Department Resources: Faculty and Facilities

Design and Merchandising faculty are active in research and professional societies, having held key leadership positions. Faculty are involved in research projects related to a diverse subject matter areas. To learn more about the specific research interests of faculty in each of these areas, please see faculty vitae.

There are excellent facilities for the DM graduate program. These include computers for data analysis, design and drafting, merchandising simulations, and software evaluation; interior design studios and resource rooms; textile research laboratories for basic and applied research; a conditioning laboratory for performance testing and evaluation of textiles; equipment for printing and other methods of applying design to fabrics; laboratories for instruction and research in fashion illustration and apparel design; industrial equipment to demonstrate methods of apparel production; and facilities for experimentation with visual merchandising techniques. Industry support of the design effort has included a $3.2 million gift in software from Lectra for computer-aided textile and apparel design, visual merchandising, and drafting. The Historic Costume and Textile Collection is recognized as one of the largest and best at any U.S. university. The Gustafson Gallery sponsors a variety of exhibits and programs.