Over the past year, almost two dozen women at the Wilson College of Textiles have benefited from professional development grants through the Ellen Rohde Leadership Initiative. Female students, faculty and staff have been able to network and learn through travel to conferences, workshops and research opportunities worldwide as a result of these grants, honing their leadership skills and widening their career paths.
Following a 22-year career with apparel giant VF Corporation, Ellen Rohde — now president of the North Carolina Textile Foundation — has dedicated her post-retirement life to equipping students at NC State with workforce skills that will make them successful leaders and major contributors to society. With a $1.2 million gift, she established an endowment that aims to provide students at the College of Textiles with the type of impactful leadership training that helped her become the first female division president in VF’s history.
