Jijun "Jackie" Chen, a second-year RTM Master student, recently was admitted to the Ph.D. program in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management of Purdue University. Jackie's research interests are in event management and behavior of social media users. She is currently finishing up her thesis and expected to graduate in May 2021.

As a laboratory assistant at ArcWear, I am responsible for maintaining compliance with ISO 17025 accreditation by producing reliable and precise data, as well as maintaining accurate records and reporting for our small-scale testing done in our laboratory located in Louisville. 

I work with a variety of specifications and standard test methods like AATCC, ANSI, ASTM and a handful of European standards as well, depending on the client's needs. I connect with clients to provide guidance on technical specifications and to execute testing and technical reporting.

I am also a technical committee member on ASTM F18 on Electrical, ASTM D13 Textiles, and ASTM F23 for Personal Protective Equipment.

I have worked at Buffalo Trace Distillery since August of 2020. I worked in the gift shop for a few months, and have been a tour guide for a year. I give Trace Tours and do tastings with guests.

I enjoy showing guests the oldest and most continuously operating distillery in the U.S. by sharing our history, the bourbon process and the industry all while making memories. 

Dr. Amber M. Chatelain is an accomplished educator and researcher with over 16 years of experience in higher education. During her tenure, Dr. Chatelain has provided the administrative leadership to lead curriculum development initiatives, manage academic programs and faculty, and increase student retention and attrition rates. She has taught 50 unique undergraduate and graduate courses across online and face-to-face formats, earning 10 teaching awards for her dedication to pedagogy. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Marketing Communications at Midway University, where she provides the educational leadership to teach undergraduate and graduate students marketing communications, business administration and merchandising.

Her previous academic experience includes positions as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Apparel Design & Merchandising at Eastern Kentucky University, Department Chair of Fashion Marketing and Management at the Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville, and a Part-Time Faculty member, Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant of the Retailing and Tourism Management Department at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Chatelain holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Marshall University, a Doctor of Educational Leadership from Argosy University, an M.S. of Interior Design, Merchandising and Textiles, a B.S. in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles and College Teaching and Learning Certificate from the University of Kentucky.

As an Associate Professor of Marketing Communications, Dr. Chatelain is responsible for teaching various courses in marketing and business communications. In addition to her teaching and classroom duties, she leads the development of new curricula to ensure alignment with industry standards, mentors students to foster professional growth through individualized advising, and serves as a leader on campus. Her instructional approach emphasizes experiential learning, critical thinking and innovative pedagogical strategies, aimed at inspiring students to thrive academically and professionally. At Midway University, Dr. Chatelain has involved her students in a variety of projects and experiences, including the development of content creation and podcasts, designing apparel to be sold at the campus bookstore, research presentations and posters and a variety of off-campus field experiences. Dr. Chatelain’s research spans a variety of topics, including small businesses, social responsibility, consumer behavior, dress and gender, entertainment retailing and instructional pedagogy. Her current research focuses on customer perceptions of small businesses' response to local community crises in small- to medium-sized towns. She has also published several academic research papers, book chapters and web-based publications.

Preeti Joshi has over 15 years of industry and academic experience. She started her career as a Merchandiser in a Textile mill in Mumbai, India, and then came to University of Kentucky to pursue her graduate degree. While pursuing her M.S., she worked as a teaching assistant. Upon graduation, Preeti was hired a full-time Lecturer and Internship Coordinator with the department. She worked in that role for 7 years. Preeti was also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Art Institute of Wisconsin. Later, she worked for Kohl's department store as a product developer and worked on brands such as Apt 9 (women's wear), Sonoma, Croft & Barrow (home textiles) and Food Network (cookware), sourcing products globally and working with international vendors/manufacturers. She holds an M.S. in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles and a B.S. in Garment Manufacturing. Preeti has worked with Ross Stores' corporate office in Dublin, California, for the last 6 years, holding various positions such as Assortment Analyst and Sr. Analyst Allocation Strategy. In her current role, she works as Office Operations Manager.

In this role she guides her team in organizing resources, people, information and communication on behalf of the Allocation Department. Preeti manages and facilitates department talent acquisition, onboarding, training and communication processes. She manages a team of associates to drive all aspects of department communication, intranet development, new hire onboarding and training plans.

