Connecting with AHRM

Improving Consumers Lives through Design, Management, and Policy

Volume 1, Issue 1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Global Craft Tartan Plaid Kitchen Design Charette Winners Research Award RPM 25 Years Impact Award VT Saves Caudill Lecture Extension Reality
Study Tours

Spring 2011

Diverse Consumers Focus of Year Long Program

2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 8 One of the business and consumer challenges that students in Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management, Housing, Residential Property Management and Consumer Studies will face in their future careers will be diverse populations and the multicultural dimensions of clients and employees. Diversity Among Consumers: A Year of Study was the focus of several activities during the 2009-2010 academic year designed to enhance students understanding of diversity. The project was coordinated by AHRM faculty Dr. Julia O. Beamish (Ph.D. 83), Dr. Sophia Anong, and Dr. Doris Kincade and funded from a grant from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Departmental Diversity Award program. The Year of Study included speakers, class projects and gallery exhibits. Sherry Qualls, President of White Goode & Co. and member of the Center for Real Life Kitchen Design Advisory Board, was the September 12, 2009 Kick-Off speaker who introduced the impact of generational and social diversity on current and future housing and home furnishings markets in a presentation titled A Time of Recalibration. Normal is Now. Olivia Hunter, Recruitment Manager for Southern Management, a Residential Property Management Advisory Board member and past Board President, provided the Wrap-up Presentation, DIVERSITY The New Normal: Navigating the Global Village, April 12, 2010, which highlighted the diversity of the workplace and the personal and legal aspects of working effectively with all people. Throughout the year, alumni and faculty made monthly presentations about important issues and consumer perspectives that were being addressed by industry, research, and governmental
(Continued on page 8)

Fashion Show Faculty Highlights Giving

Dr. Celia Hayhoe and Guest Speaker Olivia Hunter at Wrap-Up Symposium Reception

About AHRM. . .
The Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management (AHRM) has evolved over a forty-seven year period beginning when the College of Home Economics was formed at Virginia Tech. I believe there have been about seven different departments that have merged and separated over that time, so we find we have alumni and friends who have known us as many things. But the important thing is were still here! Our mission of improving the lives of individuals, families and the broader community by incorporating consumer, business, and design perspectives in our various program areas has stayed constant even though our subject matters are continually changing to remain current. In AHRM, we have four undergraduate program areas: Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management, Housing, Residential Property Management, and Consumer Studies, and you will find articles and updates on the next several pages about each of these. This newsletter is being sent to our friends to keep you informed about what we are doing and to develop and expand relationships with you. Please share the newsletter with anyone who may not have received it. Visit our website and friend us on Facebook. Department faculty and staff look forward to connecting with you. And feel free to contact me if you have a question or if you are looking for a way to get involved with our students and faculty. Julia O. Beamish, (Ph.D. 83) AHRM Department Head jbeamish@vt.edu

CONTACT US AT
240 Wallace Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 Phone: 540/231-6164 Fax: 540/231-1697 E-mail: diannam@vt.edu www.ahrm.vt.edu

Page 2 Connecting with Apparel

Global Craft: Textile Entrepreneurship

Traveling the world investigating small textile businesses has become a key to Dr. LuAnn Gaskills research and scholarship. Ten percent of all world businesses are textileand apparel-related industries, says Gaskill, professor of apparel and former AHRM department head, and these foreign markets provide great opportunities for case studies of small businesses in many nations. Gaskill has worked with colleagues in Mexico, Peru, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Korea, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Malaysia, and South Africa. Many of her studies have focused on small town and local development which teach individual skills and craftsmanship and promote self-sufficiency and sustainability. Gaskill worked with Pshimologo Dingake, the director of a small business clinic in Botswana, to conduct a case study of the Oodi Weavers, who have been working through a cooperative started in 1973. The residents of Oodi and other small villages were trained and supported by a Swedish couple who taught the weavers to spin, dye and weave textiles, as well as to build looms, create dyes, and develop designs. The result was a community of weavers who develop unique tapestries of village life. Besides documenting the history and current work of the weavers, Gaskills case study explores the issues involved in continuing their work, such as migrating employees with other interests, access to raw materials, fluctuating wages, and pricing strategies. Combining small business strategies, globalization, and cultural diversity in textile and apparel research reflects the direction of the industry and adds depth to the Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management undergraduate curriculum. Gaskill will be teaching courses in apparel and culture and small business strategies that will incorporate her travel and research experiences into the classroom.
Note: Portions of this article was based on Small Textile Businesses: Weaving Prosperity Around the World by Jean Elliott in OutreachNOW (2007) pp. 18-20. Dr. LuAnn Gaskill presents her international research experiences at a Diversity Among Consumers presentation

