Elizabeth Andrews M.A., Textile History, 2009

Registrar, Waterloo Center for the Arts (Iowa)

Elizabeth Andrews, an Iowa native, earned her MAin Textile History from UNL in 2009. She currently lives in Waterloo, IA, where she is employed as Registrar at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. As registrar she cares for a diverse collection of artwork that includes many textiles. Among those textiles are beaded ceremonial flags from Haiti, reverse appliqué Molas made by the Kuna people of Panama, and hand woven textiles and garments from Guatemala and Mexico. The collection also includes non-textile artworks from both regional and international artists.

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Elizabeth Andrews


Kendra Benson Textile and Fashion Design, 2005

Sales Representative, Edna Moran Textile Merchant
After graduation Kendra joined designer Tracy Reese in NY, as Asst. Designer, focusing on hand-drawing of prints and Trim Research & Development. She spent 3 years as Assoc. Designer at Donna Ricco where her primary responsiblities were for Print & Color Development. Kendra is a Sales Representative for archival textiles of Edna Moran, Textile Merchant where she focuses on relationships with NY designers that she sells archival textiles, clothing and accessories to serve as inspiration for their work.

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Kendra Benson
Kendra Benson


Erica Cardenas Merchandising, 2011

Co-owner, Wallflower Artisan Collective
Erica Cardenas received her B.S. Degree in Merchandising in 2011. Currently she is the co-owner of Wallflower Artisan Collective which she and her partner Bryan Frost established in 2013. This vintage boutique is located near Old Market in Omaha, NE. Through Wallflower Erica promotes a love for reusing items of the past in a modern way, and also provides local artists a platform to sell their work.

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Erica Cardenas
Erica Cardenas


Brittany Clymer Textile and Fashion Design, 2008

East Coast Sales Executive, Artful Dodger
Brittany Clymer is the East Coast Sales Executive for the men’s contemporary streetwear brand Artful Dodger. Her current position is focused on merchandising collections sold wholesale to various vendors including Macy’s and smaller specialty stores. Brittany credits her early success to hard work, strong networking, a willingness to take risks and a great foundation of knowledge from TMFD. She loves living and working in the heart of New York’s fashion district and enjoys traveling to manage her accounts and staff trade shows.

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Brittany Clymer


Lindsay Ducey M.A., Fashion Design, 2014

Assistant Technical Designer of Production, Alice + Olivia

After graduating in 2014 with a Master of Arts in Fashion Design, an internship at Alice + Olivia led me to focus on the area of Technical Design for my career path. The internship gave me valuable industry experience and a strong understanding of the entire garment process, from the initial concept to the finished product in stores. Following my internship with Alice + Olivia, I worked as an Assistant Technical Designer of Development at Maggy London.

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Lindsay Ducey
Lindsay Ducey


Tracy Georgiou Fashion Design, 2008

Tracy Georgiou is a 2008 graduate of TMFD's fashion design program and is an online stylist at J. Crew Group in New York, NY. She is also a member of TMFD's Professional Advisory Council.





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Tracy Georgiou


Juliane Glasco Merchandising, 2006

Owner, Stella Clothing

With her sister Sheila, Juliane Glasco is co-owner of Stella boutique in downtown Lincoln. A 2006 TMFD graduate with a B.S. degree in Merchandising, Juliane opened her shop in 2007 and since then has continued to grow both a successful operation and a young and hip clientele to go with it. Focusing on clothing and home accessories including vintage decor, Stella puts its emphasis on fashion and lifestyle. Juliane and her sister, who hail from Stratton, NE, have been featured in numerous local media spotlights on successful young entrepreneurs.

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Juliane Glasco
Juliane Glasco


Kim HY Hahn Ph.D., Apparel Merchandising, 2005

Associate Professor, School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, Kent State University

Dr. Hahn is an assoc. prof. at Kent State University, School of Fashion Design and Merchandising. Prior to her current position Dr. Hahn was an assoc. prof. at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Stout teaching undergraduate courses in product development, advanced pattern development, CAD pattern making using AutoCAD and OptiTex software. Dr. Hahn has been involved in research topics that range from the influences of cultural factors (Asian vs. Western) on global consumer behavior, to the factors affecting students’ performances in apparel design courses.

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Kim HY Hahn
Kim HY Hahn


JLynn Hausmann B.S., Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design, 2004

president and owner of JHaus
JLynn Hausmann is president and owner of JHaus, an American-made premium denim collection, manufactured in downtown Los Angeles. Responsible for the creative direction of the brand - and also managing budgets, sales goals, production, quality control and overseeing the PR/marketing plan - Hausmann is gaining momentum. Her progressive style is drawing critical acclaim; she was named a 2013 Zappos Emerging Designer.

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JLynn Hausmann portrait photo
JLynn Hausmann


Kathryn Ericksen Lohr B.S., Merchandising, 1961

TMFD Alumna and Supporter

Kathryn Ericksen Lohr received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics (Merchandising). Kathryn began her career as a buyer of sporting wear for Gold’s Department Store in Lincoln, and eventually completed her Master of Science degree in Textiles at UNL. After marrying Jim Lohr, a PhD from UNL’s  Department of Chemistry, the couple moved to Germany, and followed that with an extended residence in Tokyo, Japan.

