Merchandising and Fashion Design Department

Meet the Faculty: Dr. Jenifer Roberts

by

Portrait of Dr. Jenifer Roberts
Dr. Jenifer Roberts

“When people hear the word ‘fashion,’ they think all we do is dress people. Fashion is much more than dressing people,” said Dr.

Roberts. “It is a $3 trillion dollar business that employs product developers, buyers, merchandisers, marketers, accounts, designers and many more.”  

Dr. Roberts, assistant professor of merchandising and fashion design (MFD), started her career in fashion at the young age of 16. She held various positions throughout high school and college before earning her Master of Education from MSU. 

Returning to MSU 

After a career in the industry, she jumped at the chance to return and teach at her alma mater.  

“17 years later, here I am. I am grateful for my industry experience because I can teach from experience, not from a book,” she said. 

Inspiring students 

“Watching the students gain confidence through classroom knowledge and internships has been my favorite part,” said Dr. Roberts. “I am always humbled that I was able to make a positive impact on them, and I am grateful to have played a small role in their lives.” 

Dr. Roberts is the faculty sponsor for the Student Association of Fashion and Design (AFAD) as well as Sartorial Magazine, the online student fashion magazine. 

Dr. Roberts wants people to know that the MFD department is a unique niche in the College of Business.  

Students at MSU benefit from a solid foundation in business course work in addition to their fashion courses. This is a unique model not seen at many other universities. 

 

Learn more about merchandising and fashion design. 

Designing a career that fits

by

Fashion is a trillion-dollar industry. MSU helps students hone their creativity while also taking courses grounded in business principles such as marketing, management, entrepreneurship and economics. 

Potential careers 

MSU’s fashion program is unique because students gain a solid foundation in business coursework. Graduates are prepared to excel in a career as a creative, passionate and socially responsible professional. 

Potential entry-level positions include account executives, apparel production coordinators, fashion illustrators, quality control directors, retail buyers and textile designers. 

You can learn more about fashion job titles here. 

Average starting salaries 

Median salaries for fashion and design professional in the United States are upward of $45,000.  

According the Nace Salary Data from 2019, a graduate in apparel and textiles starts out making an average of $39,407. Merchandising and management graduates make $48,573 on average starting out. 

The results from the survey represent a baseline for assessing where graduates at the undergraduate and graduate levels land within six months, on average, after receiving their degrees. 

 

Learn more about opportunities in these creative areas through the Career Center. 

Meet the Faculty: Dr. Cathy Starr

by

The fabric of fashion design

Portrait of Cathy Starr
Dr. Cathy Starr

Students in Missouri State University’s merchandising and fashion design program can study textiles with a professor who is deeply passionate about this topic in fashion.  

Textiles are quite literally the fabric of the fashion industry. Understanding the yarns, threads and wools that can be spun, woven and tied to manufacture clothing is essential for fashion designers. 

“I love textiles,” Dr. Starr said. Her office is draped with various patterns and prints of different materials. “What a wonderful job to have where I can take my collection and share it with my students to show them different kinds of fabrics.”  

“The students are what make it worthwhile.” 

As a student, Dr. Starr was in a program for FACS Education, a program involving fashion, nutrition, cooking and childcare.  

However, every time she went to enroll for classes, she was drawn to design. She eventually switched her major to apparel design. 

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in apparel design, she focused on functional design for her master’s degree. 

Functional design 

Functional design focuses on creating clothing that is specifically designed and engineered to ensure predefined performance requirements and functionality for the user. 

Dr. Starr has worked on several different functional design projects, including research on garments for firefighters, including cooling vests and hazmat suits. 

“I love that I’m able to work with an area of interest that I’m just as excited about today, if not more excited, than I was when I first started,” she said. “It’s never boring. We’re always changing.” 

MSU’s best kept secret 

“Fashion studies are alive and well at Missouri State University. We are a department that is growing, and we’re very competitive with other universities similar to ours,” she said.  

“Sometimes I think that we’re the best kept secret at Missouri State.”

Learn more about merchandising and fashion design.

Meet the Department Head: Dr. Elizabeth Rozell

by

Portrait of Elizabeth Rozell
Dr. Elizabeth Rozell

Dr. Rozell serves as associate dean, director of the MBA program and the department head of merchandising and

fashion design. 

A series of leadership changes led to Dr. Rozell taking on these jobs. She was a management professor at MSU before starting as MBA Director in 2009 and associate dean in 2011. 

As merchandising and fashion design department head, a role she began in 2017, Dr. Rozell gets to see the more creative side of business.  

“I really love seeing all the creativity from the students,” Dr. Rozell said.

“I love the things they do and the clothes they create—how they are inspired by certain things and then create garments with that inspiration.” 

Getting the word out about the department can be a challenge since it is tucked away in the Park Central Office Building in Downtown Springfield. 

“It’s a hidden jewel. It’s a challenge that we have to overcome because we’re not in Glass Hall, so we don’t have the visibility other departments do,” she said. 

“I appreciate our fashion faculty. They have a lot of industry experience, great educational backgrounds, and they really care about the students,” she said. “The faculty is interested in keeping the curriculum up to date and continually improving.”  

Dr. Rozell earned two degrees from MSU—the first a bachelor’s in accounting which propelled her into the world of public accounting. After that, she pursued an MBA in management at MSU and then went on to earn a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Mississippi. 

Learn more about the merchandising and fashion design department. 

Project Puppy: Designing for a cause

by

Lauren Wilson, junior fashion merchandising and design major, participated in the 2019 Project Puppy Gala as a designer. The event is a unique fashion show for rescue dogs. 

Wilson and Caroline, the ten-year old rescue pup, came in first place this year. 

It’s a bird… it’s a plane, it’s a dog! 

The designers had to create a look that aligned with the theme for the gala: superheroes. 

Wilson designed for a dog the same way she would design for a person; she took the time to get to know Caroline before crafting an outfit. 

“A designer’s greatest tool is empathy,” said Wilson. “If you can’t understand someone, you can’t design for them.” 

Wilson created a “super senior” look for Caroline since the pup is considered elderly and faces some health issues. 

The finished ensemble included a mask, paw cuffs, bloomers and a gold dog bone. Wilson drew inspiration from the classic look of superheroes like Superman.  

All dogs who walked the runway, including Caroline, were adopted after the show. 

A passion for fashion 

One of Wilson’s favorite parts of fashion is the fact that it brings together many of her interests. 

“It brings in a lot of different things—writing, fashion, psychology, business,” Wilson said. 

With a double emphasis in fashion design and product development as well as merchandising and management, her experience learning and designing at MSU has been nothing short of amazing. 

“I never imagined I would have such a personal connection at a state college,” said Wilson. “It’s a small program, and I’m able to make personal connections.” 

About Project Puppy 

The Project Puppy Gala is an annual event that benefits the Killuminati Foundation. The 2019 gala included the fashion show as well as silent and live auctions. 

The Killuminati Foundation is a non-profit organization that offers financial vet assistance for non-routine vet care. They also promote adoption and work with the community to educate on the importance of animal welfare, proper vet care, training needs and more. 

The dog fashion show featured locally rescued dogs. Each dog walks the runway in custom designed outfits by MSU merchandising and fashion design students. 

 

Learn more about merchandising and fashion design.