Podcast: Celebrating 125 Years of the Wilson College of Textiles

Theme Music (00:01):

Please listen carefully.

Taylor Pardue (00:08):

Welcome to the NC State Philanthropy Podcast, telling the world how we Think and Do through the support of our friends, alumni and more. I’m your host, Taylor Pardue.

(00:18):

On this episode, we’re joined by Dr. David Hinks, dean of the Wilson College of Textiles, and Michael Ward, executive director of the North Carolina Textile Foundation, to discuss how private support is furthering the college in extraordinary ways.

(00:35):

Thank you both so much for joining us today. To kick things off, just tell listeners a little bit about yourselves and what first brought you to NC State.

Michael Ward (00:52):

Well, thanks, Taylor, for having us. Excited to be here. I’m a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and grew up a big NC State fan. My granddad received a forestry degree here, and so I grew up going to ball games with him and left Raleigh like a lot of kids do to get away from home for college and always knew I wanted to get back. And in 2016, after spending some time at Northern Illinois University and East Carolina, had the good fortunes to join Dean Hinks with Wilson College Textiles in 2016.

David Hinks (01:24):

Thanks, Taylor. It’s great to be here and share some thoughts on the Wilson College of Textiles with you. As you can probably tell, I’m not from North Carolina originally. I came in 1993 to NC State as a postdoctoral researcher working for the world’s best dye chemist, Professor Hal Freeman, in the college at that time. I’m a native of Darby, England, and I went to the University of Leeds in the UK for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a degree called color chemistry. And my passion is about dye chemistry and color, and that’s what brought me to NC State, and [I] very quickly fell in love with the state and with NC State University. Raised my family here, and I’ve been at NC State apart from a couple of years in industry since ’93, so it’s over 30 years. And so, I love this institution, and it’s just great to be here.

Theme Music (02:26):

So, obviously, Wilson College of Textiles is near and dear to both of your hearts. Tell listeners a little bit about it if they’ve never heard of it before, or if they think they’re familiar with everything. There’s so much that goes on in the college. Just kind of give a brief history of that.

David Hinks (02:40):

Yeah, sure. And, in fact, this year is a special year for us. It’s 125 years of textiles at North Carolina State University. Our first class was taught in 1899, and it set off a journey that has led to what we are told by our colleagues around the world is the premier textiles institution for education, research and innovation. And we’re really proud of that, and what makes that possible is an incredible staff and incredible faculty members who come to work every day to make the college the best place that it can be. So, it is actually the only college of textiles in the Western world today, and it’s by far the largest textiles institution in the Western world as well. So, we’re really proud of it, and we come to work every day to support our students and our students’ success. And many of them go into the U.S. textiles industry, which is … really the epicenter is in western North Carolina.

(03:46):

North Carolina is the epicenter of textiles and has been for over a century, and so we are very passionate about supporting rural areas in North Carolina through our educational programs, through our research and innovation, and supporting startup companies as well as multinational companies in our state. It’s an incredibly vibrant community and very close-knit. One thing that people tell us throughout the world who are alumni of ours, that we are a family; they see us as a family, and we have the benefit of being a small college in a fantastic large university. So, it’s the best of both worlds.

Taylor Pardue (04:27):

That’s what I was thinking. Best of both worlds. Every friend who I’ve had that’s been an alum of the Wilson College of Textiles, and then students that I’ve interviewed here for stories, everyone has always said the same thing: just so thrilled to be part of it or to be a representative of it now in their graduate, alumni lives.

David Hinks (04:45):

That’s great to hear. Yeah, thanks. And we hear it is very consistent with a student graduated five months ago or five years ago or 50 years ago. There are common themes, and that’s an amazing thing for me to contemplate, because if you think about the college in the ’70s and the ’60s, none of the faculty are the same, none of the staff are the same, but the themes are the same, and that makes me really proud.

Taylor Pardue (05:11):

Speaking of alums and speaking of the Wilson College of Textiles, it’s right there in the name. A lot of people may not realize that “Wilson” College of Textiles is actually one of two named colleges here at NC State, and it’s the result of a just transformative gift in 2018 from an alumnus of the Wilson College of Textiles. Talk a little bit about how philanthropy has fundamentally changed the College of Textiles as far as the name and all that it allows us to do.