Woman weaving in Oodi, Botswana

Marketing VT Tartan: A Case Study Project

The newly developed Virginia Tech tartan plaid scarf served as a real marketing case study project for seniors in AHRM 4124, Clothing Behavior Patterns, taught by Dr. Jessie ChenYu during fall semester. Working with Michael Cannon of Collegiate Tartan Apparel Company, the students were grouped into teams of five to develop strategies for segmentation (selection of target customers), positioning (branding), products, pricing, promotion, and distribution. The scarf is made of the tartan plaid licensed by Virginia Tech and registered in Scotland as the Virginia Tech tartan pattern. It is the traditional VT colors of orange and maroon, but also includes a navy thread that represents the Corp of Cadets. A scarf was examined by the students, and a description was provided, but no other information, such as price or current marketing strategies used by the company, was shared. Students had to gather information, create innovative concepts, and determine the most effective and feasible marketing strategy. At the end of the semester, PowerPoint presentations were made to Mr. Cannon who provided insights on their concepts and commended the students on their contributions. The extra long, 100% lambs wool scarves, along with several other apparel items made from the tartan plaid, can be ordered from the companys web site www.collegiatetartan.com. Collegiate Tartan Apparel is donating a portion of each VT scarf sale to the Apparel Program in AHRM in addition to paying the royalties to the University. When ordering any VT products from the Collegiate Tartan website remember to include VTAHRM in the coupon code in your shopping cart to ensure the Apparel Program donation is tracked.

Student modeling the VT Tartan scarf and hat.

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1 Connecting with Housing

Multicultural Kitchen Design Project

The challenge: 1) Design a kitchen for a unique cultural group within the United States; 2) Develop a design with a lot of freedom and imagination, and at the same time; 3) Meet the requirements of a design competition; 4) Prepare a poster to showcase the project that can hang in an art gallery.
Right: Hunjoo Kwons (Doctoral Candidate) Korean Kitchen Below: Teni Ladipos (B.S. 10) British Kitchen

The accomplishment: The students in the Fall 2009 AHRM 4624/5624 studio class of Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design created fantastic yet functional projects. The designs represented diverse groups, including immigrant, ethnic, and native cultures. An opening at the Department of Visual Arts XYZ Gallery in downtown Blacksburg featured cultural foods. Later, the posters were featured in the Wallace Hall Gallery as part of the AHRM exhibit, A Year of the Diverse Consumer.

Shipe National Winner in GE Charette Competition

Recently the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) announced that Katelyn Shipe, senior in Housing, won second place in the GE Design Charette Competition winning $4,000 in scholarship prize money. Kevin Fields, junior, and Alexandra Van Nuys, senior, also placed in the top ten of the national scholarship winners, each winning $1,000. Every fall, students in AHRM 4624/5624 Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design spend a class dedicated to completing the Charette. The students have three hours to design a kitchen that meets clients needs, industry design and graphic guidelines, and incorporates a suite of GE Appliances. This year, 29 schools that are accredited by NKBA had 401 students participating in the design Charette, with 80 students selected as semi-finalist winners, each winning a $50 scholarship prize. In 2009, Joe Panzer (M.S. 09) made it to the semi-finalist round, but this is the first time that all three of the semi-finalists from the Virginia Tech program have made it to the final round of judging -- and won!

