Kay Obendorf, professor of textiles and apparel at Cornell University, has vacated her post as vice president and assumed the role of president of The Fiber Society. Phil Gibson, materials research engineer with the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, has been named vice president. Subhash Batra, College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, has retained his position as secretary. Bhuvenesh Goswami of Clemson University’s School of Materials Science and Engineering will continue as the Society’s treasurer.

Dr. Obendorf stepped into the president’s position at the conclusion of Eastman Chemical Company’s Bill Haile’s term at the end of 2004. Dr. Obendorf is devoted to research in the field of fiber science, specifically in the areas of protective clothing, morphology, dye diffusion and detergency; she has authored or co-authored numerous articles on these subjects. Dr. Obendorf serves as the associate dean for research in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University and is active in numerous textile-related professional organizations.

Before joining the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center as a materials research engineer, Dr. Gibson served in the U.S. Air Force as a senior rocket propulsion engineer at the Air Force Astronautics Laboratory, where he conducted research on solid rocket propellants. Dr. Batra’s ca­reer spans many years of active participation in teaching and research, complemented by service in many professional associations and activities and by the receipt of numerous recognitions and awards.

Presently, Dr. Batra is professor of textiles at North Carolina State University, where he concentrates on nonwovens technology and the mechanics of yarns and fabrics and is director emeritus of the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center, which he established with the support of colleagues and from a collaborative venture with the State of North Carolina and industry leaders, initiated by a National Science Foundation grant.

Dr. Goswami joined Clemson University in 1984, where he teaches and concentrates his research efforts on the dynamics of processing and the mechanics of fibers, yarn and fabrics, including woven, nonwoven and 3-D woven structures for composite applications.