Michael Ward (05:38):

Yeah, thank you. And I’ll hand over to Michael to tell a little bit of that journey, but I’ll set him up by saying, when I first became dean, which was — I was interim dean in 2014 and became the permanent dean in 2016, and it’s around that time that Michael and I started working together. We’ve had an amazing journey together in developing authentic relationships with our alumni. And not just alumni, just partners, industry partners and others that are really passionate about textiles and supporting the mission of the college. And it’s just been an amazing journey for me. And Michael has been a fantastic leader on the side of philanthropy to support the mission of the college. So, I’ll let Michael tell a little bit more of his journey in philanthropy and how it incredibly impacts our college.

(06:36):

Yeah, I mean it’s just been — I’ve been blessed thinking about coming on this. One of the things I’m most look forward to in my retirement years, honestly, is looking back on incredible memories that I’ve been privileged and honored to be part of. So many families through their philanthropic experiences and, like Dean Hinks was sharing, this was a family that had deep ties to the college and to North Carolina and to the industry, and we were able just, really, to get connected with the grandson. The university had known about Mr. Wilson, had made efforts to try to connect with him over the years, and one thing that’s important in our work is really trying to understand who are the connectors and who are the ones that already have trusting relationships that can help bridge those opportunities. And so, the youngest grandson, who happened to be one of Dean Hinks’ students while he was a student at NC State, or was advised by Dean Hinks, really had a connection with the dean, and going back to talking about that family atmosphere and the way students feel with their faculty, he had that experience with David.

(07:46):

And so, we sent the letter out and, your standard annual giving appeal, and Rede had been out of school for a few months and made a pretty, I would say, impressive gift for an alum of three months. He was the conduit, along with partners of the university, that we collaborated with to help us get more deeply connected to his family, which would include his aunt Cres Wilson Calabrese and his father, Rick Wilson, and ultimately his grandfather, who were all textile chemistry alumni other than Rede, who the name had changed to poly-color chemistry. So, they were all in the same space, and they took the call to action. David led a very thoughtful journey with conversations and what our needs were, and there were reasons for why we felt like we needed to inspire them at a transformative level. And we knew that they had the capacity, and fortunately, they had the inclination and listened. And of all the places that I’ve been able to work, I’ve never been at a place where I can almost visually see, not just through the Wilsons but so many other donors, the impact philanthropy is having on this college and how it’s positioned David and his leadership team to really be bold as we move the college forward.

David Hinks (09:08):

Yeah, absolutely. It is been an amazing journey. So, Rede Wilson was a student of mine, as Michael mentioned, and, I think, graduated in 2016 and just led us to connect with his aunt Cres Wilson Calabrese and her brother Rick Wilson and the father, Fred Wilson. And it was been and continues to be an amazing journey. This is a family that is kind, compassionate, thoughtful and very action-driven. So, they are the epitome of the Think and Do and very focused on the Do — that, when they want to do something, they do it. And really, within a year of connecting back with Rede, following his initial gift as a recent graduate, Fred and his family, the whole family, decided that it was important to provide a gift at the level that would name the college, and the second named college at NC State after Poole College of Management.

(10:21):

And what was especially inspiring to us is how much they listened to the challenges of the college and the needs of the college. And a key part of that, which is unusual in a philanthropic conversation, was the potential for the college to not exist in the future. And I say that because there’s a strong record in the United States of very good textiles schools or colleges that were eliminated from the universities around the country over the last 25 years. And so, we had seen it happening at Clemson University — had a fantastic textile school. Georgia Tech — fantastic textile school. Philadelphia School of Textiles, as it used to be, also shuttered its doors. There was potential for the same thing to happen at NC State University — not under this chancellor, because our chancellor and previous chancellors have always been extremely supportive of the mission of the college, but maybe a future chancellor.

(11:32):

And that was part of the conversation with the Wilson family. And I can say, having been in the college for so many years, that the faculty and staff have consistently been concerned about the potential loss of the college. And when you have that hanging over your head — Michael mentioned being able to take bold action, sort of calculated risks. You don’t tend to take calculated risks and be bold in the way that you probably should be. And that’s what has been unlocked because of the Wilson family gift of $28 million to support the college. So, it’s grown our endowment and, financially, it’s been an incredible benefit to the college. But I would say what’s priceless is that we now know the college will exist in perpetuity because of the gift, and that’s part of the agreement. So, now we are able to take more bold action, listen to the industry, listen to our stakeholders, listen to our state government, our rural communities in North Carolina, and really react in a way that we can take some significant action. The financial side of it helps us tremendously, and the psychological aspect of knowing that we are here to stay in perpetuity because of the Wilson family is absolutely priceless.