Housing Doctoral Research Awarded

Dr. Sung-Jin Lee, 2010 alumni of the Housing doctoral program won the Tessie Agan Award for the outstanding graduate research paper at the Housing Education and Research Associations Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, November 3-6. Her paper, Housing Satisfaction of Asian and Pacific Island Elders in the United States was drawn from her dissertation, which was directed by Dr. Kathleen Parrott, professor of Housing. Her findings indicated that those households having larger incomes, more education, living in the Western United States, having larger houses, and more adequate housing tended to have higher housing satisfaction. This paper, which used data from the American Housing Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, was just published in the academic journal Housing and Society. Dr. Lee is an assistant professor at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, where her primary focus is housing research. Dr. Lee, Dr. Parrott, and Dr. Mira Ahn (Ph.D. 04) assistant professor at Texas State University in San Marco, have collaborated on another research paper using American Housing Survey data: Exploring Housing Conditions of Low-Income Minorities in the Southern United States. This paper will be presented in Washington DC, in March 2011.

Dr. Sung-Jin Lee and Dr. Kathleen Parrott recognized at the HERA Conference

Page 4 Connecting with Residential Property Management

Residential Property Management Celebrates 25 Years

Residential Property Management (RPM) alumni and leaders from the property management industry gathered on campus April 23-24, 2010 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the RPM option within the AHRM major with an educational program, reception and dinner, and tailgate before the Virginia Tech spring football game.

The industry recognizes the Virginia Tech graduates as individuals who have developed the technical and people skills required to meet challenges of working in this business, Bill Wollinger, president of Winn Management in Boston, Mass., and current RPM Advisory Board Chair.

The educational highlight of the weekend was a presentation, Challenging Times Create Incredible Opportunities, by Christopher Lee, president and CEO of Los Angeles -based CEL & Associates Inc., one of the nations leading consulting organizations specializing in strategic planning, compensation, benchmarking, opinion surveys and performance improvement in the real estate industry. Lee is the author of From Good to Great to Best-in-Class: A Real Estate Leaders Guide to Optimal Performance. RPM alumni shared insights on their career success in a panel presentation entitled, Spotlight on Success. The session, moderated by Dr. Kimberly J. Mitchell, CPM, assistant professor and a RPM alumna, focused on the career paths of seven of the programs alumni that include careers in multifamily and commercial operations, higher education, marketing and training, acquisitions, and asset management: Jeff Buising (B.S. 93), Brian Chase (B.S. 92), Tarik Claiborne (B.S. 96), Curtis Mummau (B.S. 92), Carla Samford (B.S. 91), Cecile Santos (B.S. 99), and John Whitt (B.S. 93). The RPM option was approved in April 1985, an outgrowth of a meeting between AHRM faculty member, Dr. Rosemary Carucci

Alumni and friends of RPM visit at the 25th Anniversary Tailgate before the Spring Game

Goss, and James F. Kelly, head of the Multifamily Division of the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), at a Virginia Housing Cost Conference. The multifamily industry was changing, and VHDA, as well as other industry leaders, recognized the need for well-trained individuals who were prepared specifically for this real estate segment. A curriculum was developed to meet the needs of an expanding multifamily industry ranging from luxury to affordable rental housing, as well as specialized housing for older adults, students, and the military. The RPM program, which has graduated about 500 students, has served as a model for other universities and been featured in the Journal of Property Management, UNITS, Multifamily Housing, and Apartment Professional. Currently 25 national and regional property management companies serve on the Residential Property Management Advisory Board, which meets in Blacksburg twice a year.

