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Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D.

Lifetime Technical Achievement Award

2023

Texas Tech University

Matt O’Sickey, INDA’s Director of Education & Technical Affairs, presents the 2023 Lifetime Technical Achievement Award to Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D., Professor, Texas Tech University.

EDUCATION:

Doctor of Philosophy (Textile Materials), University of Leeds, England, 1998

Master of Technology (Textiles), University First Rank in the Discipline, Anna University, India, 1994

Bachelor of Technology (Textiles), Graduated with Distinction, Anna University, India, 1992

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Professor, Environmental Toxicology/TIEHH, September 1, 2013 onwards
  • Associate Professor, Environmental Toxicology/TIEHH, September 1, 2008-August 31, 2013.
  • Assistant Professor, Environmental Toxicology/TIEHH February 15, 2005−August 31, 2008.
  • Research Asst. Professor and Research Associate, January 1999-February 14, 2005.

Patents Published and Invention Disclosures

  • S. S. Ramkumar, “Process for Making Chemical Protective Wipes and Such Wipes,” US Patent # 7516525 (Date of issue: April 14, 2009). This invention has been commercialized. Featured in the Texas Tech University’s Techsan Nov/Dec 2012, “Research to Reality.”
  • S. S. Ramkumar, “Development of Leather Based Ballistic Protection Composites Shield,” US Patent # 6862971 (Date of issue: March 8, 2005). (Efforts are currently underway for commercialization).
  • S. S. Ramkumar, “Method for Determining the Frictional Properties of Materials,” US Patent #6397672 (Date of issue: June 4, 2002).

Invention Disclosures, Total: 21

  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Development of an Artificial Human Finger Sensor, TTU Number: D-0283, April 27, 2000.
  • Arun Arunachalam, Senthil K. Chinnasami and Seshadri Ramkumar, Friction Parameter Calculator, TTU Number: D-0332, July 16, 2001.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Chemical Protective Composite Substrate and Method of Producing Same, TTU Number: D-0348, September 20, 2001 (Technology Commercialized).
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Composite Body Armor Leather-Nonwoven Composite Shield and Method of Manufacturing, TTU Number: D-0396, July 9, 2002.
  • Arun Arunachalam and Seshadri Ramkumar, Fiber Assembly Property Database (Microsoft Access based), TTU Number: D-0401, August 2, 2002.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Thandavamoorthy Subbiah, Electrospun Nano Metal Oxide Nanofiber Web, TTU Number: D-0441, August 28, 2003.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Thandavamoorthy Subbiah, Annular Nozzle Design for Electrospinning Nanofiber Coated With Particles, TTU Number: D-0475, June 2, 2004.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Thandavamoorthy Subbiah, Electrospinning Bicomponent Polymeric Nanofibers, TTU Number: D-0476, June 2, 2004.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Adsorbent and Breathable Chemical and Biological Countermeasures Substrates, TTU Number: D-0488, September 27, 2004.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Needlepunched Soft Body Armor Substrates, TTU Number: D-0530, August 17, 2005.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Appachi Arunachalam, Simultaneous Plasma Integrated Spunmelt Nonwoven Process, TTU Number: D-0612, February 11, 2008.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Uday Turaga, Protein Enhanced Direct Electrospinning of Cell Culture and Other Materials, TTU Number: D-0753, April 5, 2010.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Low Micronaire Cotton for Industrial Applications, TTU Number: D-0767, June 7, 2010.
  • M. Balasubramanian and Seshadri Ramkumar, Eco-friendly Soy based Pigs for Oil and Natural Gas Industry, TTU Number: D-0800, January 10, 2011.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Vinitkumar Singh, Nano Nonmetal and Metallic Yarns, TTU Number: D-0824, March 14, 2011.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Ernest Smith and Uday Turaga, Novel Ex Vivo Pharmacological Applications, TTU Number: D-0849, October 4, 2011.
  • Ronald Kendall and Seshadri Ramkumar, Spunlacing (or hydroentangling) of Carbon Composites, TTU Number: D-0854, November 1, 2011.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar and Vinitkumar Singh, Low Micronaire Cotton Oil Sorbent Batts, TTU Number: D-0987, May 11, 2013.
  • Vinitkumar Singh and Seshadri Ramkumar, Novel Carbon Sorbents, TTU Number: D-1064, January 17, 2014.
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Ernest Smith and Francis Wekesa, Superabsorbent Cotton Pads, TTU Number: D-1388, March 10, 2017
  • Seshadri Ramkumar, Layered Porous Substrates, TTU Number: 2020-064, May 20, 2020.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS (Key and Representative List): Recognition for research in nonwovens that lead to advanced applications in defense, environmental protection, and personnel protection.