Taylor Pardue (12:56):

You mentioned something earlier, but then just again, too: working with industries and how this has enabled us to do more with them. Talk a little bit about how we’re not just producing great students who go out as alumni and go into industries, but we’re actively working with industries from the get-go.

Michael Ward (13:14):

Yeah, great that you pick up on that. We’re one of the few colleges around the nation that really has a strong affiliation with one particular industry, and that has tremendous benefits. Actually, most of our students, when they graduate, go into something related to textiles. So, the textiles industry, as you might imagine it, or an industry that utilizes textiles in different ways. So, we’re very proud of that, but it’s also beyond that. So, many of our students go into other fields as well. And so, we’ve seen this over the decades of students coming into the college wanting to learn about STEM education, design, education that’s related to textiles, but also spans into other areas. And so, for example, some of our graduates are dentists, medical doctors, pharmacists, ophthalmologists. It’s just amazing to see where they go. So, while our mission is about supporting the industry, and I’ll come back to that in a second, but it’s also providing broad education for students to be successful wherever they go.

(14:26):

Because one thing that I find amazing and inspiring is none of us know where we’re all going to be in three years time or five years time. And so, we need to prepare graduates for a successful life that’s really dynamic and changing all the time. But let me come back to the industry itself. The industry has been an incredible supporter of our college, especially our students and our staff and faculty, and also infrastructure as well. The way we view it, this relationship with industry, is that it’s interdependent. So, if we can help the industry thrive, then the industry will generate demand for graduates that we are producing. So, we need to focus almost as much on the success of the industry to help drive opportunities for the students that are our main mission. And so, I come to work every day thinking about that and every opportunity that we have to build a new relationship with a textile company, whether it’s a startup company with two people or a multinational like Under Armour or Hanesbrands, or Ralph Lauren, Nike, Adidas, Patagonia. We have graduates all over the country working in leadership positions and other positions in technical positions in each of those companies.

(15:48):

So, we think about the small company because they are the next Ralph Lauren, they’re the next Under Armour as much as the multinationals as well. And it’s just that in and of itself is a fascinating journey. And we have incredible donors through the corporations that we work with, but also individuals who become passionate about the college who are not alumni. And that’s also inspiring to me when they give back to the college where they didn’t actually get their education. And I think it speaks volumes about our staff and faculty and how they engage with the industry.

Taylor Pardue (16:22):

“Vote of confidence” is always the phrase I like to use. It really is a tremendous vote of confidence when, like you said, someone who’s maybe not been affiliated with the university before, but they see the work that we’re doing. You mentioned Think and Do earlier; really putting the Do in Think and Do. Just a huge vote of confidence that they’re willing to partner with us in that way.

David Hinks (16:41):

Absolutely.

Michael Ward (16:42):

Yeah. Just to piggyback off of that, the history of the North Carolina Textile Foundation was incorporated in 1942. What I’ve learned from this is, some of the early benefactors who established this, these were industry leaders, not necessarily with ties to NC State. You had Nick Carter, of course, the Carter-Finley Stadium, Herman Cone, amongst others. But, interestingly enough, that was during a world war. And so, the college and the industry were losing cut and sew workers to military contracts to help produce more rapidly garments for what was needed. And so, the college needed to retain faculty and be able to recruit a good leader. And so, this foundation came together with the purpose of retaining and recruiting a dean, as well as keeping good talent. So, that’s morphed into more than an $85 million endowment, but our board today is still made up of, they’re all philanthropists. That’s our mission, is to support the college through partnership engagement and philanthropy. However, they’re still industry leaders, alum and non-alum, because of how vital the college is to the future workforce and future leaders in the industry today.

David Hinks (17:57):

Absolutely. The North Carolina Textile Foundation is central to the success of the college. And what’s wonderful in many ways is the people who enter the doors of the college don’t necessarily know the ways that the foundation supports us. The foundation is happy to work behind the scenes to support me, the dean, and the leadership of the college, and they also support in ways that are very high profile. [The] Wilson family gift is one of many, but we are also very fortunate to be able to offer some of the highest scholarships at NC State through the college and through the foundation, and also the highest number of students per student at the college who receive some form of scholarship. And so, we are really proud of that, and the foundation is very motivated to support the college in attracting the top talent. One of the beautiful things about a small and truly unique college like ours is that there isn’t anything like it.