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Kathryn Lohr
Kathryn Ericksen Lohr


LynDee Lombardo M.A., Textile History/Quilt Studies, 2007

Museums and Institutions Professional

LynDee Larson Lombardo was named the Washington Affiliate of Family and Consumer Sciences 2013 Professional of the Year at their October Fall Conference in Vancouver, Washington. 

On June 28th in St. Louis, Missouri, she received the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences 2014 Leaders Award at the annual conference Pacesetter Dinner accompanied by her husband, Terry Lombardo, with many friends and colleagues in attendance. 

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LynDee Lombardo
LynDee Lombardo


Melissa Peterson Textile and Fashion Design, 2004

Design Director, Mix at Coles
After interning at the AVENUE where she established valuable connections and learned about designing for mass markets, Melissa designed for private labels such as AVENUE, Chicos, Li & Fung, and Metro 7 at Walmart. Melissa has worked in Product Development and Technical Design for lines including Kenneth Cole, American Eagle, Dress Barn, Cinthia Steffe, NY & Co, Emma James, and America's Next Top Model. Melissa reminds TMFD students it’s not about designing for the top labels at first, but getting your foot in the door, making connections, and learning as much as you can!

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Melissa Peterson
Melissa Peterson


Narendra Reddy PhD, Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design, 2006

Professor, Center for Emerging Technologies, Jain University, Bangalore
Dr. Narendra Reddy is a Professor and Ramalingaswami Fellow at the Center for Emerging Technologies, Jain University, Bangalore. He graduated with his PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2006 and was a faculty member in Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design until August 2013. Primary research interests of Dr. Reddy are in utilizing agricultural byproducts and coproducts to develop high value bioproducts for composite, food, medical, textile, automotive, electrical and other applications. Dr.

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Narendra Reddy


Kiersten Runnels Merchandising, 2003

Merchandiser for Women's Accessories, Banana Republic
Kiersten completed an internship with Associated Merchandising Corporation (Target Sourcing Services) in NYC which lead to an Asst. Account Manager at AMC/TSS. There, Kiersten did product development and sourcing for Marmaxx. She continued her career at Escada as Asst. Buyer-RTW, Couture, Evening, Accessories. Following a successful tenure with Escada, Kiersten joined Yves Saint Laurent as Asst. buyer of Women's RTW, Men's RTW, and Men's Accessories.

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Kiersten Runnels
Kiersten Runnels


Dr. Eulanda Sanders Ph.D., Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design, 1997

Chair, Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State Unversity

Dr. Sanders is Chair of the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management and Donna R. Danielson Professor in Textiles and Clothing at Iowa State University. Among her areas of teaching and research/creative scholarship are apparel design & production, CAD & patternmaking, social psychological aspects of African American appearance, knitwear production, historic reproductions and material reuse. In 2009 she launched Yo-San Studio LLC where she serves as Design Director for her signature collections of wearable art textiles. Dr.

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Dr. Eulanda Sanders
Dr. Eulanda Sanders


Rachel Sheehy TMFD Merchandising (BS), 2008

Internet Execution Sr. Specialist, JC Penney

Rachel (Brown) Sheehy is from Brenham, Texas and graduated in 2008 with a BS in Merchandising and minors in Marketing and Music. After graduating, Rachel joined JC Penney as a Merchandising Trainee and was then hired as a Direct Inventory Analyst, managing and analyzing inventory for their online and catalog businesses. She is currently an Internet Execution Sr. Specialist at JC Penney's corporate offices in Plano, Texas. "Merchandising and managing the website to make for a better customer shopping experience is what makes this job exciting and satisfying."

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Rachel Sheehy
Rachel Sheehy


Janneken Smucker MA, TEXTILE HISTORY/QUILT STUDIES, 2003

Content Specialist, Night Kitchen Interactive
After earning her MA in Textile History at UNL in 2003, Janneken Smucker continued her graduate studies at the University of Delaware in the Program in the History of American Civilization. She graduated with her PhD in 2010, completing her dissertation, “From Rags to Riches: Amish Quilts and the Crafting of Value,” which explored these textiles and the people who made, bought, sold, collected, cherished, and neglected them during the second half of the twentieth century.

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Janneken Smucker


Amanda Valentine B.S., Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design, 2004

wardrobe stylist and the creative principal/designer, VALENTINE VALENTINE
Amanda Valentine is a wardrobe stylist and the creative principal/designer for VALENTINE VALENTINE, a ready-to-wear line established in 2010. Her work is rooted in her Midwestern upbringing, and against that core she works with clean shapes and color blocking, layering elements of darkness and humor.  Her work also tips its hat to the richness of costume history.

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Amanda Valentine photo
Amanda Valentine


Ramesh Venkataswami M.S. Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1994

President, Nomad Industries, Inc. East Brunswick, New Jersey

In a nut shell I get to travel the globe to source and manufacture blankets, decorative throws and Sheets Sets in the US, Canada & Europe.

I have worked in the apparel side of fashion industry for brands such as Berkshire Blanket and its retail partners in the U.S., Canada, and Europe; Perry Ellis (Menswear); and Tracy Reese (Contemporary Women’s wear).

Read more about Ramesh Venkataswami

Ramesh Venkataswami