Project Team
Theanne Schiros
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Theanne Schiros, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Science and Mathematics at FIT, where she guides students to rethink materials in collaboration with nature and technology. She earned a PhD in Chemical Physics from Stockholm University before postdoctoral research at Stanford University and Columbia University on solar energy and solar fuel technology. Recently, her research focused on sustainable textile innovation has received international recognition, including the 2020 Global Change Award (Werewool), the 2020 One x One Conscious Design Initiative for a microbial bioleather technology, the 2018 Postcode Lottery Green Challenge (Algiknit) and 2017 National Geographic Chasing Genius Award – Sustainable Planet (Algiknit).
Asta Skocir
Professor OF Fashion Design
Asta Skocir is a Professor in the Fashion Design Department at FIT. She has over twenty-five years of experience in the fashion industry as a design director and knitwear designer, having worked for renowned companies such as TSE, Perry Ellis, and Saks Fifth Avenue. She is a co-founder of AlgiKnit, a biomaterials research group developing bio-based textile alternatives for the apparel industry. Her work with AlgiKnit won the first National BioDesign Challenge Summit (2016), the National Geographic Chasing Genius Award – Sustainable Planet (2017) and the Postcode Lottery Challenge for Green Start-Ups (2018).
Tae Jin Kim
Associate Professor, Stony Brook University, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
Dr. Tae Jin Kim is an Associate Professor at the Stony Brook University (SBU), Materials Science and Chemical Engineering department. He received a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Lehigh University (2002-2007). After graduating, he studied the development of catalytic methodologies that can control hydrocarbon/biomass-based chemical reaction pathways at U.C. Berkeley (2007-2010) and Argonne National Laboratory (2010-2012) as a postdoctoral researcher. Since 2013, Dr. Kim’s research group at the SBU has focused on the “energy” and “environmental” related catalysis researches with the series of bulk and supported metal oxide catalysts (MOx and MOx/support. M=Transition metal). He has published 75 peer reviewed journal articles.
Gary Halada
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY, MATERIALS SCIENCE AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Dr. Gary Halada is an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University. For over twenty five years he has led research efforts supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, federal and state education departments and private industry in nanoscale environment-materials surface interactions, environmental cleanup and ‘green’ technologies, and novel materials design for applications ranging from medical and energy uses to additive manufacturing (3D printing), resulting in over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He has served in an advisory role for the U.S. Department of Energy for assessing decontamination and remediation needs at former nuclear material processing sites and for New York State on meeting challenges in advanced manufacturing and industrial applications of 3D printing.