Extreme Engineer of the Month

Education: B.S. in Fashion Merchandising, University of Georgia M.S. in Polymer Engineering, Georgia Tech Favorite Classes: Textile chemistry and design for her undergraduate degree; polymer chemistry and rheology (mechanical properties of a fluid) in her graduate degree. Best Skills: People skills. Hobbies: Triathlons—Tami loves to swim, bike and run in that order, and competes in two triathlons each year. Role Models: Oomman Thomas, her mentor at Kimberly-Clark who tutored her through the math and science background classes to gain acceptance in a masters engineering program (without an undergraduate degree in engineering), and her father, who worked for Kimberly Clark for 38 years as a chemical engineer. Advice: Don't freak out. There's plenty of time. If you don't get your career choice right the first time, you can do it again.

From Fashionista to Engineer

In high school Tami wasn't really that interested in math or science. She decided to major in fashion merchandising at the University of Georgia—where she joined a sorority and participated in a plethora of campus activities. Upon graduating she got a job as an assistant manager in a retail store and got married. It didn't take long for Tami to realize that her career choice wasn't what she wanted to do for the next 40 years. One of her favorite courses in college was a textile chemistry class. When she saw an opening for a technician at Kimberly-Clark focusing on absorbency she decided to apply for the job and got it. At Kimberly-Clark she received a lot of on the job training and found her interest in math and science. She also discovered that Kimberly-Clark would pay for her to get an engineering degree. Even better yet, she found a mentor, Oomman Thomas, a Ph.D. and experienced polymer physicist, who took her under his wing and tutored her in calculus and physics. Within three months she was getting straight A's and had developed a love for those subjects.

Kimberly-Clark allowed her to work part time. In addition to five years of intensive prep work to enter the masters program, she managed to find time to get married and start a family. She was finally admitted to graduate school at Georgia Tech in 2001, with sponsorship from Kimberly-Clark. She took advantage of the company's program that allowed her to get paid while going to school.

Mastering it All

The master's program took her one year to complete. Her thesis was on the phase separation kinetics of thermo plastic polyurethane, which was directly related to her work at Kimberly-Clark. This work focused on the elastic properties of polymers to create products that fit the human body—specifically taking two different polymers in blocks that don't like to mix, heating them to force them to mix, and allowing them to cool and separate after extrusion to create the elastic properties sought. As they cool they separate. Most of her work on her thesis was done at Brookhaven National Labs on Long Island, a high-level lab in New York that didn't allow many people to work there without having a Ph.D.

While the path she took to polymer engineer was extremely challenging, Tami says it was great training for the rest of life. She learned how to work hard for delayed rewards and discovered her capacity to learn. She says that although it wasn't the traditional path to a master's in engineering, it wasn't really more difficult than taking a more traditional route. Her parents had more traditional expectations for her and didn't push her in high school to expand her horizons even though she always got good grades.

A New Wave of Toothbrushes

Surprisingly, her undergraduate degree has been as asset in the world of polymer engineering. She got a lot of fabrication and design experience in college. One of the goals of the polymers she's working on is to have non-woven fabrics, which are very inexpensive to produce, have the same tactile qualities of woven products—a breathable, soft cotton feel. Her significant understanding of textiles—what makes a fabric work that way—has been a tremendous asset in working on a range of products from disposable diapers to a disposable "cloth" toothbrush that slips on your finger to clean teeth, called Dentaburst, which is just being launched.

Tami developed all the materials for Dentaburst. The front panel is bumpy to remove plaque from your teeth. The back panel stretches to fit all fingers and the elastic properties keep it from falling off. She worked to develop laminates to keep your finger dry while brushing. She incorporated as much existing technology as possible and modified them as needed. For a fresher experience, the team added a powdered version of toothpaste and had to develop an edible (food grade) adhesive to keep the paste on. The two different front and back materials are heated with ultrasonics to fuse the front and back together and cut the pieces out.

For Love of the Job

Tami says her job is exciting. She never does the same thing twice. A typical week includes two days in the office doing paperwork. These are her least favorite days, but it affords her the opportunity to go to lunch with friends. The rest of the week is spent in the lab—developing new products or doing consumer research. Even her lab work is varied; she may be working with a large extrusion machine or pouring chemicals in a beaker. One consumer research project was figuring out the flavors—peppermint and cinnamon—and how strong to make them. Working with a consumer focus group gave her immediate feedback. Then she had to go back to the lab to reformulate, which was more fun!

Tami says this job provides her with a constant evolution of learning. And her design background in fashion merchandising has also helped her in making prototypes look more like a finished consumer product.

Tami has also made a commitment to mentoring, both at Kimberly-Clark and in working with students at Georgia Tech. "When you're 18," she says, "it's hard to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life." College kids are stressed and need support. Talking with a mentor helps maintain a perspective and realize opportunities. In addition to mentoring, she seeks out mentors in her own life. "They can help you get better at things that aren't your natural skill set." Tami gets help from a friend who is a whiz at formulating things. In turn, she helps her with investigative lab work.

Even though Tami took a circuitous route to find her dream job, she got there, and truly enjoys the challenges and opportunities for creative thinking that each day brings.