TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A new foam invented by Florida State researchers is giving student athletes some much needed support. 

The advanced foam technology called Auxetic foam, was developed by engineers at Florida State University's High Performance Materials Institute, originally for prosthetics.   

But the foam pads are now being used in the TayCo Ankle Brace, used by some FSU athletes, including football and softball players with amazing results.  

Before Ebbie Parsons graduated from Florida A&M University with his bachelor’s in industrial engineering in 2001, he envisioned himself utilizing his degree in management. After graduating, he worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies which helped sharpen his abilities as a leader. 

Danny Georgiadis, Ph.D., professor in Industrial and Manufacturing (IME) at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has been awarded Engineer of the Year in 2018 by the District of Columbia Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies (DCCEAS). Georgiadis was nominated by the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE).

A key component of many mattresses, pillows, helmets, shoes, earbuds and bathmats, memory foam has become ubiquitous in modern life. First developed by NASA in the mid-1960s to improve the safety of airplane seats, memory foam is known for its ability to return to its original shape once the pressure is removed.

The Society of Plastics Engineers Composites Division selected industrial and manufacturing engineering Ph.D. candidate and HPMI researcher Yourri Dessureault for the 2018-19 Harold Giles Graduate Scholarship.

Engineer Madhuparna Roy is a winner of the 3 Minute Thesis Competition at FSU and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. She was a speaker at the latest installment of TEDxFSU on Friday, March 23, 2018.

In her speech, she talked about her research, which focuses on how 3D printing, and how it can be used to make lightweight plane materials that protect it from lightning. She also highlighted the disparity of women in STEM due to toys given as children that discourage the growth of spatial planning skills in young girls.

A next-generation foam technology developed by engineers at Florida State University could soon be a key component in safer and more effective football helmets, thanks to a new grant from the National Football League’s Play Smart. Play Safe. health and safety initiative.

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering industrial and manufacturing engineering Ph.D. candidate and High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) research assistant Abiodun Oluwalowo has racked up several accolades since the first of the year. Oluwalowo is a Florida A&M University student at the college.

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering was proud to host the Master of Science Systems Engineering (MSSE) class for a tour of engineering centers and laboratories on Friday, June 7 2019. The MSSE program is part of the college’s industrial and manufacturing engineering (IME) department and is housed at the FSU Panama City Campus. Daniel Georgiadis, Ph.D., MSSE Program Coordinator and faculty, arranged this visit for his students.