As a student, Remington Scott’s favorite location on the NC State campus was the Witherspoon Student Center.
“From all of the events I’ve attended in that space to performing with my fraternity in front of the student center, there are a lot of memories that took place at Witherspoon,” Scott says.
His connection with two student organizations, the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and the African American Textile Society, helped Scott, a Fayetteville, North Carolina native, feel at home in Raleigh.
“I met lifelong friends from those organizations,” he says.
The strong sense of community he felt was only amplified when he joined the Wilson College of Textiles family. Scott, who is a two-time Wilson College graduate with a bachelor’s degree in polymer and color chemistry and a master’s degree in textile engineering, continues to speak highly of his alma mater.
“My education gave me all the fundamentals I needed to be successful,” he says.
Since graduating, he has worked in a variety of scientific roles that took him from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists as a technical associate to the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a patent examiner. Today, Scott serves as a research and development engineer and scientist at Honeywell. In this role, he uses his polymer science background to develop high-strength fibers for medical and ballistic applications.
“I’ve been assisting with running lab trials and troubleshooting manufacturing equipment to determine the correct settings needed to create new high-tenacity, ultra-fine denier fiber products to be used in medical applications,” he shares, when asked about his new position. “I’m also helping to add colorant to the manufacturing process of Honeywell’s medical fibers to allow surgeons to have a visual aid while operating on patients.”
Despite living in Richmond, Virginia, Scott’s dedication to the Wilson College of Textiles continues through his service on the Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council. He enjoys supporting the college that has given him so much, and he hopes “to give back to help current students have the same if not more opportunities and experiences.”
To learn more about his path to success and his advice for the next generation of Wilson College students, read the Q&A below.
Degree B.S. Polymer and Color Chemistry, 2016 and M.S. Textile Engineering, 2019
Job Title Research and Development Engineer and Scientist II, Honeywell
Current City Richmond, Virginia
Hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina
Please describe your current volunteer and leadership experience.
As a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., I regularly volunteer with NC State’s undergraduate chapter and assist with events such as highway cleanups, the donation of clothing to Goodwill and numerous events around the community.
Why did you choose NC State and the Wilson College of Textiles?
A recruiter from NC State gave a presentation to my high school chemistry class that piqued my interest in the Wilson College of Textiles. After attending one of the Wilson College’s open houses and touring the campus, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I was excited to get more involved with textiles and learn all about the different applications and technologies within the fiber industry.
What is your fondest memory of being at NC State and the Wilson College of Textiles?
There are too many great memories to recall. I believe my top memories are the football and basketball games along with the late-night study sessions at the D.H. Hill and Hunt libraries with my friends.
Who influenced you most during your time at the Wilson College of Textiles? And why or how?
My biggest influences were my undergraduate academic advisor, Tremaine Brittian, and my professor, Dr. Edward Brown. They were both pivotal in helping me adjust to campus as a first-year student and find the resources I needed to be successful. I can’t thank them enough for their help.
How did your education at the Wilson College of Textiles prepare you for what you are doing today?
My education gave me all the fundamentals I needed to be successful. My bachelor’s degree in polymer and color chemistry helped me adjust to my first role at the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), where I was heavily involved in developing test methods for the colorfastness of textiles. It has also helped me in my current role at Honeywell, where I’m using more of my polymer science background to manufacture fibers with high tenacity for various applications. My textile engineering degree has also helped me in my previous role at Cortland Biomedical, where I developed the manufacturing process for knitted, woven and braided medical textile products.
In what ways are you currently involved with the Wilson College of Textiles and NC State?
I currently serve on the Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council, which helps to connect alumni to the college and highlight young alumni who are making an impact on the textile industry.
Have you been motivated to give back to the Wilson College of Textiles financially? If so, what led you to make that decision?
Yes, I have been motivated to give back to the Wilson College of Textiles. It’s a unique college with a great community that has helped me find a great career path for myself. I hope to give back to help current students have the same if not more opportunities and experiences.
Describe your career path.
I started my career working as a technical associate for the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), which is a nonprofit organization that works with volunteers across the textile industry to develop test methods for textile products such as colorfastness, dimensional stability to laundering, antimicrobial and more.
My next role was working at the United States Patent Office as a patent examiner. While there, I examined new textile patents and worked with inventors to help patent their new technology or methodology for manufacturing. I then transitioned to Cortland Biomedical as a process engineer, where I developed a manufacturing process for medical textile products. I’m currently working as an R&D engineer for Honeywell with a focus on developing high-strength fibers for medical and ballistic applications.
What advice do you have for current Wilson College of Textiles students?
I would encourage current students to network and take advantage of all the resources the college has to offer. In each role I’ve worked, I’ve always come across other graduates of this college. I recommend attending as many events at the Wilson College of Textiles that allow you to connect with those in the industry and if you can, take advantage of working in the Dyeing and Finishing Lab (commonly called the Pilot Plant), the Knitting Lab or the Weaving Lab.
A lot of industry partners work with the Wilson College of Textiles, and you never know who you could meet in those spaces.
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