Jennifer Leung is currently a Senior Scientist at Henkel North America (Darien, Conn.), working in the R&D department of professional hair products. Her job entails formulating and scaling up various hair products for professional brands. She is passionate about innovation and sustainability. Jennifer graduated from the University of Kentucky in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles (B.S.) and completed graduate school in Fiber Science at Cornell University (M.S.). During her undergraduate years, she worked in the Textile Laboratory as a technician under Dr. Easter. She further applied the knowledge from the lab to her internships at GE and ArcWear, where she helped develop sensors in washers and conducted safety testing for different PPE. Jennifer furthered her research in the polymers space during graduate school and in her internship with AirForce, working on biosensor development. The opportunities she could have and the experience she gained through the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management were crucial stepping stones in leading her to where she is today.

As a Senior Scientist, Jennifer is responsible for developing hair care products, including shampoos, conditioners, treatments and styling products. This role involves designing and conducting experiments to understand ingredient interactions, product stability and performance under various conditions. She collaborates closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, packaging, regulatory and production to ensure the formulations meet brand goals and comply with safety and industry standards. She is also responsible for troubleshooting formulation challenges and optimizing processes for scale-up from the lab to manufacturing. Beyond formulating for brands, she researches new ingredients, trends and technologies, leveraging their expertise to create formulations that address specific consumer needs like moisture retention, scalp health and hair repair. Jennifer enjoys being involved in the full product development cycle from building the product.

Virginia Groppo is a passionate brand leader at Tempur Sealy International, one of the largest mattress manufacturers in North America. She started in her career as a Brand Analyst with the company and was promoted to an Associate Brand Manager. In her current role, she is dedicated to growing and advocating for the Stearns & Foster brand (the fastest growing premium innerspring mattress brand in the U.S.). She has led the development and launch of several multimillion-dollar mattress lines, including the company’s first eco-friendly product. Her previous experience includes a professional internship with the Walt Disney Company, supporting merchandise development. She holds an M.S. and B.S. in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles. While pursuing her M.S., she acted as the Textile Laboratory Supervisor. Virginia is grateful for the knowledge she gained from the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, which has enabled her to succeed in her current role.

As an Associate Brand Manager, Virginia is responsible for leading successful product launches, growing brand awareness and driving revenue. Presentation on the retail floor is extremely important in the mattress industry, as most consumers still prefer to visit stores to test products. Virginia leverages consumer insights to ensure products meet the target consumers’ needs and are visually appealing to attract attention on the retail floor. She acts as a brand steward, ensuring marketing efforts are cohesive and appropriately represent the brand across all channels. Advocating for her brand is crucial, and her responsibilities can include presenting at PR events, furniture markets, product previews and sales events. Additionally, Virginia is responsible for analyzing sales data, which she uses to identify areas of opportunity for driving revenue growth for her brand. No two days in Brand Management look the same, and Virginia enjoys the diverse responsibilities of the role.

Products developed include Stearns & Foster 2022 mattress and pillow product lines, Sealy Naturals, Costco Kirkland Signature Lakeridge, and coming in 2026 Stearns & Foster’s newest mattress line.

Katie Hahnel Dietz is the Sourcing Director at Standard Textile, a leading provider of linens and textile products for the hospitality and healthcare markets. Katie joined the company in 2017 as a Sourcing Analyst and has since been promoted to Supervisor, Manager and Director within the Sourcing Division. With both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Textiles and Apparel, she specializes in sourcing textile raw materials and finished goods from over 25 countries. During her graduate studies, Katie was the Textile Lab Supervisor. She gained valuable experience collaborating with industry leaders such as Haier, Cotton Incorporated, Procter & Gamble and Fruit of the Loom. Passionate about sustainability and innovation, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring Standard Textile delivers high-quality solutions while navigating complex global supply chains.

Katie works out of Standard Textile’s world headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she leads a team of Sourcing Analysts focused on product development and global supply chain management. Katie collaborates closely with her U.S.-based and international coworkers to build strong partnerships and ensure efficient sourcing processes. In recent years, amid significant global supply chain challenges, she emphasizes the importance of generating cost savings and identifying innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency, helping her team navigate complexities while meeting the evolving needs of the business. Katie and her team work to support R&D endeavors by partnering with suppliers to deliver new innovations for a variety of product lines such as sheets, towels, robes, filled bedding, patient and staff apparel, reusable PPE and more.

