National Virtual Tour Speaker Program
Invited Webinar – March 19, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
Spectroscopic Characterization of Historic Fabrics and Fibers
Dr. Mary Kate Donais – St. Anselm College

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ABSTRACT

Portable spectroscopy was applied to a number of historically interesting and unique fabrics and fiber samples include a color master’s recipe book, a bound volume of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, four volumes of the Journal of the Chemical Society (London), a fiber reference collection, and archaeological fibers from Peru. Through examination of elemental spectra, acquired via X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and molecular spectra, acquired via reflectance visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, various aspects of fabric production were explored including organic dye identities and the presence of metal mordants.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Mary Kate Donais earned her BS in Chemistry from Bucknell University and PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Following positions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and VG Elemental, she joined the faculty at Saint Anselm College in 1999 where she is currently a professor in the Chemistry and Forensic Science Department. Mary Kate’s research focus is on unique applications of atomic spectroscopy and portable instrumentation, especially in the fields of archaeology and cultural heritage analysis. She has mentored over forty undergraduate research students on both laboratory-based projects and field work and is a fellow of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Mary Kate is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Spectroscopy Practica, an open access journal published by SAS.