Textiles, Global Systems, and Technology

“We solve problems with textiles.” That is the tagline of a small, sixth-generation textile mill near Olin that custom-designs textiles and fabrics for customers from a wide variety of industries. Using the textile industry (globally) and this small textile manufacturer (locally) we will explore how engineers bring their integrated technical and contextual skills to diagnose and respond to global systems where more discipline-specific approaches barely scratch the surface. I co-created and co-taught this course with Jessica Townsend (Professor of Engineering) in spring 2024.