Kristy Jost

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Actually completing a PhD in materials science as a fashion designer, and doing so alongside a fantastic group of mentors and colleagues who made the experience all worthwhile. I always loved making clothes, and I was always interested in science, and they helped me explore ways to make clothing that included technological components, such as garment designs embedded with audio and video that could display messages for people with communication difficulties. That led me to investigate new kinds of fabrics and manufacturing methods in Drexel’s Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab. I also became the first Westphal College of Media Arts and Design student to conduct a research co-op studying supercapacitors and energy-storing materials in the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute in the College of Engineering. I was awarded top engineering fellowships, including one with the Department of Defense, and selected to attend the 63rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany alongside Nobel Laureates in chemistry-related fields.

HOW DREXEL HELPED: Drexel and its faculty provided the opportunity and support to pursue degrees in both art and science and complete research on smart textiles and functional fabrics. It was a unique and exciting atmosphere collaborating across fields between the Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab and the Nanomaterials Institute.

MY HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: I hope that the field of smart textiles continues to grow and evolve, to better the quality of people’s lives. I hope that I can continue to be a part of this exciting field of research and development!