![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100553\/Genevieve_203x300.png\")
\u201cDr. Istook was such a hands-on professor and so engaging. It was hard not to have an instant connection with her,\u201d Garland says. \u201cShe introduced me to CAD [computer-aided design] software and body scanning equipment. I realized that I could pursue both of my passions: science and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Istook arrived at the Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> as an associate professor in 1997, a year after Garland began exploring campus as a first-year textile and apparel management student. In 2010, Istook became the first woman to be promoted to the position of full professor in the college\u2019s more than 100-year history. She was also the first woman to be appointed to a named professorship when she became the Cornelson Distinguished Professor of Textile and Apparel Design<\/a> in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the time, there were not many women in the textile industry,\u201d Garland shares. \u201cDr. Istook was leading research in emerging areas like body scanning and CAD. I\u2019ve always looked up to her as a woman researcher and leader in the college.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Istook has served in various roles throughout her academic career, she most values her position as a trusted adviser to her students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I try to be someone my students can come to when they need to talk. That came easy with Genevieve. We had a close relationship, and she was like a daughter to me. During Garland\u2019s senior year, Istook stepped in to nurture and guide her through one of the most challenging times in her life: laying her mother to rest. While many of her classmates were planning trips for their upcoming fall break, Garland was facing crushing heartache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour senior year is a formative time in your life, so losing my mother felt incredibly intense,\u201d Garland recalls. \u201cIt happened the semester I graduated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She credits her close relationship with Istook, her friendships and the Wilson College community with keeping her afloat. Garland didn\u2019t just survive the most painful time of her life; she thrived. After losing her mother, she pushed herself to excel in her courses and lead various campus organizations. She was even honored with the Outstanding Apparel Student of the Year Award from the American Apparel and Footwear Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Istook, whose own mother passed away when she was a high school student, was amazed by Garland\u2019s perseverance. Not only did Garland shine academically, but she also went above and beyond to help her fellow classmates succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe was a natural-born leader,\u201d Istook says. \u201cGenevieve stood out because she always looked for opportunities to go out and share her knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their friendship and mentorship became even more profound after the loss of Garland\u2019s mother. That closeness extended to Istook\u2019s household, as well, where her children often saw Garland around their home. They considered her a close friend of the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLosing a parent, especially at a young age, really impacts a person. It’s unreal, and everything changes,\u201d Istook says. \u201cBeing able to share my first-hand experiences with Genevieve and be there for her felt meaningful to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland knows that her time at the Wilson College wouldn\u2019t have been the same without Istook\u2019s thoughtful guidance, reassurance and expertise in the textiles field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNavigating through the process of obtaining a graduate degree is not easy,\u201d she remembers. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for the college and having a mentor like Cindy, I don’t think I would have gone to graduate school. They opened my eyes and made me realize that this is something I could do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland went on to become a three-time Wilson College of Textiles graduate, earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in textile and apparel management in 2000 (now called fashion and textile management<\/a>), a master’s degree in textiles<\/a> in 2002 and a Ph.D. in Textile Technology Management<\/a> in 2013. Today, Garland serves as NC State\u2019s associate vice chancellor of research operations and communications and the chief of staff within the Office of Research and Innovation<\/a>. In this leadership role, she provides strategic leadership while supporting the NC State community\u2019s research, scholarship and creative activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On November 1, 2021, Garland decided to honor the most important relationship in her professional life and a glass ceiling breaker in the textile industry by creating the Cynthia L. Istook Textiles Graduate Endowment<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCindy was someone I looked up to, and she continuously involved me in the research process while I was an undergraduate student,\u201d Garland says. \u201cIt’s important to me that she be recognized for the role she played in my life and the lives of many other students, but, first and foremost, I created this fund in her name to honor her significant contributions to the field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland aims to help graduate students, especially those with financial need, stay on the path toward earning their degrees at the Wilson College of Textiles \u2014 just like she once did. By alleviating their financial burden, Garland hopes to empower students to focus solely on their academic pursuits and their passion for textiles research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graduate school can really shift one\u2019s perspective. It definitely shifted mine. I hope that the Cynthia L. Istook Textiles Graduate Endowment will inspire the next generation of textile students to pursue graduate degrees and encourage more alumni to give back in this way. When Istook heard how Garland had honored her, she was moved to tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was very emotional that Genevieve would do that,\u201d Istook says, wiping her eyes. \u201cIn the end, it’s about how you touch other people’s lives that matters. Not what kind of job you had, but if you made a difference in somebody’s life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland looks forward to hearing how the students supported by her endowment will follow in her footsteps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve thought about creating something like this for a long time,\u201d Garland says. \u201cGraduate school opened up many opportunities for me, and I hope to open those same doors for many others.