USM, Army helmet liners

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Continued success has been a challenge for Dr. Jeffrey Wiggins, director of University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Polymers and High Performance Materials. But, he and the USM faculty are reaching new levels after garnering positive results with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, who wore helmets incorporated with technology developed by USM’s research laboratories. USM and the Army recently announced a $4.9 million contract for development and evaluation of a new helmet liner designed to provide enhanced head protection for war-fighters - an extension of NFL helmet research. USM’s Pneumatic Cushion liner system is radically different from traditional foam pads used for decades. USM is also among an elite group of awardees of the inaugural National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program. The five-year $2.8 million award is designed to encourage development of potentially transformative models for science, technology, education and math (STEM) graduate training. USM’s polymer science education provides an opportunity to engage students with major corporations like GE Aviation, which has two plants in Mississippi, including at Ellisville. Teams have been working in polymer science labs at USM to create composite materials such as aviation fan blades for the global markets. These advanced materials are lightweight and durable, which translates to fuel savings, lower energy costs, and reduced maintenance for sophisticated jet engines. (Source: WDAM-TV 08/19/15)