Goss Recognized for Impact on Housing

Along with the recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the Residential Property Management program at Virginia Tech, Dr. Rosemary Carucci Goss, RPM Advisory Board Professor, received the Housing Education and Research Associations (HERA) Housing Impact Award for significant contributions to the field of housing. HERA is an international organization that promotes excellence in the planning, development, delivery, and service of decent, safe, affordable, ecologically sound, and appropriately design housing for all. At the HERA Annual Conference in Portland, OR November 3-6, 2010, Goss was recognized for the focused program development of Virginia Techs RPM curriculum, her research in this field and her outreach to the industry and other academic programs. Goss served on the first board of directors of the National Apartment Association (NAA) Education Institute, and in 2006, she received the first NAA Education Institutes Apartment Career and Education Award. A faculty member at Virginia Tech for over three decades, Goss is an awardwinning teacher having received two certificates of teaching excellence, an excellence in undergraduate advising award, and the universitys academic career advising award.

Dr. Rosemary Carucci Goss (center) receives recognition at HERA with Dr. Anne Sweaney, Awards Chair (left) and Dr. Ann Ziebarth, President

Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 1 Connecting with Consumer Studies

Consumer Studies Students Help V T Save

The AHRM Consumer Studies program was one of the four university programs involved in the Consumer Federation of Americas (CFA) America Saves project. A highlight of the project is America Saves Week coordinated by the CFA and the American Savings Education Council. During the 2011 week 1,800 organizations in 47 states will carry out activities designed to help Americans increase savings rates. On-campus the program is called VT Saves and the primary target audience is students. The goal is to encourage students to set specific financial goals and then save for them instead of using credit. Students in Dr. Irene Leechs (B.S. 80, M.S. 82, Ph.D. 88) upperlevel classes in CS and those in an independent study on social marketing have planned and led VT Saves programs across campus for several years. They have obtained resources from the CFA, SunTrust, and Bank of America. A new partner is Freedom First Credit Union. This year students are working on activities for America Saves Week, February 20-27. Daily VT Saves updates on Facebook and Twitter, advertisements in the Collegiate Times, posters, and class announcements will encourage students to sign up as Savers. There will be daily drawings for items such as $100 savings bond. The culminating event will be in the Break Zone in Squires Student Center on February 27, when Savers will be able to bowl, play pool or other games for free. They will be able to get autographs of VT athletes, see the student-produced video on saving for the first time, and the final drawing (i-touch) will be made. Learn more at www.amerciasaves.com/vatech or VT_Saves on Facebook and Twitter.

Samuel Ahn (Senior), Amanda Rudolph (B.S. 10), and Humayun Chohan on the Drillfield during VT Saves Event

Caudill Funds Lecture Series

This past fall Donald W. Caudill (Ph.D. 93) and Sue Ott Rowlands, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, announced the establishment of the Alfred and Shirley Wampler Caudill Lecture Fund to support a speaker series for the Consumer Studies program in AHRM. The speaker series is to highlight various consumer issues of interest to students in the department. Planning is underway for the first lecture in the series to be held in Fall semester 2011.

Extension Helps With the Reality of Finances

It is more important than ever to improve the financial capabilities of the citizens of Virginia. Needs assessments and increased rates of bankruptcy, credit debt, and foreclosures show evidence of the need for more education. In 2009, Virginia ranked 27th in the nation for nonbusiness bankruptcy filings with 36,191, up from 28,212, or 37th, in 2008. As of July of 2010, one in every 652 households (or 4.5% of all mortgages) in Virginia received a foreclosure filing. Virginia Cooperative Extensions (VCE) Family and Consumer Science (FCS) agents and volunteers, along with state Family Resource Management Extension specialist and AHRM associate professor, Dr. Celia Hayhoe, work in partnership with other state and local agencies, support groups, faith-based organizations, and civic groups to improve the financial capability of clients and members of these partner groups. In 2009, FCS Extension offered financial education to more than 8,300 school age children and teens. They and the Virginia Credit Union League also trained teachers on the National Endowment for Financial Educations High School Financial Planning Program and provided schools with more than 24,000 free youth workbooks. The Reality Store Exposing children and teenagers to the decisions they will have to make once they are working and supporting themselves is the goal of The Reality Store, an educational roleplaying simulation that VCE sponsors in several schools across the state. The program reached over 7000 students in 22 counties in 2009. For the simulation, students are given a job and a family and are required to make ends meet for a month. Prices and salaries are as realistic as possible. Volunteers at various stations provide information about typical expenses like taxes, food, transportation, entertainment, housing, utilities, clothing, insurance and childcare. Last year, ten students in senior level Consumer Studies classes volunteered at Christiansburg High School and earned service learning hours.

