Dave Brookstein

As the new academic year begins for the School of Engineering and Textiles at Philadelphia University and I begin another year as dean, I am pleased to send you my annual “Letter from the Dean” which outlines last year’s accomplishments and this year’s plans for the future.

Last year our first class of 14 students enrolled in the BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering (www.philau.edu/ise) joined us.  And this year they will be joined by another class of new engineering students who can choose from the following BS Engineering Programs (mechanical engineering, industrial and systems engineering and engineering (with minor concentrations in either architectural, environmental, mechanical, industrial or textile engineering).  For the latter engineering program students will take 4 courses in their minor concentration. (www.philau.edu/engineering). We also revamped our legacy BS in textile engineering program and have developed a new and relevant program leading to a BS in Textile Engineering Technology.

During the summer, we outfitted a new and state-of-the-art Fundamentals of Engineering Classroom/Laboratory where all of our engineering students will have access to a teaching environment wherein each student has access to a  MAC computer that also runs Windows programs and engineering systems learning modules to enhance their classroom experience.

This year our faculty is preparing proposals for new engineering programs leading to a BS in Architectural Engineering, a dual degree with the School of Science and Health leading to a BS in Environmental Science/ BS in Environmental Engineering and a BS in Quality Assurance Technology (with emphasis of fashion, fabrics and consumer products). All of our undergraduate engineering curricula are responsive to the recent National Academy of Engineering study “Engineering Education for 2020”,

Our funded research programs associated with textile engineering and science continue to flourish.  Last month we signed a contract for our third year of funding from the U.S. Department of Defense for the Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection (LEHP).  Our total funding now approaches $4,000,000.  LEHP has as its primary mission research and development associated with the confluence of protection and comfort for chemical warfare protection uniforms.  Areas of study include textile engineering, apparel design, artificial neural network analysis, and computational chemistry. Faculty from the School of Engineering and Textiles, School of Science and Health and School of Business Administration along with MS and PhD graduate students are involved with the program. Our research associated with the National Textile Center (NTC) is in its 7th year.  The NTC is a federally funded research consortium that includes Philadelphia University, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Auburn, Clemson, Cornell, UMASS-Dartmouth and UCAL-Davis.  Each year Philadelphia University receives approximately $1,000,000  from the NTC to support research and graduate students.

To support LEHP we have established a state-of-the art thermo-mechanical evaluation facility for fabrics and garments.  The centerpiece of this facility is a “Walking Sweating Manikin’ and an environmental chamber to house it.  This $450,000 investment (funded by the DoD) will provide our researchers and students the ability to analyze the thermo-mechanical factors which determine biophysical comfort.

This year we will be adding a new Fashion Design Studio to our facilities.  This new studio will give our relatively large class of fashion design students much needed to space to learn and create their superlative designs.  Philadelphia University’s Fashion Design students showcased their fabulous, creative and innovative designs at the University’s annual Fashion Show held May 6 at the historic Academy of Music. Nearly 2,200 students and their families, faculty members, designers and fashion and apparel industry professionals turned out for the event, which featured the best of this year’s student-fashion designs.The show is the culmination of years of study and hands on, practical work for fashion design students and is produced by the campus chapter of the Fashion Industries Association (FIA), which includes students in the Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Industry Management programs. A highlight of the night was a taped message from Carson Kressley, a star of Bravo TV’s hit show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, who welcomed guests and congratulated the winners of the show.  On a sad note I regret to inform you that Nora Aponte, a beloved teacher who oversaw the fashion design/ study abroad program at American University of Rome since its inception in 1999, passed away in Rome in May 2006.

With financial support of Cotton, Incorporated,  Philadelphia University challenged an interdisciplinary group of students to develop a promotional campaign for a technologically-enhanced cotton product.  The student teams designed campaigns around aromatherapy-infused cotton sheeting, a water resistant denim promotion in South America using television as the primary medium and stain resistant cotton footwear.  Our Fashion Industry Management program continues to see enrollment growth and has recently been endorsed by the American Apparel and Footwear Association. To merit the Association’s endorsement, each institution’s curriculum is reviewed by an appointed group of industry professionals and peers from other schools. These institutions complete a comprehensive self-analysis of the competencies they deliver in such areas as textiles, marketing, merchandising, product development, material utilization, spreading, cutting, work measurement, assembly, finishing, technology, costing, production scheduling, quality management, sourcing and MIS.

Former textile industry executive Marcia Weiss, M.F.A., has joined Philadelphia University this  past spring as a visiting assistant professor of Textile Design.  Weiss started her professional career at Burlington Industries as a stylist in the House division. She held a variety of increasingly senior positions there, rising to vice president of design. She later assisted in the transition of the Burlington House Window Division to Springs Industries.  Teaching at Philadelphia University is a homecoming of sorts for Weiss, who earned a B.S. in Textile Design (’83)  from the University. More recently, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and taught courses in fashion, fiber and foundation studies there. As part of the University’s ongoing assessment initiative, the faculty in Textile Design have completed an Employer Survey (55 responses) that will serve as the basis for our first Advisory Board meeting during the Fall 06 semester.  The Spring BS/MS Textile Design Exhibition was held at the Philadelphia University Research Center.

As the institution that founded Phi Psi 100 years ago (Alpha Chapter), we will be hosting the 100th Annual Meeting on February 22-25, 2007. Phi Psi Fraternity is a professional co-ed textile fraternity whose mission is to capture, nurture, and mutually benefit, from the efforts of a select group of students, focusing on professionalism, teamwork, and brotherhood.

Hitoshi Ujiie, associate professor of Textile Design, edited the book Digital Printing of Textiles, published by Woodhead Publishing. In addition, he authored the chapter Design and Workflow in Digital Inkjet Printing. Another chapter, Integration of Fabric Formation and Coloration Processes, was authored by Brian George, associate professor of Textile Engineering, Muthu Govindaraj, professor of engineering, and Professor Ujiie. Philadelphia University students and graduates Deanna Wood, Monica Fruscello, Alexa Tremere and Swapnil Nandedkar also co-authored this chapter. Assistant Professor of Biology Anne Bockarie and Associate Professor of Textile Engineering Brian George authored the chapter Textile Products Produced from Alternative Fibers as part of the book Recycling in Textiles, which was published by Woodhead Publishing.  Jerry Rosenau , Associate Professor of Fashion Industry Management co-wrote a new textbook, - Apparel Merchandising Management: The Line Starts Here, second edition. The book was coauthored by David Wilson and published by Fairchild Books.

Finally, the University will be holding the Annual Homecoming Weekend on the last weekend of September, 2006 and the highlight will be the dedication and opening of the new Kanbar Campus Center.  Homecoming information can be found at http://www.philau.edu/alumni/homecoming.html

All of us hope you can come to this exciting event.

On behalf of our faculty and students I would like to thank all of our friends and alums who gave us support this past year.  We all look forward to another exciting and productive year.

Dave Brookstein
Dean – School of Engineering & Textiles
brooksteind@philau.edu