(19:06):

One of the challenges is that many people, let’s say high school students that are thinking about what major they want to take and to pursue, don’t necessarily know about textile engineering. They don’t know about fashion and textile design. They don’t know, necessarily, about the polymer and color chemistry program that we have or the fashion and textile management or textile technology. So, the challenge we have is to be able to raise awareness of the amazing opportunities that the college has, and the foundation is central to helping us achieve that. Scholarships is one example, but we’re also aware that we need to market our college in more effective ways to raise awareness. One thing that I often think about is my time before being a dean in the college, as a faculty member and enjoying teaching my classes. And, occasionally, a student would come up to me, often towards the end of the semester of the class that I was teaching, and say a nice compliment like, “I’ve really enjoyed this class, and now I wish I was a chemist and not X” — another, whatever major they’re in.

(20:24):

And that’s a wonderful compliment in a way, but also, it makes me sad that a student may have chosen a different path had they known about the opportunities. And one thing that we’re talking with the board about and across the college and across the university is, how do we really take that as seriously as possible and be able to make as many students aware of the many different opportunities available to them across NC State, not just our college. There are many degrees at NC State that are not that well known because they’re not the obvious things that people think about when they’re in middle school and high school. And I think that’s just a fascinating thing to think about. And our board of the North Carolina Textile Foundation is really, really impactful in helping us move the needle on raising awareness.

Taylor Pardue (21:23):

You’ve met many different people over the course of both of your jobs. What would you say is a common theme that motivates people in their philanthropy to the college?

Michael Ward (21:36):

The one thing I really appreciate about David and our board is that relationships matter, and meeting people where they’re at matters. And so, what’s worked so well here and just for me is really taking the time to invest in the relationship and understand people’s motivations. So, you mentioned what motivates people’s giving, and I think oftentimes it’s a personal experience. I can think back throughout my career, and like I mentioned, when we first started, the privilege of meeting an individual who wanted to establish a scholarship because this donor was the recipient of a heart donation, like an organ donation, and understanding what she received from that gift and making sure that the child that was left parent-less had some opportunities for an education in the future. Working with parents who have tragically lost a child and wanted to mirror their philanthropy with something that was near and dear to their kid’s heart.

(22:37):

I think about the textile school: It’s not uncommon for someone to say, ”I was a recipient of a Cannon Foundation scholarship.” A lot of people want to give back who have received the gift of an education. So, I do think aligning people’s personal motives with giving with priorities that fit the mission of the organization you work with is a really good space to start having those conversations. A lot of times, you don’t have to ask if you get it right and you take time to invest — they’re going to come and tell you, “What do you need?” and, “This is what I want to do to help.” And I mean, that’s kind of how I see philanthropy working from my experiences.

David Hinks (23:20):

When I was first appointed as the dean, I’d had no prior experience with talking with potential donors or existing donors and how to navigate a conversation about supporting the college through a gift. And I’d had lots of experience in writing and winning research grants, and that’s asking for money, too, but it’s a very different way of supporting the college and supporting certain aspects of the activities of the college. So, it was really not until I, really, I met Michael and we started working together that I realized what a gem he is in his authentic approach to relationships. So, he’s genuinely interested in getting to know people, and even when people say — and this happens, sometimes. It always makes me smile. They’ll say, “Well, I’m not giving you any money, but you can have them come and see me,” and Michael will drive four hours and go and see them, and he’s not there to ask them for money.

(24:30):

But we’ve also had situations where that exact scenario has happened, where we know an individual might have a high capacity, and they say, “Don’t ask me for any money.” And he would often respond that “I just wanted to come and tell you what’s happening in your college,” if they’re an alum. And then, sometime after, there is a donation. And it makes me smile, because it’s the authentic approach that makes people think about the college. And I think that makes me especially proud about the culture of the college of how we think about relationships.

(25:10):

And really, at the end of the day, it starts from the top. So, our chancellor is an incredible leader, as I’m certain that everybody at NC State is aware, and his approach to philanthropy and the University Advancement team under Brian Sischo is also focused on relationships, donor-centered relationships. And one thing that’s always kind of blows my mind is, whenever I ask the chancellor to support a conversation with a donor or a potential donor, he is absolutely there and can talk to anybody. And it’s the same authentic conversation. And it’s just, I think it’s what makes NC State really special, and I think it makes the Wilson College special.

