The Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) has announced an educational collaboration effort with the University of Miami’s College of Engineering wherein the industry organization “will work with the university to produce short courses related to various aspects of cosmetic science and product development,” confirmed a recent press release.
The course follows last summer’s launch of a “Master of Science in Product Design program offered jointly by the university’s Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering” by the University of Miami, which was designed “to enhance product design skills and competencies in three high growth industrial sectors, [including] Cosmetics & Consumer Products,” the release said.
About the course
At the end of this month, the first course in the education collaborating is scheduled to take place at the University of Miami’s Coral Gables, Florida campus. Entitled High Throughput Formulation and Advanced Prototype Testing, the two-day course will be instructed by Samiul Amin, Ph.D., Professor of Practice at the University of Miami, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering Department.
Dr Amin’s professional background includes years of applicable industry experience including “working in Engineering, R&D, and Innovation Management for industry-leading cosmetics companies like Unilever and L’Oréal,” shared the release. About the course, Dr Amin shared that “in terms of the future, the cosmetics and personal care industry is going to start looking towards robotics, automation, AI, and machine learning to speed up the process of prototype development.”
Therefore, Dr Amin explained further, continuing education through industry-specific programs such as High Throughput Formulation and Advanced Prototype Testing will enhance understanding of these advancements, which are designed to “free up time for formulators and people working in R&D to effectively and efficiently design new products, applications, and performance benefits.”
The planned course “will highlight automation advancements and marry them with advanced characterization and prototype development to allow participants to understand the interplay of science and technology,” shared the release, and “during the laboratory portions of the course, attendees will learn automated formulation techniques via a Chemspeed automation platform, as well as advanced characterization methods using a high sensitivity rheometer (Netszch), dynamic light scattering, and an optical tensiometer,” the release confirmed.
Other educational opportunities
In addition to the upcoming High Throughput Formulation and Advanced Prototype Testing course collaboration with the University of Miami, “the SCC is also offering an online, on-demand version of its popular Fundamentals of Surfactants, Emulsions, and Polymers for Cosmetic Formulations course, also instructed by Professor Amin, and featuring a Live Instructor Q&A session on March 18, 2024,” the release explained. This option offers industry professionals an additional opportunity to continue their education in an easily accessible format.
Moving forward, “The SCC is excited to collaborate with the University of Miami in demonstrating how digital technologies are advancing the science of cosmetics and personal care,” said Erica L. O’Grady, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the Society in the organization’s press release. “We are continuing to build on the strong foundation in the region established by our Florida Chapter,” she concluded, “via their regular educational meetings and bi-annual Sunscreen Symposium.”