One important thing I learned today was that having your own car is definitely a luxury (also a premium cell phone plan) ... It was a major eye opener. says a
student from Hayfield High School in Alexandria, VA, after participating in The Reality Store.

Page 6 Connecting with AHRM Students

Study Tours Take Students Out of the Classroom

Students and faculty in AHRM often take to the roador the airto learn about the industries where they seek careers. Several courses have been established to organize the student tours and the pre- and posttour activities.
RPM and Housing faculty and students in Dresden, Germany

In the apparel area, there has been a long tradition of participating in the New York Study Tour every other Spring. Dr. LuAnn Gaskill has been the faculty leader of this week-long tour for several years. Sites visited during the study tour have included well-known retail stores, manufacturing facilities, designer show rooms, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Historic Collection, and area museums. The highlight of the tour is dinner with Apparel alumni. The Housing Study Tour to the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) has been an ongoing special study and has now been made an official course. Organizing the Study Tour rotates among

Drs. Kathleen Parrott, JoAnn Emmel, and Julia Beamish This past Spring, 13 students attended KBIS and the National Kitchen and Bath Annual Conference at McCormick Place in Chicago, April 14-18. Besides walking the show floor with booths from over 3,000 companies, students attended the Opening session with speaker Sergio Zyman, former CMO of Coco-Cola, and the State of the Industry Address with David Kohler, President & COO of Kohler Co. This year seven students will attend the show and conference in Las Vegas, NV in April! Students in the Contemporary Issues in Residential Property Management class have the option to participate in the new RPM Study Tour courses. Students go on a two day trip to visit multifamily properties in selected cities. This past Spring the group visited Richmond and this Spring they will visit Charlotte, NC. Students will tour properties, visit with property management professionals

and participate in an alumni panel Everything you always wanted to know about your first job, but were afraid to ask. Study Abroad AHRM currently sponsors two Study Abroad programs one in Apparel and one in Housing and Residential Property Management. In summer 2011Apparel students will participate in a tour of European fashion centers in London, Paris, Florence, Venice, and Rome and Dr. LuAnn Gaskill will lead the program. In 2008 Dr. Rosemary Goss and Dr. Kathleen Parrott sponsored the Housing and Global Issues course to Germany and the Czech Republic. The focus of the trip was apartment management, energy and environmental issues, and housing design with an emphasis on kitchens and baths. The trip concluded with an architectural tour of Prague. The Housing study abroad program will be available again in 2012.

Student Organization Update

Free the Beat Highlights Fashion Design

In April 2010, the Fashion Merchandising and Design Society (FMDS), the student organization of the Apparel program, presented their annual fashion show with a theme of Free the Beat. The theme encouraged designs inspired by all types of rebellion, such as the free spirits of the 60s, influential music, and cultural movements all over the world; creating uproar while maintaining peace. At this show, womens and mens sportswear and shoes by TOMS Shoes was featured as the industry guest designers, followed by 17 featured student designers who presented their artistic and well-crafted designs to an audience of over 800 in Squires Student Center. Twenty -four student models from the Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management option, as well as students from across campus, exhibited the designs on the runway. Free is what you make it was the theme of the challenge garment design. Designers inspiration was drawn from the Free the Beat theme. The designs were to be universal, thoughtful and demonstrational, not alienating or offensive. Consider this garment the designers peaceful, but abrupt statement of how they as a fashion designer wanted to portray freedom, says Jordan Lobik, senior and FMDS President. Winning designers were seniors: Catherine Alvarez, for the Best Feature Designer Award, Libbi Rettew, for the Best New Designer Award, and Mary Elise Jennings for the Best Challenge Garment Award. The garments entered for the show were judged by Meredith German, the Co-Founder and Creative Director for Meredith Wendell, a pedigreed American lifestyle accessories brand based in NYC, Nancy Willoughby, (VT alum) owner of Fringe Benefits in downtown Blacksburg, and Dr. LuAnn Gaskill, faculty member in Apparel program.

