Dr. Meredith McQuerry serves as the Director of the McQuerry Lab and oversees its operations. As the Carol E. Avery Associate Professor in the Retail Entrepreneurship program in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, Dr. McQuerry brings extensive expertise in textile science, clothing comfort physiology, and protective equipment design.
Her research has been supported by federal agencies including FEMA, as well as industry organizations such as AATCC, ASTM, and the ACC. Dr. McQuerry established the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab in 2020, bringing the first dynamic sweating thermal manikin to a public institution and positioning Florida State University as a leader in clothing comfort research.
Research Focus
Dr. McQuerry's research portfolio spans multiple critical areas in textile science and protective equipment design:
- Female Firefighter PPE Development: Leading groundbreaking work to develop the first set of female firefighter gear designed using U.S. female firefighter anthropometrics, addressing long-standing safety concerns related to ill-fitting protective equipment.
- Clothing Comfort Physiology: Investigating how functional apparel impacts human performance in real-world environmental conditions using advanced thermal manikin technology.
- Anthropometric Research: Utilizing 3D body scanning technology to collect comprehensive body measurements that inform better-fitting, more functional product design.
- Material Performance: Evaluating textile durability, specification development, and end-use performance for industry partners.
Funding & Recognition
Dr. McQuerry has received over $2 million in federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) to investigate design, comfort, and mobility issues for female firefighters. Her work has been recognized by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and her findings have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals across multiple disciplines.
Selected Publications
- McQuerry, M., Kwon, C., & Poley-Bogan, M. (2023). Female firefighters' increased risk of occupational exposure due to ill-fitting personal protective clothing. Frontiers in Materials Polymeric and Composite Materials, 10, 1-10.
- McQuerry, M. (2020). Effect of structural turnout suit fit on female versus male firefighter range of motion. Applied Ergonomics, 82.
- McQuerry, M., Kwon, C, & Johnson, H. (2019). A critical review of female firefighter protective clothing and equipment workplace challenges. Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, 23(2), 94-110.
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