Research & Academics

            All my degrees are all in fashion. I am currently finishing my Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  My dissertation researches Generation Y’s attitudes towards Fair Trade Products and investigated their Religiosity as a potential predictor of purchasing Fair Trade Products. My Master’s Degree is from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  My Masters thesis researched the store attribute preferences of college aged Turkish consumers.  My undergraduate degree is from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

My research interests include social justice in the apparel industry, sustainable consumption of apparel products, fashion student internship experiences, retail in emerging markets such as India and Turkey, paradoxical consumption patterns and network theory as related to the fashion industry.

            Prior to coming to Kent State, I have taught at Western Michigan University, Iowa State University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and the Izmir University of Economics in Izmir, Turkey.  I have also worked in the fashion industry for fifteen years prior to teaching, done retail consulting, been a manager for several Limited, Inc stores, been a sales representative based out of the Chicago Apparel Center and has held district and national level visual merchandising and management positions with Sears. Currently I am teaching fashion merchandise planning and buying, computer applications for retailing, fashion law, social justice in the apparel industry, Photoshop / Illustrator and apparel in the global economy.  I am also the faculty advisor for the Kent State University Fashion Student’s Organization. 

PRESENTATIONS / SEMINARS

-ITAA. San Antonio, TX.  Internship experiences of fashion design and merchandising students. 2006

-ITAA. Washington DC. Shopping preferences of college aged Turkish consumers. 2005

-Michigan Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Meeting, Lansing, Michigan, June 2004

-Aegean Apparel Export Symposium.  Izmir, Turkey 2002

-International Apparel Federation Convention.  Istanbul, Turkey 2003

-Turkish Apparel Manufacturers Conference.  Istanbul, Turkey 2003

-WMU Latvia Seminar.  Riga, Latvia 2002

MEDIA

- National Public Radio’s Around Noon Program.  Regular Panel Member on Seasonal Fashion Call-in Program. 2007-Present.

-WEWS News Channel Five.  Segment on career dressing for less during hard economic times.  2008

RETAIL CONSULTING

-Jimmy Key Apparel Stores. Visual and Store Merchandising. Izmir, Turkey, 2003

-The Wine Shop.  Human Resources and Store Merchandising. Ames, Iowa, 2005

PUBLICATIONS

-Interpreting India (2005).  Surface Design Journal Newsletter.