Major International Scientific Awards:

  • Fellow of Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), 2022
  • Silver Medal (for sustainable processing of advanced textiles) by Society of Dyers and Colorists, United Kingdom, 2020
  • Marks Hollingsworth Prize & Technical Achievement Award in Nonwoven Textiles, 2016, Awarded by World’s leading association, Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Association (over 100-year old association), United States of America.
  • FELLOW of The Textile Institute (United Kingdom), World’s oldest scientific association in textiles.
  • HONORARY FELLOW, Textile Association (India): World’s largest society for textile materials with over 22,000 members. Professor Ramkumar was the youngest member to awarded at the time of his award.
  • Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, Texas Tech University’s Highest Research Award. Professor Ramkumar was the only one recipient in the year 2009.
  • Professor W. B. Achwal Oration Award, by Institute of Chemical Technology (formerly UDCT), Mumbai, 2018. Professor Ramkumar to be the youngest to receive this honor.
  • President’s Excellence in Commercialization Award, Texas Tech University’s Highest Research Commercialization. Professor Ramkumar was the only one recipient in 2016.
  • President’s Excellence in Diversity Award, 2017. Texas Tech University’s Highest Award for Promoting Minorities and Diversity. Dr. Ramkumar has over 20-years has helped students from INDIA and helped to establish a scholarship to support Indian origin students in Lubbock, TX, USA.
  • Technical Textiles Accomplishment Award—International award presented for nonwovens research and USA-India collaborations at the international conference, “Performance Wear and Functional Textiles,” July 24-25, 2008, Coimbatore, India, Please see Lubbock AJ, Education Briefs, August 4, 2008.
  • USA-Lubbock’s first Top Twenty Under 40 Award in 2007 by Young Professionals of Greater Lubbock for nonwoven wipe technology transfer. Please see Lubbock AJ, October 28, 2007.
  • Introduced to Board of Reagents of TTU system and recognized for the development of nonwoven decontamination wipe and the organization of World Conference in India (Reagents’ Meeting Minutes, October 27, 2006 www.irs.ttu.edu/Reports/StateReports/SYSTEM/Minutes/BoardMinutes102706.pdf).
  • Two times the Editorial Board of Lubbock Avalanche Journal recognized my work in their editorial opinion columns:
  • Received Best Paper Award, 2006 INTC Protective Materials Session-I for the Paper “Chemical Warfare Simulant Adsorption–,” INDA’s INTC Conference, September 2006, Houston.
  • World’s leading textile trade magazine, Textile World recognized the nonwoven wipe as “Quality Fabric of the Month”, April 2004.

External Grants: Successful in obtaining $3,696,683.37 from external sources (Success Rate: 63.64%). Out of this total award, grants from the US Department of Defense alone so far: $2,691,310.37.

Technology Transfer: My technology on Non-particulate Dry Sorbent Nonwoven Wipe has been licensed to Hobbs Bonded Fibers of Waco, Texas. Recently, as part of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contract, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) evaluated 30 or more currently available products. This was initiated by DHS to develop next-generation Low Cost Personal Decontamination System (LPDS). LLNL has recommended a two-part LPDS which consists of my technology as the dry wipe component. In the LLNL study the dry wipe technology developed in my laboratory came out to be the best performing wipe in terms of chemical warfare agent retention as well as chemical compatibility.

