Zeis Textiles Extension Associate Director Receives Outstanding Extension Award

This spring, NC State paid tribute to a “true leader” credited with driving sustainable innovation and raising the global profile of the Wilson College of Textiles.

The NC State Office of Outreach and Engagement named Melissa Sharp, associate director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE), among the winners of this year’s Outstanding Extension Award.

It’s the third time Sharp has been recognized as part of the annual award, which recognizes faculty and staff for outstanding contributions to extension or engagement, after receiving the distinction previously in 2020 and 2013. 

In Sharp’s case, the university once again lauded her work through ZTE, which sits at the heart of her intersections with companies and organizations across the textile industry.

Fueling sustainable innovation

Sharp’s achievements in 2024 included “remarkable work,” in the words of her colleagues, as deputy CEO of the recently-created Textile Innovation Engine of North Carolina (The Engine).

Created with up to $160 million in grant funding that Sharp herself helped secure, the non-profit focuses on accelerating the nation’s — and North Carolina’s —  capacity for advancing sustainable textile industry innovation. 

From the helm of the organization’s research and development efforts, Sharp worked to address key issues ranging from waste reduction to energy efficiency and the circular economy, noted Andre West, ZTE director.

“Melissa has been a driving force behind groundbreaking advancements in textiles and sustainability,” West wrote in a letter supporting Sharp’s nomination, specifically noting her collaborative approach that helped procure more than $435,000 in industry funding to support initiatives at NC State.

“Through her work,” West said, “…she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing real-world challenges, promoting economic development, and fostering sustainability.”

Sharp’s work with The Textile Innovation Engine began with a successful proposal to create the organization, with Sharp serving as the university’s lead representative pitching the concept.

From there, she helped spearhead the implementation of a 10-year, $160 million funding stream through the National Science Foundation. That grant began in March 2024 and immediately supported 16 core research projects.

Preparing the next generation of textile industry professionals

One facet of that funding will help develop the textile industry’s next-generation workforce in North Carolina. 

Through a collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, The Engine is working to update the curriculum at more than 100 high schools across the state, ensuring that a once-contracting industry will continue to grow and evolve over the coming decades.

That’s a particular source of pride for Sharp.

“As a native North Carolinian, I am passionate about improving quality of life across the state of North Carolina and beyond,” she said, noting her passion for collaborating with federal, state, industry and non-profit partners to pursue these initiatives.

“I believe the textile industry will play an important role in repairing some of the economic devastation caused by offshoring and recent recessions,” Sharp said. “The U.S. textile industry is at a pivotal point, and has the opportunity to reinvent itself as a modern, sustainable industry.”

Meanwhile, Sharp is currently helping to design a multi-year strategy for The Texile Innovation Engine, having recently onboarded six new research and development projects focused on sustainable textile innovation in North Carolina. With her input, the organization has also developed new tools to accelerate the speed at which research develops into real-life concepts.

A key example: A new Hemp Consortium Sharp helped facilitate, which will work to build a robust supply chain for hemp fiber in North Carolina. It’ll bring together stakeholders from a wide range of professions — from farmers to fiber processors,  textile manufacturers and brands — to solve key industry challenges and meet consumer needs.

Through her role at ZTE, Sharp also spearheaded NC State’s collaboration with a dozen companies in Central America for textile industry careers as part of the initiative Hilando Oportunidades. Over the course of a grant period, the program fostered career development for more than 1,000 students across northern Honduras.

Award recipients of NC State’s Outstanding Extension Award become nominees for induction into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty in Extension and Engagement.