Michael Ward (25:58):

And, Taylor, just to kind of tie that up, we can’t, in our industry, become too scripted and too quick. We’ve got to be thoughtful. I mean, in my space, I tend to be aiming more with the smaller population of people that have high capacity. So, I realize that those individuals are also being approached with other organizations. And so, what am I doing to be thoughtful and different and unique? And oftentimes, that’s just being thoughtful and authentic and friends give to friends. So, every time I engage with someone and I go back and have another conversation, another conversation, more personal questions can be asked, deeper conversations can be had, because there’s a level of comfort between myself and the donor who I’m engaging with.

Theme Music (26:44):

You both touched on it. I love the concept of connection; not just matching them with a passion for themselves, but also reminding them it’s still “your” college. Their college. They are still part of this community, even after graduation. I think that’s really powerful.

David Hinks (27:00):

Michael mentioned that a lot of his work is focused on a relatively small population of people who have high capacity. And it’s true, that our college has a remarkably high level of individuals who have been incredibly successful in their lives. And I have a theory about that, which I’m happy to share maybe in another question. But also, we became aware during the Think and Do [the Extraordinary] Campaign of the university that we can’t focus on just those individuals who are the high-capacity. We have to continue to engage and, in fact, even engage more with young alumni graduates who are just a year or two out of, after graduating, and also those who are five, 10 years, 15 years. And we’ve spent time in developing resources to engage with the broader alumni base; to let them know it’s their college, and if they support our college, and not just with their treasure, but with their time and their energy and their thoughtfulness, their ideas, also to support internships if they’re with a company that can hire an intern or a permanent hire.

(28:19):

These are all ways that support the college. And in doing that, our message is that you lift up the brand at the college, which actually raises the value of your degree over time. And so, we spent a significant amount of time, Michael and his team in the North Carolina Textile Foundation office and myself, are building those relationships where there might not be a donation for a very long time. And that’s OK. So, I think about that from the concept of preparing for the next dean, when that happens, or the dean after that. It’s the long-range strategy, to continue the journey of the college in the very best way. But you also mentioned that it’s their college, and we do say that to them. And something that we developed in the last two or three years is a concept called Wilson for Life, where we are providing support and value, hopefully to all of our 11,000 alumni, in being able to benefit from the college throughout their whole lives. So, the message is, you’re not just coming to earn a bachelor’s degree or earn a master’s or a Ph.D. You are coming for a relationship and a network and a family that’s going to support you your whole life. And that’s really the foundation of Wilson for Life.

Michael Ward (29:47):

Couldn’t have said it better. I think the engagement and the engagement piece of our mission is really the focus of our young alums. And wow, what a great opportunity to get involved as a young alum, because it’s an opportunity for them to network and grow their networks of opportunities, but also for us, it helps us to build our base of young donors, and everybody makes a difference. I mean, Taylor, we were talking about this before we started the show: not uncommon these days to hear, “Well, you got the Wilson gift. You don’t need my money.” But we absolutely need everyone’s support. And $1,000 dollars helps to provide free tutoring resources for all of our students each semester. So, there’s a level of support for everyone, and I’m proud of how we’ve been able to build a base and connect young alums. And like David said, I would be just as happy to go have lunch with a 25-year-old fresh out of school. I’ll make that time. David makes that time, because it is a relationship we want them to have with the college for the duration of their career and beyond.

Taylor Pardue (30:56):

It really is the epitome of that Wolfpack mentality, just at a college level versus the university. But definitely that sense of community.

Michael Ward (31:04):

Absolutely. And the community is strong, and it’s, I hope and feel, it’s getting stronger through Wilson for Life and some other activities that we’re doing. The NC State Day of Giving has been a great journey for us as well. And it was not many years before that, the number of donors to the college was in the low hundreds — 200, 300 a year, which is wonderful. Today, it’s about 1,300, and it’s because of that level of engagement. And so, a $20 gift, a $50 gift has real impact when we have that many donors and we can pool that donation. That we have a fund called the Dean’s Textile Innovation Fund, and that’s the fund that allows us to receive those smaller donations, and some large donations as well, but use them strategically within the college. So, there are examples of using that fund that I’m really proud of, to support students who have an emergency that need some financial support.

(32:16):

We have the ability to provide that level of support or enable a student to study abroad where they otherwise couldn’t or attend a conference or tutoring. As Michael mentioned, we provide free tutoring to every single student in the college, and that’s funded through donations. And so, it comes through the foundation, and some of it is small donations. So, when somebody that provides a $20 gift, I want everybody to know that that is meaningful and it’s significant. Imagine if 200 people do that; we can really make an impact on student lives. And it’s wonderful to think about the impact of that giving. Our chancellor says it really, really well: that with state support, the university can be very good university, and it is. And we have fantastic state support. We’re incredibly grateful to our legislature, and with philanthropic support, we can be an extraordinary university. And I think he’s absolutely right. And it applies to the college level as well.

