{"id":52379,"date":"2023-08-21T13:51:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T17:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/?p=52379"},"modified":"2023-08-21T13:51:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T17:51:34","slug":"with-a-full-time-job-offer-in-hand-otero-sees-m-s-textile-chemistry-program-as-a-catalyst-for-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/08\/with-a-full-time-job-offer-in-hand-otero-sees-m-s-textile-chemistry-program-as-a-catalyst-for-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"With a Full-time Job Offer in Hand, Otero Sees M.S. Textile Chemistry Program as a Catalyst for Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

By Sean Cudahy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding more sustainable approaches to cosmetics is at the heart of Kayleena Otero\u2019s  current and future work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A student in the Wilson College of Textiles<\/a>\u2019 Master of Science in Textile Chemistry<\/a> program, she\u2019s part of a team of researchers that\u2019s working on solving an all-too-common problem with hair dye products in the marketplace: \u201cIt gets washed out into the sink, and ends up in wastewater,\u201d Otero explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introducing those pollutants to wastewater, she said, can have not just environmental impacts, but potentially flare allergies and skin irritation down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing more planet and allergy-friendly approaches to  those products is a cornerstone of research she\u2019ll conclude in the coming weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s work that Otero already knows she\u2019ll continue exploring after she departs the NC State University\u2019s Centennial  Campus<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the coming weeks, she\u2019ll begin a full-time role as a product development chemist at Raleigh-based Greenology Products, LLC, which produces the nation\u2019s first line of USDA-certified household cleaners and detergents, organic products designed to be both effective and environmentally friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kayleena
Otero in the Greenology office. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey focus on making cleaner, greener, organic and bio-based products for cleaning and personal care as an alternative to a lot of the more well-known brands,\u201d Otero explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her passion for the work is evident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, it sits, in many ways, at the intersection of interests and skills she\u2019s been developing since she was a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A passion for the chemistry side of cosmetics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a teenager, Otero felt drawn to the makeup and cosmetic industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, she says, \u201cI saw the artistry side of it was a bit saturated,\u201d noting the many social media channels out there dedicated to tips, tricks and advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having attended high school at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, though, Otero saw an opportunity in her own penchant for all things science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018Why don\u2019t I take advantage of that interest and focus more on the chemistry side of things,\u2019\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following that path, she began her time at NC State in the Wilson College\u2019s polymer and color chemistry program<\/a>. The program offers undergraduate students a unique version of a traditional chemistry degree, with more specialized focuses in textiles, medicine, pharmacy \u2014 and, indeed, cosmetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kayleena
Otero (second from left) and other members of the Sustainable Dye Chemistry Lab stop for a picture at the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Always one to work ahead, though, Otero began laying the groundwork for an advanced degree before she celebrated her undergraduate commencement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the college\u2019s accelerated bachelor\u2019s\/master\u2019s program<\/a>, she got a head start on her M.S. Textile Chemistry degree \u2014 a multi-faceted program that sees alumni go on to work in a range of fields, from chemical, environmental and medical science to the retail, textile and apparel industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I have a great foundation to work off of,\u201d Otero says of the experience she\u2019s gained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A big part of that foundation has come through her work in the college\u2019s Sustainable Dye Chemistry Laboratory<\/a>. There, faculty and student researchers focus on designing and developing environmentally benign dyes and dyeing processes under the direction of Assistant Research Professor Tova Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n