Faculty and Staff Honored for Extension Efforts

By Julie Watterson

The Wilson College of Textiles (COT) at NC State University is particularly strong when it comes to extension efforts. Faculty, staff and students excel at working one-on-one with companies in the textile industry and government groups. Earlier this year Emiel DenHartog and Debbie Mostek were honored for their respective outreach efforts on behalf of the Textile Protection and Comfort Center (T-PACC) and Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE).

Associate Professor and Co-Director of TPACC  Dr. Emiel DenHartog, was awarded an Outstanding Extension Service Award for his dedication and service to extension and engagement. NC State was fortunate that DenHartog joined the COT after a long and successful career in the human performance group at the Human Factors Research Institute of TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) and in the Chemical and Biological Protection Department at TNO, where he held the rank of senior scientist. He coordinated research and development activities on military individual protection and performance within TNO and served in advisory roles for groups such as law enforcement officials, athletic individuals and the military (both national and international).

From protection for oil workers, firefighters, mountain climbers and soldiers to enhancing apparel performance for Olympic athletes, DenHartog is perpetually interested in furthering the known science in this department by helping others improve protective garment design for performance.

He is always eager to attend trade shows and expos, such as Industrial Fabrics Association International (IAFI) or Outdoor Retailer (OR) and conferences related to industrial textiles, performance apparel and products, home goods, and testing organizations. DenHartog enjoys sharing his knowledge of science, testing, standards, human performance, and apparel design. By reaching out to industry through standards and testing organizations such as American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), he works to apply the latest developments in testing and evaluation of textile human comfort and performance with individuals and groups looking to evolve the textiles we use on a daily basis.

Debbie Mostek is an exceptional leader within ZTE. She also was awarded an Outstanding Extension Service Award. On top of managing all financial affairs for the department, she leads the ZTE Textile Fundamental eLearning program, and serves as the primary contact for new customers requesting custom Professional Education courses. Mostek is also responsible for all equipment acquisitions which allow the ZTE labs to remain up to date and ready for service projects, industry training, and academic instruction.

By managing the eLearning program, she is readily available to support customers on a daily basis. She markets the program to the textile industry and higher education institutions with a global outreach that includes big box retailers, textile manufacturers, and international universities.

She assisted with the overhaul of ZTE’s eLearning program, particularly in the area of Textile Fundamentals, to fill the textile industry training gap. In an effort to expand to the global textile community, Mostek also helped with the initiative to add multi-language closed captioning to the eLearning course.

Her efforts have improved labs and ensured greater outreach, ultimately assisting the university, the textile industry in North Carolina, and companies around the globe.