(33:25):

One last thing on that: We want everyone to feel good about their giving, regardless of what level. The great Maya Angelou once said, “People forget what you say, they’ll forget what you’ve done, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” And I think about that individual who was a $20 donor, who received the same acknowledgement from the dean for their support that a $1,000 donor might get. He receives this letter for a $20 donation, and he calls and says, “I can’t believe you guys would take the time, I’d get a letter from the dean off of just a $20 gift.” And that turned into a $20-a-month bank draft, and that turned into a planned gift from this individual. And so, you just can’t ever make assumptions of the power of acknowledgement and being grateful no matter what, because you never know what that will inspire others to do in the future. It may be that’s all they can do, but that in itself — the acknowledgement, the caring about every level of support — goes a long way. And we’re just so grateful to all of our donors who support the college.

Taylor Pardue (34:33):

You mentioned how the Wilson gift not only ensures that the Wilson College of Textiles will stay as part of NC State, but it also allows us to do so many new bold things as a college. What are some examples of that?

David Hinks (34:45):

Great question. About 10 years ago, we really didn’t have the confidence, I would say, or even the infrastructure of staffing and personnel to really go after major grants, either federal grants or other grants or big contracts. And the Wilson gift allowed us to invest in new staff with expertise to help us. And our Zeis Textiles Extension team started going after larger grants, especially following the pandemic, when things were extremely challenging, of course, for everybody. But we’ve come out of the pandemic winning some incredible support from the federal government and from other areas that’s really helping transform the industry. And to me, it’s that confidence, the ability to take some more bold risks and go after bigger and higher impact that’s really paid off. So, one example is our Zeis Textiles Extension team, that supports professional education for the industry but also research and product development and testing on an independent level for our industry, started bringing a collaboration, or a consortium almost, of partners from the community colleges that we partner with from nonprofits across North Carolina to go after some major grants and have won them.

(36:18):

So, one example was, as a result of one of our alumni, who is a CEO of Parkdale Mills, the largest yarn manufacturer in the United States, based in Gastonia, in North Carolina, are very heavily invested in the United States in manufacturing and advanced manufacturing, but also invested in Central America. In Honduras, in particular. Charles Heilig, who’s the CEO, contacted me a couple of years ago and said, “I’m down here with an ambassador looking at needs for training,” and the ambassador asked for what needs to be done to improve talent development, to support the so-called co-production model of manufacturing in both North America and in Central America. So, all countries win. And I said, “I’m interested in exploring this with you and with Ambassador Jose Fernandez.” And that led to a grant from USAID, which is a federal support for international development in certain countries around the world. And today, we have a $2 million grant from USAID.

(37:32):

It’s the largest USAID grant to NC State in over 20 years, and we’re hopeful that that will lead to much greater USAID support for training in Honduras that supports the U.S. textiles industry as well. And that’s with our partners. So, that’s one example of transforming lives in different parts of the world that also supports the U.S. textiles industry, actually, because much of the yarn is manufactured in the United States that then goes to Honduras and then comes back to the us. So, that’s been an amazing journey. And if there’s time, I’d like to tell you another example, and that is a grant that, again, our Zeis Textiles Extension team, under Andre West and Melissa Sharp, in partnership with a lead organization, the Industrial Commons, in Morganton, in the western part of North Carolina, and our community colleges at Gaston College and Catawba Valley Community College. So, that’s our team; went after a National Science Foundation, which is a new initiative called NSF Engines.

(38:38):

It’s a really visionary approach to translating the incredible research that happens under NSF into impact in our local and communities in rural America and across the United States. So, really translating research into commercial success and economic impact. There were initially 400, I think over 400 applicants to the NSF Engine’s request for proposals, and that was down-selected over time, and there were 10 awards made across the United States. North Carolina actually won two. It’s the only state that won two. One is at Wake Forest, and the other is the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State. Our engine is called the North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine. The idea is translating the incredible entrepreneurship and research and innovation that’s happening not just in the college but in our state and in the region and making it a success in the United States today. So, we are really excited. It’s up to $160 million grant over 10 years, if we are able to unlock that full amount, that’ll be certainly, by far, the largest grant that the college has ever won, and probably the largest NSF grant that NC State has ever won.

