Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023 - 30

tapes, technical textiles, home decor
fabrics and more.
" Our core strength is the application
The Textile Technology and Fiber Innovation
Centers at Gaston College are designed
to support the global textile technology
and apparel industry in a variety of ways
and are also actively involved in attracting
more women to the field. Here, instructor
Dr. J'den Williams, in the striped top, is
shown completing a natural and reactive
dye laboratory assignment with a student
participating in the Centers' degree
program. Photo: Textile Technology and
Fiber Innovation Centers at Gaston College
of coatings and finishings to woven,
knitted and nonwoven fabrics, typically
cotton and polyester-cotton blends, "
says Ayala, who has been with the
company for 17 years.
She rose to her current position
in 2019, having first joined the
company as director of research
and development, arriving with a
manufacturing background in process
engineering and product development.
Having spent her career in the
technical field, she became accustomed
to being in the minority. And although
" the good ole' boy mentality " still
lingers in the textile industry, Ayala has
nevertheless seen " dramatic " changes.
" Men still dominate the
manufacturing and textile fields, [but]
women are taking on more leadership
roles, making positive changes and
having an impact, " she says. " Kim
Glass, the president and CEO of
NCTO [National Council of Textile
Organizations] is a good example.
Organizations like ATA [Advanced
Textiles Association] that have women
in textiles events are a great opportunity
for discussions to promote women in
the industry and recruitment of women
into the industry. "
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Amanda Mills, Ph.D., is research
assistant professor at the NC State
University Wilson College of Textiles
in Raleigh and is also a NanoEXtended
Textiles (NEXT) fusion
designer. Wilson College provides
textiles education, research, innovation
and services.
" We teach how to apply textiles
thinking to the grand challenges
facing our world, " Mills explains, by
utilizing various methods such as
undergraduate and graduate education,
K-12 outreach and continuing
education for industry members and
professionals. NEXT Research is a
group within Wilson College that
focuses on smart-textile technologies
and manufacturing practices.
It's using social media to try to
attract young women (and men) to the
industry by posting behind-the-scenes
glimpses of what textile education and
research looks like, says Mills.
" Seeing the day-to-day activity of
Microscopy specialists are shown utilizing optical microscopes to identify various
aspects of a textile sample. The new Fiber Innovation Center at Gaston College will
expand the testing and development capabilities of the Textile Technology Center
to drive innovation and promote workforce development. Photo: Textile Technology
and Fiber Innovation Centers at Gaston College
a lab can make research approachable
and demystify the work in the specialty
textiles industry, " she explains. " We
hope young women can picture
themselves in the lab or studio working
on new developments. "
It appears that more women are
entering the industry, says Mills,
crediting this to their growing
representation in the specialty fabrics
30 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / February 2023
Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023

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