The Department
The Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (TATM) Department at North Carolina State University offers graduate study opportunities that are both challenging and rewarding. The typical background for the students entering graduate studies is an undergraduate degree in textiles, engineering, management, merchandising, or design.

GRADUATE SEMINAR

In our program, textiles includes the design, management, and technology of fiber based products and processes. Textile design students explore issues in new product development, body scanning, direct digital printing, computer aided engineering (CAE) and computer aided design (CAD). Textile management includes such topics as international marketing, business finance, supply chain management, total quality management, data mining and information systems. Textile technology, such as Medical textiles, industrial fabrics, three dimensional textile structures, aerospace applications are examples of new areas of textile technology in TATM.

The TATM department includes over 26 faculty who teach, conduct research, and provide outreach services to the textile industry. There are over 60 students currently enrolled in the graduate programs. These students participate in ongoing research programs in the department and have the opportunity to present their findings both nationally and internationally.

NCSU College of Textiles
The North Carolina State University College of Textiles is the largest of its kind in the United States. The College is located on the NCSU Centennial Campus, where students learn in state-of-the-art laboratories that are unequalled anywhere in the country. The College produces more than half of the textile graduates in the United States each year. Almost 20 percent of the graduates serve as corporate managers, and half of those are either board chairpersons or presidents of their companies.

Graduate Program Contact Dr.Abdelfattah Seyam, Director of Graduate Studies Textile and Apparel Technology and Management NCSU College of Textiles Box 8301 Raleigh, NC 27695-8301 a_seyam@ncsu.edu 919-515-6583 For further information: http://www.tx.ncsu.edu/departments/tatm/graduate_degrees.html

Recent Graduate Students in TATM

The Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management offers the Master of Science in Textiles and the Master of Textiles degrees. Textiles includes design, management, and technology of fiber based products and processes. Textile design students explore issues in new product development, body scanning, direct digital printing, computer animation, and computer aided design (CAD). Textile management includes such topics as business intelligence, business finance, information systems, international marketing, supply chain management, and total quality management. Advanced fibrous structures, medical textiles, industrial fabrics, three dimensional textile structures, aerospace applications and smart textiles are many of the new areas of textile technology the department is pursuing.

Ronald "Reece" Allen: Reece completed a M.S. in Textiles - Textile Management and Technology concentration - in May 2006 as a fellow with the Institute of Textile Technology (ITT). During the summer of 2005, Reece worked on a joint project with ITT, Glen Raven, Unifi, Duke Power, ITG, and NCSU. The project was focused on supply chain management and resulted in suggestions for supply chain optimization. Reece recently completed a summer project with ITT focusing on the development of an industrial database of US textile and apparel companies.

A native of North Carolina and a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, Reece received his B.S. in Textile and Apparel Management from North Carolina State University in 2003. He began the Doctoral program in Textile Technology Management at the NCSU College of Textiles in August of 2006. His research interests lie in the areas of economic competitiveness, supply chain management and niche markets.

Shanna Bruer: Shanna completed a Ph.D. in Textile Technology Management in the summer of 2006. Her dissertation focused on assessing brand loyalty of consumers for private label and national brand denim through the use of volatility measures. Shanna recently began working as an analyst with the NPD Group in New York City. She has worked as an intern with Cotton Incorporated, Miller International, and Land's End.

Shanna hails from southern Illinois and received B. S. degrees in Agricultural Economics; Consumer and Textile Marketing and Food and Agribusiness Management from the University of Illinois in 2001. In 2002, she received an M. S. in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics from The Ohio State University.

Megan Huffman: Megan completed her Masters of Science degree in Textile Management and Technology at North Carolina State University in May 2006. Her thesis research studied the retail purchase environment, more specifically comparing retail associates' perceptions with consumers' attitudes on store displays, retailer return policies, and product attributes. Megan’s thesis research was an extension of her internship with Cotton Incorporated’s Global Product Supply Chain division during the summer of 2005. Following graduation, Megan joined Cotton Incorporated’s Global Product Supply Chain team as Supply Chain Insights Manager where she concentrates on promoting and marketing cotton through market research and implementation from the consumer to the cotton farm.

Megan also received her Bachelors of Science degree from NC State in Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management in May 2004. During the summer of 2004, she completed her first internship with Cotton Incorporated studying consumers perceptions of wrinkle resistant and colorfast properties of apparel in the marketplace.

Genessa Fratto: Genessa completed a M.S. in Textile Apparel Technology Management in May 2004. During the summer of 2003, Genessa worked as an intern in the Strategic Planning Division of Cotton Incorporated, at their World Headquarters in Cary, NC. The focus of the internship was a retail audit of children’s apparel at six major retail chains at three cities in the United States. The children’s apparel retail audit data was used to identify key areas for strategic planning at Cotton Incorporated, as well provide direction for Genessa’s thesis research.