EXTERNAL RESEARCH GRANTS: Received about $4.5 Million in grants at TTU from agencies such as Department of Defense. NSF-MRI, United States Department of Defence, to name a few. Single largest grant that I received was, “Countermeasures/Development of Nonwoven CB Protective Clothing with Enhanced Protection and Comfort,” from US Department of Defence, US $618,987. “

BOOK/ BOOK CHAPTERS

  • BOOK: New Developments in Biological and Chemical Terrorism Countermeasures (eds): Seshadri Ramkumar, Ronald J. Kendall and Steven M. Presley, CRC Press, ISBN: 13: 978-1-4987-4756.
  • Personnel Protective Fabric Technologies for Chemical Countermeasures, Seshadri Ramkumar, Utkarsh Sata and Munim Hussain, in book on “Advances in Biological and Chemical Terrorism Countermeasures,” CRC Press-A Taylor & Francis Company, pp. 201 -225, 2008.
  • Conclusions and Research Needs for the Future, Kendall R.J., Austin G.P., Chang C., Cobb G.P., Coimbatore G., Cox S.B., Fralick J.A., Leggoe J.W., Presley S.M., Ramkumar S.S., Smith P.N., Strahlendorf J.C., Zartman R.E., in book on “Advances in Biological and Chemical Terrorism Countermeasures,” CRC Press-A Taylor & Francis Company, pp. 243-247, 2008.

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (Many Internationally Visible Scientific Papers)

  • Thandavmoorthy Subbiah, Bhat, G. S., Tock, R. W., Parameswaran, S. and Ramkumar, S. S. (2005), “Electrospinning of Nanofiber,” J. Appld. Poly. Sci., Vol. 96(2), 557-569. * This paper has been listed as Highly Cited Paper by Thompson Scientific’s ISI Web of Knowledge database. This paper has received OVER ONE THOUSAND (1326) CITATIONS per Google Scholar. This paper has been recognized as Highly Accessed paper by the Journal (Wiley).
  • An early invention, “artificial human finger,” got global attention as it was the first time such a mimic was used to evaluate the feel/touch or quality of materials such as textiles. United States based Indian news media such as NY based “India Abroad,” recognized such internationally visible work. Ramkumar, S. S., Wood, D. J., Fox, K., and Harlock, S. C., (2003), “Development of a Polymeric Human Finger Sensor for Studying the Frictional Properties of Textiles, Part I: Artificial Finger Development,” Textile Res. Journal, 73 (6), 469-473.
  • Work on new material for absorbing oil to counter environmental pollution has brought worldwide recognition. World’s most noted, “American Chemical Society,” recognized this work and announced it to the world via a podcast. See: American Chemical Society’s recognition on July 30, 2013. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/july/acs-podcast-cotton-is-an-ecofriendly-
    way-to-clean-up-oil-spills.html
    Crude oil sorption by raw cotton
    V Singh, RJ Kendall, K Hake, S Ramkumar
    Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 52 (18), 6277-6281

TECHNICAL ARTICLES:

Ramkumar has written technical papers, which are of broad interest to fibers, nonwovens and technical textiles industry and has been published in leading technical-trade journals in the field such as Nonwovens
Industry, Textile World, Specialty Fabrics Review, etc. Most recently, their work on the growth prediction of Indian technical textiles industry has been extremely well received due to its importance and has been published in almost all magazines in the field such as Modern Textiles (Cover Page Article), Nonwovens Industry, Textile World Asia, Colourage, Indian Textile Journal, etc. This work has been picked-up by major broadsheet newspapers such as Hindu Business Line (June 6, 08), Business Standard, Press Trust of India. Please see TTU News Release for more info:
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/news/stories/08/05-india-textiles.php

EDITORSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP IN JOURNAL BOARDS

Editor: Ramkumar serves as the technical editor and oversee the peer reviewed section of a comprehensive journal on nonwoven and technical textiles, “Nonwoven & Technical Textiles,” published by Colourage Publications, India. This journal is quarterly and one of its kind that focuses on nonwovens & technical textiles. He is a member of the founding team of the journal. He also serves as Special/Guest Editor for J of Engineered Fibers & Fabrics for a Special Issue.

