201d he says, \u201cI was duly motivated and focused.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n He completed his<\/span> bachelor\u2019s degree in chemical engineering <\/span>and then enrolled in the Institute of Textile Technology fellowship program at the <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles<\/span><\/a>. That program required an internship; and, when considering available options, he relied on his military experience yet again. He was selected for a summer internship at the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (now called the <\/span>U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n He was offered a full-time job after completing his master\u2019s degree and stayed in Massachusetts another five years. He then accepted a position doing research and development for <\/span>Ansell<\/span><\/a>, a global company that manufactures personal protective equipment (PPE). Assigned to a lab in Pendleton, South Carolina, he worked to improve the company\u2019s line of protective gloves for military personnel and first responders. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The assignment was a tough challenge technically. The textile characteristics that promote flame resistance can also inhibit flexibility. \u201cI knew what the Marines did with hard-to-use equipment,\u201d he says. \u201cIf their gloves didn\u2019t provide good tactile sensation, they simply cut the fingers off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n His job at Ansell took him to production facilities in such diverse countries as Lithuania, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and South Korea. In the process, he learned that \u201cglobalization\u201d is not just a catch phrase. The Australian military, for example, contracted for gloves that were physically manufactured in Vietnam, in a plant owned by a South Korean company, based on designs perfected in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnsell transferred their designs all over the world,\u201d Mathews says, \u201cand my job was to make sure those designs were produced according to the company\u2019s exact specifications. Shipping things back and forth over long distances took forever. To monitor product development properly, it was more efficient for me to work on-site.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n After a point, though, Mathews began looking for a job that might afford less adventure but also less stress. He applied for a position at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and contacted Dr. Roger Barker, TPACC\u2019s director, for a reference. Barker ended up recruiting him to TPACC, and the rest, as they say, is history. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the lab\u2019s more interesting \u201ctoys,\u201d Mathews says, is a sweating mannequin that can measure a fabric\u2019s evaporative resistance and thermal insulation. The mannequin is useful to companies like Nike and Adidas when they are testing new fabrics to see how well they shed or retain body heat. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The mannequins also play a vital role in designing protective clothing that is adequately safe yet sufficiently comfortable. \u201cYou can make a garment that affords the proper level of protection,\u201d Mathews says, \u201cbut if it causes too much heat stress or inhibits job performance, people just won\u2019t wear it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not surprisingly, the TPACC labs have also done a lot of work with protective masks. Lab trials have focused on protection from flame, thermal and chemical hazards. Now, in response to COVID, TPACC is focusing more intently on aerosol penetration as well. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n TPACC\u2019s laboratories, Mathews says, not only boast <\/span>PyroMan<\/span><\/a> and sweating mannequins; they also have an animatronic head that\u2019s been used successfully to test a variety of products. Currently, with the help of <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a> funding, the lab is acquiring a second animatronic head with advanced functionality. \u201cTo test our masks more effectively,\u201d Mathews says, \u201cwe\u2019re hoping to develop a mechanical head that can cough or sneeze on command.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After interrupting his studies for a tour in the Marines, Mathews returned to NC State \u201cduly motivated and focused.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":28208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":2131}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[742,490],"tags":[1194,1108,682,690,1382],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"