NC STATE UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Brittany Kirby is completing a Master of Science in Textile Engineering at the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University - set to graduate in December 2020. Before attending NC State, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Wake Forest University in 2018. During her time as a Graduate Assistant with the Zeis Textiles Extension Department, she has assisted with conducting research of textile companies to contribute to the update and expansion of the Textile Connect website.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension Department for Economic Development
Dr. Andre West is the Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension Department for Economic Development at the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University. His background spans about thirty years of fashion industry involvement from small to large design and manufacturing ventures, including owning a vertical knitwear manufacturing business and retailing his own products. Currently, he is working on vector control fabrics using Wholegarment knitwear, body scanning, and conductive knitting of yarns for military development. Through his position as Director of the ZTE department, he guides the mission of the Department to serve a diverse customer base to advance economic development through collaborative partnerships and outreach, innovative textile and quality improvement education, and comprehensive textile prototyping and testing services.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension Department for Economic Development
Melissa Sharp is the Associate Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension Department for Economic Development at the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from NC State in 2010 and is completing a Master of Science at the Wilson College of Textiles. She has been instrumental in leading the update and release of the new Textile Connect website to provide a connected textile complex.
Job Titles:
- Learning Technology Developer at the North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles
Patrick Nethery is the Web and Learning Technology Developer at the North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles. He earned a degree from NC State and has been with the college since 2001. He earned a diploma in Computer Technology from ECPI Technical College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Patrick is interested in developing web applications and tools to streamline business processes and increase efficiency.
Sarah Griner is a previous graduate student of the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University. After earning a bachelor's degree in Textile Management from NC State, she returned to the college to study local business models and find ways to make the industry more accessible for new entrepreneurs. Meghan Coats is a previous undergraduate research assistant for the Textile Connect project. She received a Bachelor of Science in Fashion and Textile Management from the Wilson College of Textiles in May 2011.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Information Technology at the North Carolina State University, Colle
Shawn Dunning is the Assistant Dean for Information Technology at the North Carolina State University, College of Textiles. He earned a Textile degree from the College of Textiles and has remained at the college in a technical capacity ever since. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Campbell University in North Carolina. Shawn is very interested in seeing economic development in the textile industry and helping to connect companies locally to find suppliers and buyers.
Stacey Frederick was the project manager and creator of the Textile Connect website concept. She received both her B.S. in Textile Management and recently her Ph.D in Textile Technology Management from NC State's Wilson College of Textiles. The value chain model and classification system that form the framework for the Textile Connect database and website were developed and applied to the textile industry as part of Stacey's dissertation research. Stacey enjoys combining her background in textile science and management with her interests in economic development and visual analytics to create value-chain based tools to help governments, economic developers and firms understand the complexity of an industry and develop competitive strategies. Stacey is still involved in the site on a volunteer basis answering questions for companies.
Victoria Luong Vu is a recent graduate of NC State where she received her Master of Science in Textile Technology Management - Fashion and Textile Design. During her time at NC State, she conducted research furthering the development of a protective garment for migrant farmworkers on tobacco farms. As a research assistant, she has assisted in leading a group of students to ensure all company information on the Textile Connect page is updated.