Membership in Journal Editorial Boards

  • Founding Chairman of Editorial Advisory Board, Nonwoven & Technical Textiles.
  • Editorial Advisory Board of Journal of Engineered Fibers & Fabrics.
  • Journal of Industrial Textiles published by SAGE Publications.
  • Journal of Natural Fibers published by The Haworth Press.

International Conference Proceedings Editor: Ramkumar has served as the editor for the souvenir/book of abstracts and conference proceedings for the five international conferences ATNT organized in India (2004-2008). He has initiated dialogues to publish Newsletters for AATCC-Materials Track and TAPPINonwoven Division and will spearhead this effort.

International Conferences Organized: Ramkumar has organized six international conferences that attracted 250-300 delegates each from 8-10 countries. The ATNT conference presentations were published as
proceedings and Souvenir/Book of Abstracts for which I served as the editor.

High Performance Materials and Textiles, July 7-9, 2004, Coimbatore, India.

Advances in Materials, Textiles, Technology and Management, July 7-8, 2005, Coimbatore, India.

Advances in Fibrous Materials, Nonwovens and Technical Textiles, August 7-9, 2006, Coimbatore, India.

Advances in Textiles, Nonwovens and Technical Textiles, June 18-20, 2007, Coimbatore,

ATNT-08, 5th Edition of Advances in Textiles, Nonwovens and Technical Textiles, July 14-16, 2008, Coimbatore, India. Served as Organizing Secretary.

Performance Wear and Functional Textiles, PFT-2008, July 24-25, 2008, Coimbatore, India.

These conferences have brought high international visibility for TTU’s nonwoven research program. The organization of such conferences has been recognized by TTU Chancellor, TTU President and College of
Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office. ATNT-08 was highly successful and was inaugurated by Honorable Central Minister of State for Textiles, Government of India which received wide coverage in broadsheet newspapers. The coverage in India’s National Newspaper, “The Hindu” appeared on July 15, 2008.

Committee Memberships Held: Due to TTU’s research accomplishments in nonwovens field, Ramkumar was invited to sit in several important committees in professional organizations in his field.

Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry: Hold key membership positions such as: 1) Technical Advisory Board (since 2006 and youngest member); 2) Member of the International Nonwoven Technical Conference Committee (since 2005). Ramkumar was instrumental in initiating session on Nanofiber/Nanotechnology in 2005 and Protective Materials session in 2006; 3) Member of Needlepunch Committee (since 2006); 4) Co-Chairman. INDA-India committee (since 2006) and 4) Co-Chairman of the Organizing Committee for INDA’s first international conference, “The Link with INDIA”, October 16-18, 2007, Mumbai, INDIA. In Link with INDIA conference, he delivered a tutorial on “Nonwoven Technology,” October 16, 2007. Texas Tech University is the only academic university from USA that has this unique honor. In addition, he served as tutor for 5 INDA Nonwoven Workshops in India.

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists: 1) Secretary of Materials Interest Group; 2) Secretary of Nonwovens Committee; 3) Secretary RA-89 Committee on Hand and 4) Served as Steering
Committee Member for many conferences.

Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry: 1) Member of Steering Committee of Nonwovens Division; 2) Vice-Chair, Materials Characterization & Modeling and 3) Vice-Chair, Fiber Process &
Technology Committee.

Fiber Society: Member of Publications Society.

International Ph.D. Dissertation Examiner: Invited by University of New South Wales, Australia, Deakin Univ., Australia, Anna Univ., India, Madras Univ., Bharathiar Univ, India and Avinashilingam Univ., India.

Teaching and Graduate Student Advising: Ramkumar served as a major thesis advisor and thesis committee chair/co-chair for many GRADUATE STUDENTS from INDIA in the Departments of Environmental
Toxicology, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mathematics. A new graduate level course on “Countermeasures to Chemical Threats,” has been developed that delves deep into the fundamentals of protection mechanism of different materials against chemical threats. This course has received very favorable response from the student body across science and engineering disciplines at Texas Tech University. Many of his graduate students have won awards such as Industrial Fabrics Association’s 2008 IFF Student Scholarships (Arvind Purushothaman, PhD student).

