NC State

Feb 6, 2020

From Peace Corps to Peace Goods

Textile Technology alumna Kyley Schmidt ‘00 put her degree to work during a tour with the Peace Corps, helping the rural community of Soatanana in Madagascar turn their tradition of weaving with wild silk into a sustainable industry. With her support, they honed their skills, organized into a cooperative and have increased their household income by 70%. 

Feb 3, 2020

Cloth and Computer Screen: Meet Kate Nartker

Meet Kate Nartker, new TATM assistant professor in the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State, who creates her art where cloth meets computer screen. The textile artist has created innovative works including animations in Jacquard weaving. 

Jan 28, 2020

Designed for Deconstruction

Some problems are so big, so systemic, they can seem insurmountable, such as textile waste, generated at the rate of more than 11 million tons per year in the U.S.; textile wastewater, one of the world’s major environmental pollution problems; or carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuel combustion, the driving cause of global climate change. We need a catalyst, an agent of significant change to turn the encroaching tide. Enter researchers like TECS associate professor Sonja Salmon at the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State. 

Jan 7, 2020

New Year, New Blue

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2020 is Classic Blue (PANTONE 19-4052) -- a rich, saturated shade redolent of the sky at dusk or deep pools of undisturbed water. Read more about Pantone, how it selects its Color of the Year and how colors can be trademarked. 

Dec 13, 2019

Gold Medal Design

Anna Henry graduates this December with a degree in FTM. Inspired by her gold medal-winning brother, she designed her senior collection for Special Olympics North Carolina athletes.  

Dec 9, 2019

Paul Burke ‘17 Engineers His Own Path

Originally from Raleigh, Paul Burke '17 now lives in Portland, Oregon, where he works as pre-sales systems engineer for IT, networking and cybersecurity company Cisco Systems. We spoke with Burke about his life and career after graduation, why he chose to attend Wilson College, what his job search was like and more. Read on for our discussion. 

Dec 2, 2019

World of Color

There are no known bird species that produce blue-pigmented feathers. The color we perceive them to be is due to the structure of their feathers, which reflect light in a way that makes them appear blue. But what is “actually” blue, anyway? Is there such a thing? To answer that, we have to explore the very nature of color: what it is, how we perceive it and how we use it. Read part 1 in our World of Color series. 

Nov 15, 2019

A STEP Above: Young Alumna Cassia Lewis ‘13

A second generation alumna of the Wilson College of Textiles, Cassia Lewis practically grew up at NC State, biking around campus and cheering on the Wolfpack at football games with her father, who graduated from the Textile Engineering program in 1994. She now lives on the West Coast, serving as director of business development for fabric manufacturer Swisstex Direct. 

Nov 12, 2019

Upward Force

FTM alumna ('19) and current graduate student Sophie Nunno-Gorbachev has been working hard to design a supportive bra for those with larger cup sizes — a bra that will reduce pain and improve the lives of its wearers. 

Nov 1, 2019

Wheel of Fashion

Read on for our conversation with West about the cyclical nature of some aspects of fashion and how fashion trends evolve and spread. Then keep reading for firsthand perspectives from students Celine Borthayre, Emma Rigby and Alexandra Plunkett, and alumna Carly Palmer on their experience showing at Greensboro Fashion Week.