{"id":51763,"date":"2023-07-10T12:58:18","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T16:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/?p=51763"},"modified":"2023-10-19T10:25:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T14:25:37","slug":"this-ppe-engineer-is-supporting-the-next-generation-of-textile-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/07\/this-ppe-engineer-is-supporting-the-next-generation-of-textile-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"This PPE Engineer is Supporting the Next Generation of Textile Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Since stepping foot onto NC State\u2019s campus more than 10 years ago, Cody Zane has found it nearly impossible to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three-time Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> graduate proudly champions his alma mater every chance he gets. In addition to being a member of the Dean\u2019s Young Alumni Leadership Council<\/a> (DYALC), he serves as the co-chair of the DYALC\u2019s Blend Mentorship Program<\/a>\u2019s committee. These leadership opportunities, which have also connected him to the North Carolina Textile Foundation<\/a>, have empowered Zane to fulfill a passion of his: supporting students, especially graduate students, who are trying to find their footing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI find it so fulfilling to give back to the Wilson College of Textiles by being a part of the DYALC,\u201d he says. \u201cThanks to this role, I have found ways to continue to connect with students and guide them on their own specific journeys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since earning his bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s and doctoral degrees from the Wilson College, Zane has followed his professional interests and is now assisting clients to ensure their products meet critical safety standards before being placed on the market. This includes heavy-duty garments, such as firefighting, emergency medical services and technical rescue gear, used by individuals who battle through hazardous environments to save lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love focusing on application-based work and physical testing, which directly impacts the ability of our end users to do their jobs safely,\u201d he says. \u201cMany of those individuals are firefighters, military personnel and first responders. I\u2019m inspired by their courage on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about Zane\u2019s journey, read his Q&A below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Degree<\/strong> B.S. Polymer and Color Chemistry<\/a>, 2015; M.S. Textile Chemistry<\/a>, 2017; and Ph.D. Fiber and Polymer Science<\/a>, 2020
Job Title<\/strong> Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Engineer Project Associate, UL Solutions
Current City<\/strong> Morrisville, North Carolina
Hometown<\/strong> Montville, New Jersey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did your education at the Wilson College of Textiles prepare you for what you are doing today?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Almost perfectly. I spent about three-and-a-half to four years with Assistant Professor Bryan Ormond<\/a> in the Textile Protection and Comfort Center<\/a>. We worked with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and personal protective equipment (PPE), with my dissertation focusing on firefighter turnout gear, which keeps them safe when interacting with fire and high-heat situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I work at UL Solutions as an engineer project associate, also known as a project manager, certifying a myriad of PPE and NFPA standards. As a global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for our customers in more than 100 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did you choose NC State and the Wilson College of Textiles?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, I fell into the Wilson College of Textiles. I was from New Jersey and had no idea about the college. Phillip Dail, the former director of advising for the Wilson College, emailed me one day before I was accepted to NC State, and he told me about this awesome degree called polymer and color chemistry<\/a> (PCC). He told me it would open up more job opportunities than just a regular chemistry degree, so I agreed to add PCC as an alternate degree to my application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wilson College gave me the family I was looking for, from lifelong friends to supportive staff, to quality professors who care about your education. The college felt like home, and I didn’t want to leave.<\/strong>

\u2014 Cody Zane ’15, ’17, ’20<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While my story of why I chose NC State isn’t the most spectacular, I think the real question would be, \u201cWhy did I continue to choose NC State and the Wilson College of Textiles?\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer to that question is simple: family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was an out-of-state student, and I uprooted myself at a young age and had little support in the area. The Wilson College gave me the family I was looking for, from lifelong friends to supportive staff, to quality professors who care about your education. The college felt like home, and I didn’t want to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What activities were you involved in as an NC State student and how did they impact your experience?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

During undergrad, I was a resident advisor in Lee Hall for two years and then became a community assistant for two more after that. I was even the commissioner of the Residence Hall World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In graduate school, I became a mental health ambassador with the Counseling Center and led a charge on campus to better the mental health of graduate students. This led me to talk to a multitude of deans of other colleges, I met with the chancellor, and I even had the opportunity to do a TEDx Talk<\/a>. The university gave me every opportunity to explore whatever I wanted, and with enough work, I was able to make something out of it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n