A student models a dress designed by Rachel Moffa (B.S. 10) during the 2010 Fashion Show

Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 1 Connecting with AHRM Faculty

Faculty Highlights
Publications - 2010
Doris Kincade (Apparel) and Jihyun Kim (Apparel) published Generational consumer segments and shopping process characteristics: Baby boomers and echo boomers with apparel product selection activities in the Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1, 1 (2010): 19-29. The article was also co-authored with Fay Gibson from NCSU. The journal was created by Dr. Eunju Ko who is professor of fashion merchandising at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea and a doctoral graduate (95) of the AHRM program. Patti J. Fisher (Consumer Studies) published Uncertainty and household saving in the United State, Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal 39,1 (2010), 57-74.; Gender differences in personal savings behaviors in the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. 21,1 (2010): 14-23.; Black-White differences in saving behaviors, Financial Services Review 19 (2010): 1-16. JoAnn Emmel (Housing) and Irene Leech (Consumer Studies) published Low-income households response to higher home energy costs, Family and consumer Sciences Research Journal 38,4 (June 2010): 372-86, with Housing alumni Hyun-Jeong Lee (Ph.D. 05) currently a lecturer at Chungbuk National University in Cheongiu, Korea, and Ruby H. Cox. JoAnn Emmel (Housing) published Small electrical food preparation appliances in Consumer technology: Energy and equipment, ed. J. McFadden, J. Rasdall, and F. Hunt (Columbus, OH: Association of Home Equipment Educators, 2010), X1-X19. Jessie Chen-Yu (Apparel), along with KeumHee Hong and Yoo-Kyoung Seock (Ph.D. 03), currently Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, published Adolescents clothing motives and store selection criteria: A comparison between South Korea and the United States in the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management 14, 1 (2010): 127-44. JoAnn M. Emmel (Housing) along with Rebecca Lovingood (former department head of Near Environments), Carol Michael and Joseph Wysocki, published Association of Home Equipment Educators - The changing face of home equipment education in the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal 38,3 (March 2010): 333-44. Jihyun Kim (Apparel) published Affective and cognitive online shopping experience effects of image interactivity technology and experimenting with appearance in Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 28, 2 (2010): 140-54; the article was co-authored with Hyun-Hwa Lee and Ann Marie Fiore. Patti J. Fisher (Consumer Studies) along with Catherine P. Montalto, published Effect of saving motives and horizon on saving behaviors in the Journal of Economic Psychology 31,1 (2010): 92-105. Jihyun Kim (Apparel) and Mary Lynn Damhorst published Effects of level of internet retailer's service quality on perceived apparel quality, perceived service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions toward an internet retailer in the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 28,1 (January 2010): 56-73. Jihyun Kim, published Perceived apparel quality revisited: Testing its structural dimensions from the perspective of the Generation & female consumers, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1, 4 (2010): 239-48; and Investigating dimensionality of multichannel retailers cross-channel integration practices and effectiveness: Shopping orientation and loyalty intention, Journal of Marketing Channels 17,4 (2010): 281-312, with Hyun-Hwa Lee. Doris Kincade, published Typology of Korean eco-sumers: Based on clothing disposal behaviors, Journal of Global Academy of Marketing Science 20,1 (2010): 58-68, with Hee Won Sung. Kathleen Parrott, published The psychological and social aspects of single female home buying, Housing and Society 37,2 (2010): 159-84, with Jessica A. Lloyd (Ph.D. 08) and Housing satisfaction of Asian and Pacific Island elders in the United States, Housing and Society 37,2 (2010): 185-205, with Sung-Jin Lee (Ph.D. 10).

