Cameron Cooper ’09 Receives the 2025 Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Inspired by his passion for the maritime industry and boat building, Cameron Cooper ’09 first learned about the textile industry through his experience at the Wilson College of Textiles’ Summer Textile Exploration Program (STEP). 

While at STEP, Cooper discovered that textiles meant more than just apparel. He found a direct connection from the industry to his curiosity about boat building and passion for sailing. He had a fantastic experience at STEP, and after being immersed in the world of textiles at the week-long program, he learned more about the possibilities of exploring his passions through opportunities such as internships with composite material boat-builders in eastern North Carolina. 

Today, you can find Cooper utilizing his textile engineering background as an instructor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

“I knew I wanted to pursue engineering at an excellent school. So I applied to NC State, and after four years, I graduated with a textile engineering degree.”

In recognition of his professional achievements and alignment with the college’s core values, Cooper was named the recipient of the Wilson College of Textiles 2025 Distinguished Young Alumni Award. 

“Receiving this honor is truly meaningful to me,” Cooper said when he learned about this honor. “My journey in textiles started with curiosity in engineering and a love for the water, and the Wilson College of Textiles helped turn that passion into a career. I’m proud to be part of a field that continues to innovate and shape different industries, all while also serving in the United States military.”

Established by the Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council (DYALC) in 2021, the Distinguished Young Alumni Awards program recognizes graduates under 40 who have made significant contributions to the textile industry and their communities. The DYALC works to promote the Wilson College of Textiles and the college’s fundraising arm, the North Carolina Textile Foundation, and foster engagement among young alumni.

From STEP to the seas: A full-circle journey to the Coast Guard

After participating in STEP, Cooper set his sights on attending NC State for his undergraduate degree and majoring in textile engineering. His future at NC State was bright from the very start. 

“I knew I wanted to pursue engineering at an excellent school,” Cooper says. “So I applied to NC State, and after four years, I graduated with a textile engineering degree.”

He was accepted into both the Park Scholars program and the Centennial Scholarship program, which supported him financially, personally and professionally throughout his undergraduate career. Many faculty and staff members of the college also supported his studies and career aspirations, helping him achieve his goals and discover new opportunities. 

Cooper credits faculty Russell Gorga, Jeff Joines, Kent Hester and Philip Dale with making his college career such a success. These relationships enabled him to complete a local internship in Raleigh and also a summer internship in Germany through an international exchange program; both focused on carbon fiber research. The German internship concluded with touring several boat-building companies in Holland, thanks to support from his Centennial Scholarship’s enrichment funds. 

“I still keep up with Dr. Gorga today,” he says. “And I strive to be like him as an educator in my current assignment.”

His career with the U.S. Coast Guard first began as a marine inspector, and he has been assigned to six different active-duty assignments everywhere between Florida and New England. Before becoming an instructor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2024, Cooper was the prevention department head at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West, overseeing all vessel and facility inspections, marine casualty investigations, waterways management missions, and aids to navigation within a 55,000 square mile area of responsibility in the Florida Keys and Florida Everglades.

He credits his engineering background and problem-solving mentality, which he attained at NC State, with much of his success with the Coast Guard. Cooper later pursued a master’s degree in ocean engineering, which he says was wholly supported by the foundation he received with his textile engineering background. 

Cooper’s passion for teaching others led him to take on a role as an advisor for senior cadets working toward their capstone senior projects of ship design. He also teaches sophomores and juniors in other academic courses focused on ships and maritime safety. This summer, he plans to mentor cadets during their summer sailing training program, where he will take cadets on two-week coastal voyages around New England on a 44-foot sailing vessel.  

“Now, as an educator, this has been a full circle moment for me in my career as an active-duty officer. I frequently think back to my time at NC State in my day-to-day work at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.”

“Now, as an educator, this has been a full circle moment for me in my career as an active-duty officer,” he says. ”I frequently think back to my time at NC State in my day-to-day work at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.”

When asked about one of his most significant career highlights to date, Cooper shared that during his last assignment, he partnered with a military-based charter school in Key West, Florida. During this partnership, he collaborated with a team to develop a problem-based learning curriculum focused on naval architecture for fifth-grade science students. The efforts helped the school and his unit to become recipients of the Military Child Education Coalition Pete Taylor Exemplary Partnership Award. This was the first time any unit in the U.S. Coast Guard had ever won this award in partnership with a local school. This impactful experience is just one of many ways Cooper has given back his time and talents to others. 

In his spare time, Cooper enjoys sailing, woodworking and hiking. He and his wife reside in Niantic, Connecticut, with their four wonderful young children. Cooper credits the support of his family as a principal reason for the professional successes acknowledged by the Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

He also shared advice for current students at the Wilson College of Textiles: “Take the opportunity to set yourselves apart wherever possible.” 

Cooper’s time interning and widening his perspectives through international experiences set him apart when pursuing his career aspirations and gave him the experience needed to succeed. He looks forward to continuing his career with the U.S. Coast Guard, paying it forward and staying connected with NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles.