{"id":18017,"date":"2021-12-07T09:18:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T14:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=18017"},"modified":"2024-03-27T15:17:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T19:17:21","slug":"wilson-college-double-graduate-joins-patagonias-wolfpack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2021\/12\/wilson-college-double-graduate-joins-patagonias-wolfpack\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilson College Double Graduate Joins Patagonia’s Wolfpack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
By Sarah Stone <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most new employee orientations don\u2019t include surfing, but Patagonia isn\u2019t like most companies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy favorite memory was the first time I got to go surfing and two coworkers took me during our lunch break,\u201d color and material quality engineer Julia Koehler says. \u201cThere’s an incredible surf break just across the street from headquarters, which has given new meaning to the term \u2018board meeting!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Koehler recently joined the ranks of Wolfpackers working at Patagonia in Ventura, California. She\u2019ll graduate with a <\/span>Master of Science in Textile Chemistry<\/span><\/a> on December 14 and earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in polymer and color chemistry<\/a> (PCC) in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Koehler is part of a team that leads color development and color innovation at Patagonia\u2019s headquarters. That includes reviewing all material colors across their product line and communicating with suppliers in the company\u2019s global supply chain. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Patagonia has also challenged Koehler to make its operations even more sustainable. She\u2019s exploring dye chemistry and coloration methods to see how they can reduce water use during the dyeing and finishing processes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt really is a very creative environment to work in,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a great place to have support and inspiration for growth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n And she says the Wilson College community, from the faculty in Raleigh to the alumni in California, played a crucial role in getting her there. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you were to talk to Julia Koehler when she first enrolled at NC State, she wouldn\u2019t have told you she envisioned herself working in outdoor apparel. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n She initially planned to earn a degree in biology and work in the medical field. An organic chemistry class taught by Assistant Professor Denis Fourches, <\/span>who maps dyes in the Max A. Weaver Dye Library<\/span><\/a>, changed all of that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe mentioned that project in class and that was sort of the first time I thought of using a biology or chemistry degree to go into something more than medicine,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Koehler changed her major to PCC, intending to enter the medical textile field. Then, she took a color chemistry course with Professor Renzo Shamey<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA whole world opened up to me that I really identified with and could see a future in\u201d she says. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n She interned at Patagonia in 2019 to learn more. The experience solidified her interest in working for an apparel brand that places sustainability at the forefront of its work. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to exploring this new world of color chemistry, Koehler also explored the world in a more literal sense during her semester abroad in Valencia, Spain. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The study abroad experience marked Koehler\u2019s first time traveling outside of the U.S. She says attending an international university like the Polytechnic University of Valencia<\/a>, where many of her classmates spoke English, made the adjustment a little easier. She says her host family, however, didn\u2019t speak any English.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI really learned a lot about how to connect with people and how much it means to people when you make an effort to learn about their customs and culture,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that will also be really helpful in my work with international supply chains.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nFirst-year Student Finds A Degree That Fits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Building Valuable Connections and Memories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n