INVITED TALKS, SPECIAL SEMINARS, CONFERENCE INAGURAL AND VALEDICTORY ADDRESSES, PANEL CHAIRMAN ADDRESSES: About ONE HUNDRED .

Ramkumar has presented invited seminars/papers on his  research endeavors in several academic, research and corporate laboratories and in international conferences in the US, Canada, Egypt, England, Australia,
Greece, Germany, France, Turkey, India, Singapore and Hong Kong. Select lectures since his time at TTU are given below:

  • British Textile Technology Group, Didsbury, England, “Overview of Surface Interaction of Skin and Fabrics—Effect of Different Finishes on Fabrics,” April 2000.
  • Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA, “Tribological Studies with Textiles and Human Skin,” July 2000
  • Deakin University, School of Engineering and Technology, Geelong, Australia, “Development of Protective Fabrics Using H1 Needle-punching Technology,” April 2001
  • School of Human Ecology, University of Alberta, Canada, “Nonwoven Protective Textiles,” March 13, 2002
  • Government of India, Ministry of Defense, DRDO ER and IP HQ, New Delhi, India, June/July 2005
  • National University of Singapore, “Nanofibers,” June/July 2005.
  • Big 12 Innovation and Capital Formation Conference, (Organized by Big 12 CEDIC), Kansan City, MO, Feb28-March 02, 2007, he was one of the three invited speakers from Texas Tech University to present innovative technologies.
  • 3rd International Congress on Innovations in Textiles & Fabrics—Textile Trends, Feb 13-15, 2007, Berlin, Germany, “Novel Fabrics Structures for Defense and Value-Added Applications”.
  • The Future of Wipes Conference—PIRA, “Nonwoven Decontamination Wipes for Defense and Homeland Security”, Dusseldorf, Germany, 27-28 June 2007. Day 2 Chair as well.
  • Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Fiber & Polymer Eng., April 7, 2008.
  • Invited talk on “New Developments in Military Wipes,” The Future of Wipes 2008, July 3, 2008, London, England. Served as Conference Chair, July 2-3, 2008, (www.wipes2008.com).
  • Invited Lecture, “Nonwovens and Technical Textiles in the Indian Marketplace, “The Future of Wipes 2008”, July 3, 2008, London, England. Served as Conference Chair, (www.wipes2008.com).
  • Conference Inaugural Address in, “Advances in Textiles, Machinery Nonwoven and Technical Textiles,” July 14, 2008, Coimbatore, India.
  • Avinashilingam University for Women, Chemistry Association Inaugural Lecture, Coimbatore, India, July 23, 2008.
  • Conference Inaugural Address in, “Performance Wear and Functional Textiles,” July 24, 2008, PSG Tech, Coimbatore, India.
  • Panel Discussion Chair Address in, “Performance Wear and Functional Textiles,” July 25, 2008, PSG Tech, Coimbatore, India.
  • Three Inaugural Addresses, INDA-USA, “Workshop on Nonwovens,” Ahmedabad, July 18; Coimbatore, July 28 and Kolkata, August 1, 2008. I served as workshop tutor as well.
  • FICCI-SASMIRA, Seminar on “Agrotextiles-Emerging Opportunities”, Invited Lecture, to be delivered on October 1, 2008, Mumbai, India. Invited Session Chair as well.
  • TEXCELLENCE Conference, Invited Paper, Value-Added Nonwovens, to be held on October 3, 2008 and Session Chair on October 4, 2008, Ahmedabad, India, (www.textilereview.com).

Ramkumar has regularly presented in leading technical conferences of the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) and American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. A significant one has been
the invited presentation at the INDA’s (once in 3 years) IDEA Engineered Fabrics Exposition in 2004, the largest nonwovens exposition and conference in the USA. In 2005, he was invited as an expert to deliver seminars on nonwovens in Ahmedabad and Surat by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, December 2005. I was also invited by DRDE-Ministry of Defense in December 2005, Gwalior, India to talk
about needlepunched fabrics for military applications.