Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023 - 33

organization, " she says. " Dismantling
the 'boys club' and incorporating
women into leadership, organization
decisions and more will help attract
and support young women. "
These actions will also help women
EXPOSURE
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OPPOR TUNITIES
feel more motivated to remain in
the industry and to continue their
professional growth, Cox adds.
It's impossible to overstate the power
of representation, or the importance
of mentorship, says Mills. Ayala would
agree with the latter especially. Her
first post-college job was working in
the nuclear industry where a project
manager mentored her.
" He encouraged me to take
ownership of my work and to have
confidence in my conclusions, " she
recalls. " Under his advisement, I
presented my findings to the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission. I was a young
engineer presenting to, what seemed to
me at the time, a group of very old men
who didn't want to take me seriously.
He encouraged and supported me and
gave me confidence. "
There are so many opportunities
for women in textiles, Ayala continues,
listing developing new products and
reshoring materials as among some of
the exciting ones.
" After the lessons learned during
the pandemic with supply shortages,
it's important to advocate for reshoring
and growing the domestic textile
market, " she explains. " In addition,
there is the opportunity to find more
environmentally sustainable textile
products. We need to be good stewards
of the environment and strive to
make improvements in our products
and processes to minimize the
environmental impact. More diversity
in the industry, including women,
helps drive success. "
Pamela Mills-Senn is a Seal Beach, Calif.-based
freelance writer.
t's not uncommon for young women to land in this industry
by pure chance. This was the case for Marcia Ayala, president
of Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. (ASTG) in Yorkville, Ill.
Still, her education gave her the tools necessary to move to this
field from another.
" My engineering education and obtaining my MBA has
helped me advance my career, " she says. " The MBA provided
me with the business fundamentals that are useful in running
a company. The technical background is extremely useful in
leading a manufacturing company focused on innovation and
continuous improvement. "
There are multiple career paths within the industry, says
Amanda Mills, Ph.D., research assistant professor at the NC
State University Wilson College of Textiles in Raleigh. But generally,
she says, materials knowledge is critical, so classes in polymers,
applied chemistry and materials engineering are beneficial.
" Courses in mechanical engineering and textile technology
covering manufacturing and fabrications principles will also
help prepare them for a successful career, " Mills says, advising
students to take professional development courses as well.
Various training and education opportunities specific to textiles
are available throughout the U.S., Ayala says, mentioning she
recently heard of a Chicago community college offering courses
in textiles, apparel and fashion.
" And what Amy A. Bircher has done with setting up the Amy A.
Bircher Textiles Laboratory at West Virginia University is also a
great way to expose young people in other regions of the country
to explore the textiles industry, " she adds.
Wilson College offers two programs designed to recruit young
people to the textiles industry, says Mills. Pre-college students
can participate in the Summer Textile Exploration Program
(STEP). Working in some of the faculty's research labs, this
program allows high school seniors to spend a week on campus
learning about the degree programs and the different career
paths within the textiles industry.
The second program, Research Experience for
Undergraduates (REU), is offered each summer for nongraduating
undergraduate students and allows them to spend
10 weeks working on a research project in one of the college's
labs and to attend professional development workshops.
" This experience gives students a chance to see if research
interests them as well as giving them experience that they can
reference when applying for internships and jobs, " Mills says.
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