Alisha Spradlin

I am a Textile Engineer with a concentration in Product Engineering from North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles. Currently, I am pursuing my M.S. in Energy and Sustainability from Northwestern University. I am passionate about sustainable practices and how those practices can be used to help companies develop transformative, innovative, and circular products.

Vestium Startup Venture: Cofounder 

Evanston, IL - January 2021 - Present 

● Ideated a digital platform that will act as an interface between customers and companies on critical consumer apparel data 

● Developing a circular solution to aid consumers move from fast to slow fashion mindset through more informed decision making 

● Initiating trial runs on closet cataloging to gain understanding of consumer purchasing, wearing, and disposal habits

Medline Industries Inc. : Quality Assurance Engineer - Textile Division 

Chicago, IL - January 2021 - September 2022 

● GreenSmart Program: Developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to test drying and energy efficiency on textile materials 

● Conducted onsite audit, verification, and optimization for manufacturing, distribution, and other supply chain processes in Mexico 

● Coordinated and collaborated with Pakistan and China teams to optimize supply chain processes 

● Provided a detailed outline of sustainability requirements and necessary questions to ask when analyzing sustainability test results 

● Utilized light box and spectrophotometer to provide accurate color analysis from sample development to bulk production 

● Maintained fabric and color libraries to monitor fabrications and ensure accuracy and consistency 

● Collaborated with product development and fabric vendors to provide approvals, corrections, and rejections on color and fabric 

● Collaborated with fabric vendors to identify methods of optimizing processes to ensure consistency in fabric quality and color 

● Expanded on existing SOP for flammability testing to describe a plan of action for when product flammability testing failed 

● Provided textile and polymeric material expertise during product development meetings to aid in product design and functionality 

● Coordinated with Product Development Team to ensure products met testing, regulatory, performance, and stakeholder requirements 

● Handled incoming complaints to identify the root cause and find long lasting solutions to prevent reoccurrence 

● Developed a testing/audit plan to improve medical slipper coefficient of friction result uniformity across all production orders 

● Networked with sustainable companies to coordinate and host the first sustainability conference at Medline

NCSU Provost Professional Experience Program 

Raleigh, NC - August 2018 - December 2020 

● Research Assistant 

•  Researched and helped put together a report on microplastics and healthcare laundries
• Drafted technical proposal for the design of experiments and development of woven stretch fabrics for United States Army
• Drafted two published university textbook chapters on fibers, yarns and nonwoven manufacturing processes
• Worked on a proposal for the design and development of a functional medical/cosmetic secondary skin nanofiber application
• Researched and helped write a proposal on the evaluation of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on textile-based surfaces
• Analyzed trends and drafted magazine article for new textile technologies focused on sustainability and Industry 4.0 at ITMA

● Sustainable Feminine Hygiene Undergraduate Research

• Conducted market research on different feminine pad brands to analyze materials, production, and consumer costs
• Researched sustainable materials and prototyped an affordable design for a pad in underprivileged countries
• Wrote techno-economic research paper on feminine pad market in USA, India, and Africa
• Led writing for Bill Gates Foundation proposal on the design of experiments and product development of sustainable feminine hygiene

Avery Dennison: Sustainable Nonwoven Packaging- Senior Design Project 

Raleigh, NC - August 2019 - May 2020 

● Coordinated with a team, corporate sponsors, and manufacturers to ideate, plan, prototype, and design sustainable packaging 

● Utilized nonwoven processing methods to redirect the flow of post industry fabric waste into a recycled economic concept 

● Remanufactured fabric waste into a durable, waterproof, and sustainable nonwoven material for packaging solutions 

AEO Inc. Headquarters: Production and Sustainability Internship 

NYC, NY - June 2019 - August 2019 

● Conducted market research on Texworld, ITMA, and Première Vision trade shows for sustainable alternatives for materials, machines, dyes, chemicals, and finishes 

● Organized and presented educational room for the company to learn about sustainability and utilize that information 

● Coordinated with design team to record, monitor, and source fabric, trims, and wash developments 

● Adhered to TNA calendar to ensure developmental stages were on time and sent out PLM packages to vendors 

DC Startup Weekend Championships- 1st Place Winner 

Washington, DC - October 2019 

● Designed sustainable closed loop textile waste startup to reduce textile scrap material in landfills 

Parachute Design Competition- 1st Place 

Raleigh, NC - January 2018 - May 2018 

● Coordinated with a team and utilized the engineering design process to design a more aerodynamic parachute 

NCSU Resident Advisor 

Raleigh, NC - October 2017 - May 2018 

● Adherence to privacy requirements for private conferences with students and led students on how to alleviate conflict 

● Communicated with residents and presented ways to develop an environment of growth, engagement and success 

Chapter President of Cultural Nonprofit 

Raleigh, NC - August 2014- May 2020 

● Served as a representative at educational conferences to promote diversity in education 

● Planned, organized, and hosted multicultural events, duties included; designing the layout of the venue, developing a task list, assigning jobs to members of a team, communicating with company sponsors and food donors

Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering: M.S. in Energy and Sustainability Class of 2023

North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles: B.S. Textile Engineering: Product Engineering 2020