Professor of Textile Sciences, Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, NC State University

Karen Leonas’s research follows textile and apparel materials across their full lifecycle, from production and processing through to disposal, degradation, and what comes after. As Professor of Textile Sciences at NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles, she examines where the industry’s environmental footprint is created and how it can be reduced.

Her work spans polymer degradation across marine, freshwater, agricultural, and biological environments, microfiber release and transmission, product development using recycled and bio-based materials, and processing technologies that reduce water use and chemical impact. Circular economy principles run through this work, with a focus on closed-loop manufacturing as a practical industry model.

She brings both industry and academic experience to this work, having held faculty positions at the University of Illinois, University of Georgia, and Washington State University, and worked previously at Burlington Industries. She serves on advisory boards including the New York Academy of Sciences Change Fashion Advisory Board, Walmart’s technical and sustainability collaborations, and The Sustainability Consortium, where she co-chairs its Clothing, Footwear and Textile Committee. She has received numerous awards for both research and teaching.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Textile Chemistry/Textile Physics, University of Tennessee, 1985
• Master of Science (MS), Clothing and Textiles, University of Tennessee, 1983
• Bachelor of Science (BS), Textile Chemistry, NC State University, 1980