WELCOME!

Welcome to the Design and Merchandising Website. As the Department Head, I joined Colorado State University in August 2004. It has been a pleasure to get to know the students, faculty, and staff and to learn about the Department's programs of excellence.

• The Department continues to attract outstanding students in record numbers to our two undergraduate majors and to the Master's Degree program.
  

  Apparel and Merchandising major: Interior Design major: Graduate program:

  436 students 278 students 25 students 739 students

• Students engage in academic programs that apply current industry-based technology. In the classroom, a research-based approach is directed to the design of interiors and apparel and to the marketing of textile products. Students bridge to their future professions through study tours, internships, fashion shows, student organizations, and service learning projects.
  
  
• Faculty conduct critical research focusing on social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Current externally funded projects center on:

  Celebrity endorsers of consumer products and adolescent self-image
  Textile systems for minimizing risk of ultraviolet radiation
  US partnerships with emerging textile and apparel markets
  Residential indoor air quality
  Business social responsibility in the apparel industry
  Service learning among middle and high school youth
  Alternative trade businesses and worker empowerment

• The Department's collection of over 10,000 objects, including designer apparel, textiles, and interior artifacts, and the Gustafson Gallery offer rich and unique opportunities for students and faculty to incorporate a cultural, historic, and international perspective in their work.

The Department of Design and Merchandising is truly an exciting place to work and learn! I invite you to explore our Website to learn more about us. Prospective students, alumni, colleagues, and friends are always welcome for a visit. The door is open and we are eager to share our enthusiasm for Design and Merchandising with you!

Mary A. Littrell, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Head