Tangmay Roberts holds a B.S. and M.S. in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles. She began her career as an assistant merchandise manager at eCampus, where she managed multiple accounts for purchasing merchandise for college bookstores nationwide. Her responsibilities included product assortment analysis, budgeting, e-commerce and store operations, and marketing campaigns. Tangmay then joined Galls, focusing on Private Label Product Development and Sourcing, working with overseas manufacturers to create new products and oversee merchandise production for multimillion-dollar businesses. She was also part of the team creating an elevated apparel brand to rival Galls' competitor. After gaining extensive experience, Tangmay returned to Keeneland Association, where she had previously interned as a student at the University of Kentucky.

Keeneland is a prestigious Thoroughbred racetrack and renowned auction house located in Lexington, Ky. In this role, Tangmay is responsible for curating and managing merchandise offerings across Keeneland's retail locations to ensure alignment with the Keeneland brand and customer expectations. With a keen eye for trends, quality and customer preferences, Tangmay oversees product selection and development, vendor negotiations, inventory management and merchandising strategies. Tangmay collaborates closely with her team to ensure seamless execution of sales initiatives and an enhanced customer shopping experience, leveraging her extensive experience and proven track record of sales success.

Products Tangmay developed during her time with Galls include an updated core apparel assortment, elevated apparel collection, medical/gear bags, leather gears and belts, updated headwear assortment and riot gear. At Keeneland, she developed custom prints collections with Smith & Quin, TBBC, and Horn Legend, ornaments, silicon drinkware, custom plushies, apparel collections for children, jewelry, etc.

My career experience in Retail Merchandising and Textile Quality has guided me to Florida State University where I teach Textiles, Apparel and Computer Applications for retail in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. The Retail Entrepreneurship major prepares students for executive training programs and other entry-level positions in retail merchandising and product development within the retail industry. My goal as an instructor is to carry out the mission of our college by introducing students to the basics of textile production from fibers to finishes, connect how they impact the performance for the end use, teach students how to assess garments for quality and expose students to some of the most common computer software used in the apparel industry.

In addition to teaching, I am also a faculty advisor for the Black Retail Action Group (BRAG) student organization. BRAG is a nonprofit organization that prepares and educates professionals, entrepreneurs and students of color for executive leadership in retail, fashion and related industries. In this role, I get the opportunity to connect with students on a more personal level to learn about their career goals and aspirations and guide them to the resources needed to achieve their goals.

It is a joy to be able to connect my love for merchandising, apparel and textiles with the mission of the Jim Moran College to "inspire innovation, instill compassion and ignite an entrepreneurial mindset in the next generation of leaders."

Previously, Tara was a Quality Testing Analyst for Carter’s and OshKosh B’Gosh.

In my role as an Associate Professor of Retail Entrepreneurship at Florida State University, I teach two courses each semester, conduct research and perform service. Each semester I teach an undergraduate and graduate course including Introduction to Textile Science, Product Evaluation, Advancements in Textile Technologies, and Quality Assurance Assessment. When I'm not in the classroom, I spend the majority of my time conducting research as a textile technologist and clothing comfort physiologist in one of two labs that I oversee at FSU: the Textile Testing Laboratory and the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab, which houses the only dynamic sweating thermal manikin at a public institution in the western hemisphere. My work focuses on how protective clothing and other types of functional apparel impact human performance.

Part of my job duties include providing service. At the university level, I serve on the Council of Associate Deans of Research and our committee that awards internal funding. I am a participating member of multiple professional organizations including the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). I also enjoy working directly with industry, whether it be textile or apparel brands, startup companies, protective clothing manufacturers or the military.

I enjoy being a professor for many reasons. Academia is a flexible, challenging and rewarding career path. The opportunities provided to me by the RTM program, the Textile Testing Lab and Dr. Easter during my six years at the University of Kentucky laid a strong foundation for where I find myself today.