Taylor Pardue (40:00):

That’s amazing. And, again, vote of confidence. I mean, that we would be able to draw that. It’s huge.

Michael Ward (40:06):

Yeah, thank you. And it really is a vote of confidence, and it comes back to relationships as well. It’s our relationships with this incredible nonprofit, the Industrial Commons in Morganton, incredible relationships and trust between ourselves and our community college partnerships. One thing that I’ve learned as dean over the years is the college can’t operate in a vacuum. We have to be able to partner with others that have a related and synergistic mission, but it’s not the same mission. So, the community college system in North Carolina is one of the best community colleges systems in the country, if not the best. And I’ve seen that firsthand, of what the community colleges do. Their mission isn’t, of course, to produce bachelor’s, masters and Ph.D. students. That’s our mission. But their mission is really to support highly trained individuals who don’t necessarily need a degree, or they’re on their way to a degree later.

(41:07):

And so, it’s part of the educational highway, and if we are not partnering with, together, we’re not going to be serving the needs of North Carolinians as well. So, that’s been an amazing journey. I’ve loved every minute of the interactions with our community college partners, and some of those two presidents that we work with, John Hauser and Garrett Hinshaw, are both graduates of the college, I think it’s College of Education at NC State. So, we’re really proud that they’re alumni as well and serving in a different mission. So, at the end of the day, it comes back to relationships. We can have all the great equipment, which we do, and the amazing buildings, which we do, but if you don’t have the right people and the right relationships in place, you’re never going to be as impactful as you could be.

Taylor Pardue (41:55):

Absolutely. Circling back just a bit, you had mentioned your theory earlier. I’m curious to hear what that is.

David Hinks (42:02):

Oh, so my theory, it relates to entrepreneurship. One anecdote that I can share is, I love going to NC State athletics events — so, football and basketball, male and female basketball — and I was at a game a few years ago, and I looked down onto the court, and the Wolfpack Club has some special assigned seats, literally on the court. And so, for the major supporters of the Wolfpack Club, the major donors, and I think it’s probably about 40 seats, something like that. And I’m looking down the row of the seats, and about 25% of them are Wilson College graduates.

Michael Ward (42:49):

That’s being conservative, right, David?

David Hinks (42:51):

I think so. And if you consider that the college, in terms of student numbers, is about 3% the size of the [university], there’s something very different about the college in the way that we have been able to generate highly successful individuals who, themselves, of course, like to give back. And so, my pet theory is, there’s something about textiles that is tangible, that everybody knows in some way. It touches every human life, and it’s very practical and purposeful, and I think it draws people in that are very practical and creative, whether they’re engineers or designers or interested in business management, technology or chemistry. And there’s something that can draw people in. And I think they have a predetermined mindset to be creative and to use that creativity. And I think that’s part of the story of the United States, and it’s partly why I’m here as a British citizen, and now a dual citizen, is because of that entrepreneurship and innovation that’s fostered. And I think our college is a little, that’s my theory is, my college, our college, is a little microcosm of the United States.

Theme Music (44:04):

It feels like there’s a metaphor there about weaving people’s lives together. But I digress.

Michael Ward (44:08):

I’ll let you say that. It’s the fabric of our lives.

Theme Music (44:11):

There you go. So, we’ve talked about individual relationships, corporate relationships. Foundations. Where do they come into the picture with the Wilson College of Textiles?

Michael Ward (44:22):

Oh, great question, and I’ll let Michael add into this, but when we first started the journey with the Think and Do [the] Extraordinary Campaign, the college had, really, very few interactions with other foundations. So, foundations that are themselves nonprofit; that provide money for activities; that that is the mission of that foundation. And one of them is, just as an example, is the Kimbrell Foundation, the W. Duke Kimbrell Foundation, based in Gastonia. And Duke Kimbrell was an alumnus of the college, incredibly successful entrepreneur, innovator in manufacturing of yarn that is Parkdale Mills today. And the Kimbrell family established the Kimbrell Foundation that has a mission to support all areas of textiles, especially with the focus in Gastonia and related areas that are important to the family. And so, we have strengthened relationships with foundations like the Kimbrell Foundation and been really grateful for the connection. So, it’s a different sort of relationship in a way. It’s not just individual.