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n To think that she\u2019d be referred to as \u201cDr.\u201d one day would have seemed unbelievable to Genevieve Garland\u2019s younger self. Even though this achievement would make her the first in her immediate family to pursue two advanced degrees, she found those unchartered waters exhilarating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An additional push in the right direction came from Garland\u2019s closest confidant on her path to higher education: Professor Cynthia Istook<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. Istook was such a hands-on professor and so engaging. It was hard not to have an instant connection with her,\u201d Garland says. \u201cShe introduced me to CAD [computer-aided design] software and body scanning equipment. I realized that I could pursue both of my passions: science and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Istook arrived at the Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> as an associate professor in 1997, a year after Garland began exploring campus as a first-year textile and apparel management student. In 2010, Istook became the first woman to be promoted to the position of full professor in the college\u2019s more than 100-year history. She was also the first woman to be appointed to a named professorship when she became the Cornelson Distinguished Professor of Textile and Apparel Design<\/a> in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the time, there were not many women in the textile industry,\u201d Garland shares. \u201cDr. Istook was leading research in emerging areas like body scanning and CAD. I\u2019ve always looked up to her as a woman researcher and leader in the college.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Istook has served in various roles throughout her academic career, she most values her position as a trusted adviser to her students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I try to be someone my students can come to when they need to talk. That came easy with Genevieve. We had a close relationship, and she was like a daughter to me. During Garland\u2019s senior year, Istook stepped in to nurture and guide her through one of the most challenging times in her life: laying her mother to rest. While many of her classmates were planning trips for their upcoming fall break, Garland was facing crushing heartache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour senior year is a formative time in your life, so losing my mother felt incredibly intense,\u201d Garland recalls. \u201cIt happened the semester I graduated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She credits her close relationship with Istook, her friendships and the Wilson College community with keeping her afloat. Garland didn\u2019t just survive the most painful time of her life; she thrived. After losing her mother, she pushed herself to excel in her courses and lead various campus organizations. She was even honored with the Outstanding Apparel Student of the Year Award from the American Apparel and Footwear Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Istook, whose own mother passed away when she was a high school student, was amazed by Garland\u2019s perseverance. Not only did Garland shine academically, but she also went above and beyond to help her fellow classmates succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe was a natural-born leader,\u201d Istook says. \u201cGenevieve stood out because she always looked for opportunities to go out and share her knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their friendship and mentorship became even more profound after the loss of Garland\u2019s mother. That closeness extended to Istook\u2019s household, as well, where her children often saw Garland around their home. They considered her a close friend of the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLosing a parent, especially at a young age, really impacts a person. It's unreal, and everything changes,\u201d Istook says. \u201cBeing able to share my first-hand experiences with Genevieve and be there for her felt meaningful to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland knows that her time at the Wilson College wouldn\u2019t have been the same without Istook\u2019s thoughtful guidance, reassurance and expertise in the textiles field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNavigating through the process of obtaining a graduate degree is not easy,\u201d she remembers. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for the college and having a mentor like Cindy, I don't think I would have gone to graduate school. They opened my eyes and made me realize that this is something I could do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland went on to become a three-time Wilson College of Textiles graduate, earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in textile and apparel management in 2000 (now called fashion and textile management<\/a>), a master's degree in textiles<\/a> in 2002 and a Ph.D. in Textile Technology Management<\/a> in 2013. Today, Garland serves as NC State\u2019s associate vice chancellor of research operations and communications and the chief of staff within the Office of Research and Innovation<\/a>. In this leadership role, she provides strategic leadership while supporting the NC State community\u2019s research, scholarship and creative activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Cynthia Istook<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n![\"Cynthia](\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100622\/Istook_hunt-1024x576.jpg\")
Paying it forward to benefit the next generation of textile students<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Genevieve](\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100622\/TEX.NWI_.2974.2022_cropped.jpg\")
\u2014 Genevieve Garland ’00, ’02, ’13<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Cynthia Istook<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nPaying it forward to benefit the next generation of textile students<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n