Genessa received her B.S. in Textile Products Marketing and Design from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2000, and has prior work experience in children’s apparel product development at William Carter Company in Atlanta, GA. She will be starting the Doctoral program in Textile Technology Management (TTM), NCSU College of Textiles in August of 2004.

Sedef Uncu: Sedef received her Bachelor of Science degree in textile engineering from Istanbul Technical University (I.T.U.) in 1998. Upon graduation she started the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in Bogazici University, and the Master of Science program in textile engineering at Istanbul Technical University (I.T.U.). Sedef completed the requirements of the MBA degree in June 2000 and the M.S. Degree in June 2001. Sedef worked as a management consultant at Textile Consulting Services Inc (Gherzi-Istanbul Inc.) between 1998 and 2000. In 2000, she started her graduate study at North Carolina State University. During this time, she was awarded membership in Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Having a management consultant background and an MBA degree, she conducted research on international investments, global sourcing, supply chain management and strategic management of companies. She completed her dissertation on August 12, 2003. Her dissertation, ‘Customized International Investment Decisions: An Exploration into the Textile and Apparel Decision-making Process’ , focused on international investment decisions of textile and apparel companies. Survey and case studies were implemented to 17 textile and apparel companies . According to the results, a decision model was developed which allows customization of international investment decisions according to the specific needs of companies. A decision support tool was then developed to provide an effective way to the US textile and apparel companies that they will be able to analyze the projected investment locations effectively, considering all characteristics of international investment decisions.

After the completion of her dissertation, Sedef is now seeking for a job opportunity in the industry where she can use her consultant experience, international expertise and analytical skills to generate effective solutions.

Link to dissertation: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-09022003-141122/
Link to survey: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~suncu/survey/

Muditha Senanayake: Muditha obtained his BS Engineering degree in Textile & Clothing Technology in 1994 from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. His senior research project for the BS degree was looking into how an apparel organization can improve its productivity through Total Quality Management. He joined the apparel industry and has worked as a Project Leader for Process Improvement and as a Manager for Sample/Pattern/Marker and Product Development department before he joined as a Faculty Member at University of Moratuwa. During this time he also worked as a management consultant to the Sri Lankan apparel industry. He obtained his Master of Textiles degree in Textile Management and Technology from NC State University in 2001 for which the research project concentrated on the analysis of integrating technology into apparel new product development.

Muditha’s Ph.D. qualifying research includes an investigation of the information that drives the apparel new product development and an analysis of apparel assembly technology, infrastructure and manufacturing systems responses. His doctoral research on modeling and analyzing Mass Customized apparel manufacturing led to the dissertation titled Mixed Mass Production and Mass Customization: Best Practices for Apparel. This research focused on identifying the potential of mixing Mass Production (MP) and Mass Customization (MC). The research is a comprehensive look at production systems, bench marking, supporting technologies, MP and MC. To investigate the quantitative issues of mixing MP and MC, Progressive Bundle and Kanban systems were modeled and simulated using computer simulation. An industry survey, personal communication and case study methods were used to evaluate the results and investigate the industry practice of MC apparel manufacturing. This research will enhance the cost economics of MC that depicts the comparative advantage of MC business model for both the manufacturer and the retailer compared to the long practiced MP and supply strategies that led to excessive markdowns, unsold SKU’s, and a high rate of consumer dissatisfaction. Muditha obtained his Ph.D. in Textile Technology Management in May 2004. (Link to dissertation: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04212004-163017/unrestricted/etd.pdf)

During his doctoral program, he also involved in two industry based research projects; assisting a new company initiation and cost analysis and comparison of new product development methods. Muditha is currently working as a half time Research Associate and involved in an industry based research project in product development. His research interests are Mass Customization, Global Sourcing, New Product Development, and Non Wovens for Apparel. He is pursuing a career position to utilize his education and experience.

Erin Meadwell: Erin received her Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Technology with a concentration in Design from North Carolina State University College of Textiles in May 2002. She continued to pursue a Master of Science degree at the College of Textiles in Textile Product Design. Erin worked with Dr. William Oxenham, Professor Nancy Powell, and Professor Vita Plume to complete her master’s requirements. Throughout graduate school, Erin focused her research on different aspects of yarn development, mostly with fancy yarns. Her thesis, “An Exploration in Fancy Yarn Creation” was researched with the help of a textile machinery manufacturer, Gilbos of America, in Charlotte, NC. After graduating in May 2004, Erin accepted a job in Charlotte, NC with White Knight Engineered Products. At White Knight, she is responsible for pattern and marker making, a current technology systems transition for the company’s CAD system, as well as new product development.

College of Textiles
P.O. Box 8301
Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
Telephone: (919) 515-6632
FAX: (919) 515-3733
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Last Site Revision:
January 15, 2009