By Sarah Stone
When Isabelle Salzmann enrolled at NC State, she knew she wanted to enter a career field where she could play a role in protecting the environment. She just didn’t realize she had chosen the wrong degree.
“I was originally in environmental engineering, but then I figured out that the degree was not what I thought it was, so I was looking for something different, as well as a major with smaller class sizes,” she says. “I knew I wanted to do something in sustainability, but I didn’t necessarily know what application.”
When she learned about textile engineering (TE), she started to make the connection between the degree and its ability to reduce the impacts of fast fashion on the environment.
“I knew there were people making plastic water bottles into clothing,” she remembers. “But I hadn’t realized that there was a whole science and area of study behind that.”
That interest in sustainable materials and processes led Salzmann to a research assistantship, as well as positions with Cotton Incorporated and Nike headquarters. That most recent internship gave way to a job offer: Salzmann will start as a global footwear development specialist for Nike this summer.
“Nike’s material development team is full of Wilson College of Textiles graduates. And so the people hiring know that if you’re from the Wilson College, you know what you’re talking about and you’ll be prepared for the position.”
Which person on campus has influenced you the most during your time here?
Probably Dr. Ford. She’s just so amazing. She took a chance on me as a first-year student, and researching with her has had such a big impact on me.
I started researching with her the summer after my first year of college. I had just changed my major to TE. One of her Ph.D. students had stopped by a poster session for my intro to textile engineering class and told me if I was interested in sustainable materials that I should look into Dr. Ford’s research. So I reached out to Dr. Ford and asked how I could get involved.
It was basically a cold call, and she immediately offered the research assistant position to me. That was my very first opportunity. I knew nothing about textiles. And I ended up working with her for three years.
What did you research with Dr. Ford?
The first project was melt spinning cellulose bioplastics, so basically trying to make polyacrylonitrile fibers, which is the precursor to carbon fiber, have a biobased component to them in order to make them more sustainable.
I also worked with her on her project with Aja Labs, which is a company that is working to melt spin natural fibers for wigs.
What has been your most meaningful experience been at NC State?
In college I definitely found my people and community through different Asian organizations on campus. I am currently the president of my sorority, Alpha Phi Gamma, which is one of the Asian interest sororities on campus.
I am grateful that it has offered me leadership development experience, provided opportunities to engage with different multicultural communities on campus, as well as given me my found family.
I have put a lot into this organization over the past four years and I am extremely thankful for it because being a part of this community has really enriched my college experience.
Tell us more about your internship and upcoming job with Nike!
I was on the footwear material development team specifically serving men’s basketball and had a sustainability focused project.
My project was essentially looking to optimize opportunities for sustainable material development in existing footwear models. I created a tool for material developers to be able to assess all of the materials for a particular footwear model across all colorways and seasons and identify which materials had opportunities for switching to a recycled (or otherwise more sustainable) alternative.
It wasn’t the glamorous work of fancy “green” footwear campaigns, but it was work that’s going to be helpful in addressing the issue of making Nike’s products that are already in production more sustainable. Working with Nike’s sustainability team showed me that it’s going to take the whole company moving forward to move the dial for sustainability in this industry.
I think what left the greatest impact on me was all the relationships and mentors I gained from that summer. My manager graduated with a TE degree from the Wilson College of Textiles in 2013 and is now a great friend and one of my biggest role models.
Before coming to Nike, I knew nothing about sports and never thought about working with shoes, but the experience showed me how interesting both are. Nike is really all about sport and I left the summer feeling inspired by athletes and gaining a true appreciation for what they do. And as far as shoes go, I can’t see myself working on anything else right now, there is so much engineering in every pair of shoes and I feel lucky to soon be a part of that.
In my upcoming job, Nike hasn’t determined specifically what I’ll be doing yet, but I know I’ll be working in footwear.
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