(45:42):

It’s about talking and aligning with a particular foundation’s mission, and where do we intersect? And the Kimbrell Foundation became very interested in our ideas, not just supporting scholarships. And we have some incredible Kimbrell Foundation-supported scholarships, but also in the entrepreneurship that I’ve spoken about, and in the development of the Flex Factory concept, which the idea is that we will have state-of-the-art equipment that will change rapidly over time as our industry and equipment changes. That’s the flexibility side that would support entrepreneurs — not just within the college as students, staff, or faculty, but anybody across NC State could use the facility. And the Kimbrell Foundation became inspired by that and ultimately donated $3 million to support the renovation of this, what will be an amazing space, and I hope we get to do a podcast and talk about the impact of the Flex Factory when it fully comes online, but Davis Warlick of the Kimbrell family and Andy Warlick of the Kimbrell family and Pam Warlick have just been incredible supporters, and their foundation has really set the college on an incredible path.

Taylor Pardue (47:07):

Absolutely.

Michael Ward (47:07):

I feel like our conversation around philanthropy is centered around relationships and being thoughtful. And this is a great example of a family that probably gets asked from so many organizations to support. And when I look back and think about this relationship, I think we, as a foundation, didn’t quite have it right for what their hopes would be around their philanthropy in the past. And so, David and I really invested in getting to know their family, making sure that their past giving, Mr. Kimbrell’s, certainly aligned with what he had hoped to accomplish. And doing that, this gift was a three-year process, and we knew this was an important family. We knew that they loved the college, but we also needed to make sure we delivered on the expectations, their philanthropy. And I’m just really proud of where we’ve come with them because, prior to the Wilson family, I would say Duke was probably the greatest benefactor in terms of his support to the college. So, we did a lot of nice things to really honor him and his legacy and the boldness that the dean can take forward now with the Flex Factory is just going to, I mean, we all feel like the college is really in a position to be, it’s stratospheric in the years to come. So, I’m excited.

(48:36):

It’s really an amazing journey. And here’s another example of another foundation, based in High Point, which is where Fred Wilson and his family hail from. The Congdon Foundation has started supporting the college in very significant ways, and their leadership are not alumni of the college and incredibly supported the Flex Factory in our journey in developing state-of-the-art equipment. And the Congdon Foundation is a great example for us as, for me, as how a foundation that doesn’t have a long history with the college can understand where we are, where we’re going, what impact we want to have on the High Point community and across North Carolina. And that really inspires me every day to come to work and think about the next relationship that we can build to provide opportunities for our students and impact the state.

(49:42):

One of my most favorite gifts, joyful, happy: the Covington family in High Point. Ned Covington is a good friend and peer to Fred’s. They own a manufacturing plant known as Harriss and Covington, and they do a lot of spinning with Smartwool, if you’re familiar with that, one of their largest customers. That’s a family of four that went to UNC[-Chapel Hill], but through the relationships and connections to Fred on a personal level, as well as understanding the value of textile education as it relates to their company, it was a great day when I got a family of four UNC graduates — Ned, Tyler Covington, Braden Covington, and Chris [Wate] — to make a sizable gift to support the Flex Factory. And oh, by the way, so, we had a better game day experience when they came and watched NC State and Carolina play football. So, we’re turning them slowly into Wolfpack fans, but we’ll see where it goes.

Taylor Pardue (50:37):

That’s a powerful statement. Yeah, absolutely.

David Hinks (50:38):

Yeah.

Michael Ward (50:39):

We’ll make sure they hear this, too. Won’t we, David?

David Hinks (50:41):

Absolutely. We are so grateful to Ned Covington and his family for the support, in all seriousness, and we do like to have a little bit of fun with them on game day.

Taylor Pardue (50:51):

Sure.

Michael Ward (50:52):

Yeah.

Taylor Pardue (50:53):

I want to thank you both. This has been a wonderful episode, but for both of you to take time out of your busy jobs. You really have — clearly, as this episode has shown, you have very important roles here at the university, and we really appreciate everything that you do for the Wilson College of Textiles.

David Hinks (51:08):

Thanks, Taylor.

Michael Ward (51:09):

Thank you.

David Hinks (51:09):

Pleasure to be here.

Taylor Pardue (51:16):

To learn more about the Wilson College of Textiles and how you can help power its success, please visit give.ncsu.edu/textiles. To hear even more stories of Wolfpack success, please subscribe to the NC State Philanthropy Podcast today through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean or Stitcher. Be sure to leave a comment and rating as well to let us know how we’re doing. Thanks for listening, and as always, go Pack.