Dr. Aniket Sengupta has a Ph.D. in Management (Marketing) from Neoma Business School (triple accredited), France; an M.S. in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles from the University of Kentucky; and a B.Tech. in Apparel Production from NIFT – Kolkata, India. He has at least 5 years of experience in apparel manufacturing, retail planning and procurement in Egypt, the U.S. and India. Previously, Dr. Sengupta has been associated with Neoma Business School, Ecole de la Management Normandie, Woxsen University, American School of Business - Paris and Rajagiri Business School in various academic commitments. Dr. Sengupta is currently associated with Universidad de los Andes – Escuela de Administración (triple accredited), Bogota DC, Colombia as an Assistant Professor. He also teaches a course called Cultural Management in Global Settings at Ecole de la Management Normandie (Caen, Le Havre, Paris, Dublin, Oxford and Dubai) every spring semester since 2021

Dr. Sengupta has been working at the prestigious Universidad de los Andes – Escuela de Administración since 2023. He has been engaged in various global collaborations on research projects with the Burgundy School of Business, the University of Helsinki, BM Munjal University, and IIM – Sambalpur. He has already taught subjects like Digital Marketing, Marketing Communications and Fundamentals of Marketing at the undergraduate level and is also preparing coursework for new programs in the School of Management. His keen interest has been to procure research funds from Finland and France and write grant proposals for the same. The current research topics involve: Knowledge transfer in agribusiness industries in Colombia and India and AR/VR implementation in the luxury industry (Burgundy wine and French fashion brands), etc. He recently received a FAPA research grant from his university to the amount of $45,000 for 3 years.

His research interests include business intelligence paradigm, role of smart technologies in retail and agribusiness, and open innovation in high-tech industries. He has three ABDC-A research publications and has presented research papers in Europe, MENA and North America.

We are a regional tourism organization working with the local government, Daegu Metropolitan city, and the tourism sector. We are responsible for tourism marketing, development and management at a regional level.

We promote Daegu, the third-largest city in Korea, to the global market by organizing a seminar to travel agencies, inviting media teams or creating a special posting on TikTok and more. There are various ways to promote the destination, but it is important to find what would be the most attractive point to potential visitors to make an actual visit to the city.

For example, two members from BTS, V and Suga, are from Daegu. Using that source, Daegu created a mural of V on the wall of the school where V graduated, and we organize a K-POP concert every year to make a city brand as a K-POP city. Daegu Tourism Organization will keep finding ways to interest international tourists and introducing Daegu to travel agencies and media until the city is known as a tourist destination in Korea. 

As the Lead Product Designer, I design and plan our custom marching band, color guard and dance uniform and flag products approximately 12-18 months in advance of our next catalog being photographed, printed and shipped. Additionally, I work with our marketing and graphics managers to ensure all designs are accurately represented in both our online and print catalog editions. Working with our purchasing department, I ensure we have the best available selection of fabrics, trims and notions to meet the needs of our customer base.

As the Assistant Sales Manager, I assist in the training and development of our sales team (4-8 individuals), ensuring each representative is well-versed in product knowledge, customer data collection and entry, processing orders and the custom design process. Our department serves customers not only in the U.S., but also Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Throughout the year I travel to various music education conferences to meet new and existing clients, as well as learn from other trade/industry professionals about current trends in the Marching Arts (marching band, color guard and dance) and Cheerleading markets. I am the featured company representative at the WGI World Championships and DCI World Championships held in April and August respectively. I am also "in the trenches" so to speak as I continue to be an active color guard designer and choreographer for over 20 years.

As a project manager at ArcWear, I manage testing programs and direct the execution of PPE testing at our High Current Laboratory in Toronto as well as operations in the Louisville, Ky., office. My role includes forecasting, estimation, cradle-to-grave project management, standards development and technical services to our client base. 

We offer consulting for clients to understand testing and certification requirements to supply products to the global marketplace. Our primary clients are manufacturers, but we also offer services to end users.

Our team participates on various technical committees for standards development, including NFPA 2112, NFPA 1971, ASTM F18 on Electrical, ASTM E54 Homeland Security, ASTM F23 Personal Protective Equipment, ASTM D13 Textiles, and ISEA. ArcWear and our team collaborate with various certification bodies, like UL LLC for NFPA 2112 certifications and BTTG in the UK for CE marking services.

Deena Davis is the Quality Assurance Manager for Workwear Outfitters, where she is responsible for the internal testing lab, building and designing quality into garments, and managing third-party compliance testing. She received both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles at the University of Kentucky. Previously Deena worked for Fire-Dex as the Quality & ISO Coordinator and was responsible for in-house testing, third party certifications and managing the ISO 9001 quality management system. In addition Deena worked for Bura Veritas managing consumer product safety testing, social compliance audits and pre-shipment inspections for Home Depot.