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NC State Student Blends Interests in Science, Fashion Through Research

undergraduate research

Sophia Thompson looks down at her forearm, which is being equipped with an armband with embedded technology. Her dark hair is in a slicked-back ponytail and she wears a navy and white striped sweater. To the right is another student fastening the armband, and a lab is laid out behind them with two other student in frame working on countertops.

May 20, 2026

Undergraduate Conducts Research in Emerging Wearable Electronics Lab

Sophia Thompson first heard of the SHIFT lab during a guest lecture from its principal investigator, Amanda Mills. At the time, Thompson was a fresh face in fashion and textile management, having just transferred into the program from human biology.   The Smart Holistically Integrated and Functional Textiles (SHIFT) Research Group is a laboratory of graduate…
A YouTube thumbnail with a collage and scrapbook-like style shows a selfie of Penny Kudlak outside and photos of the Wilson College of Textiles courtyard, a lab, sushi, and an beaded embroidery sample in a hoop. "Day in the Life!" is written in curved white font with a red background.

Mar 18, 2026

A Day In The Life of an NC State Student: Penny Kudlak

Textile technology student Penny Kudlak offers advice to prospective students and reflects on her research and work experience with the Wilson College of Textiles.
Will Swanson works on a loom in the Weaving Lab. He is reaching over to adjust the machine while wearing a red and white NC State jersey. There is an array of orange strings behind him, and the loom itself is green and has numerous wires and parts. A white and green textile is being woven and emerges from the bottom of the loom.

Jan 30, 2026

Undergraduate Student Gains Hands-on Experience in the Weaving Lab

Read about how Will Swanson’s work in the ZTE labs at NC State has shaped his professional growth and independent learning.
A group photo with the participants in the Flex Factory Summer Innovation Program holding up the "Go Pack" hand sign.

Oct 2, 2025

Flex Factory Summer Innovation Program Invites Students to be Business Founders and Developers

Students develop their own businesses and products in collaboration with college mentors and technology from the W. Duke Kimbrell Flex Factory
Kedena Henriques-Thompson and Andrianna Hodges examine a white athletic shoe with red stripes in a lab space. One woman holds the shoe up while the other observes.

Aug 4, 2025

NC State Student Contributes to Athletic Footwear Research 

Andrianna Hodges’ interest in sports performance testing as a textile engineering undergraduate led her to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates this summer.

Jordan Everett wears glasses and shoulder-length braids and smiles in the courtyard of the Wilson College of Textiles. She wears a red "NC STATE" pullover. Green trees, grass, and a brick building appear in the background.

May 12, 2025

Jordan Everett ’25 Starts Her Career in Activewear

Getting involved and exploring the world gave this textile technology graduate the skills, and the confidence, for her next stop at Columbia Sportswear.
Sydney Lucas wears a white lab coat and safety glasses stands in a bright laboratory, with shelves, equipment, and glassware visible in the background.

May 9, 2025

Sydney Lucas ’25: All About Cosmetic Chemistry

Unique courses, research opportunities and student organizations laid the groundwork for her dream career and lasting friendships.
Roger Barker and John Morton-Aslanis working together in TPACC

Apr 4, 2025

Milliken Naming Investment Fuels NC State Research in the Textile Protection and Comfort Center

A $1.5 million investment from the Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation will accelerate protective and comfort research and create critical graduate fellowships in the newly named Milliken Textile Protection and Comfort Center.
Jake Papazekos leans on sign reading "Textiles Complex" in graduation gown and attire.

Sep 29, 2024

Jake Papazekos ’23: Molding the Textiles Industry at Simplifyber

Jake Papazekos, a recent graduate of the polymer and color chemistry program, shares his journey from Wilson College of Textiles student to material researcher at Raleigh-based nonwovens startup Simplifyber.

A woman with braided hair is operating a knitting machine in a workshop. She is focused on her work and smiling. Spools of colorful thread are visible on the machine, and the background shows workshop equipment and a door with a safety sign.

Sep 18, 2024

NC State Student Blends Interests in Science, Fashion Through Research

Maddy Moore shares how the Research Experience for Undergraduates program widened her overall perspective on the textile industry.