International Presentations
JoAnn Emmel, associate professor, was invited to make a presentation titled Standards and Consumer to the 13th International Federation of Standards Users International Conference is Seattle, WA, Oct. 12, 2010. Jihyun Kim, associate professor, presented The Mediating Effect of Perceived Service Risk on Perceived Value of Internet Shopping at the 2010 Global Marketing Conference, September 9-12, in Tokyo, Japan, with a co-author Mary Lynn Damhorst.

Faculty Awards
Four Apparel program faculty members won awards at the 67th Annual Conference of the International Textiles and Apparel Association (ITAA) held in Montreal, Canada, October 27-30. Jessie Chen-Yu, associate professor, and Jihyun Kim, associate professor, with former masters student Hsiao-Ling Lin (M.S. 08), were presented an ITAA Paper of Distinction Award in the Consumer Behavior Track for their paper, Effects of Perceived Product Performance and Brand Image on Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction in Apparel Online Shopping at the Product-Receiving Stage. Doris Kincade, professor, with colleague Fay Gibson at North Carolina State was presented an ITAA Paper of Distinction Award in the Professional Track for their paper, Using Marketing Competitions to Teach Students Application of Facts and Theory to Solve Problems in the Business World. Marjorie Norton, professor, received the Reviewing Excellence Award for the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal.

Improving Consumers Lives through Design, Management, and Policy

Page 8

Giving Opportunities
Your gift to the AHRM Department is important to the faculty and the students we serve. Your generosity assists us in providing scholarships for deserving and accomplished undergraduate students, support student programs and activities that enhance the curriculum, and assist faculty in their development of student and research projects. Thank you for your support! Unrestricted gifts usually support student programs, such as our own undergraduate research symposium, study tours, or guest speakers. Gifts targeted to particular programs and initiatives are also welcome. These include: The Residential Property Management Program Fund, Housing Program, Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management Program, Consumer Studies Program, The Center for Real Life Kitchen Design, and the Oris Glisson Costume and Textiles Collection. Some people give in honor or memory of a classmate, professor, or family member. We try to target those gifts to support projects that the honored person cherished. Please join the growing circle of alumni and friends who collectively are making a difference to the AHRM Department and its programs with a gift. How to donate

Go to http://www.campaign.vt.edu/campaign-vt/?q=online-check-pledge-phone Click Give online and under "gift information," please select "Other" and type in "AHRM Department." If you wish to support a specific initiative, name that as well. Send a check to the AHRM Department (MC0410), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061). Make the check payable to the Virginia Tech Foundation. In the memo line, write "AHRM Department" and any other directions you have for the gift.

If you would like more information about assisting with our student scholarship and education programs through a bequest, estate/trust, or outright gift, please contact John King, Director of Development, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, direct 540-231-8734, or toll-free 866-261-4443.

Diverse Consumers
(Continued from page 1)

Buddy Wilton, an RPM Advisory Board member and Past Chair of the Board, announces the establishment of the Rosemary Carucci Goss Endowment for Residential Property Management. Board members, alumni and friends of the program established the fund to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the RPM program and to honor Dr. Goss (see story on page 4). The fund will help to enhance the RPM program with support for a national speaker series, study abroad opportunities, and student research.

agencies. These speakers and topics included: Glenda Andes (Ph.D. 04) Diversity by Design: State of the Art; Dr. Irene Leech (Ph.D. 88)/ AHRM Faculty) Energy and the Consumer; Dr. Kimberly Mitchell (B.S. 93/AHRM Faculty) Maximizing the Rental Experience; Dr. LuAnn Gaskill (AHRM Faculty) Shared Experiences in Small Business Opportunities and Challenges in a Global Context; and Dr. Rosemary Goss, (M.S. 76/ AHRM faculty) Generations at Work and at Home. Dr. Jessie ChenYu (AHRM faculty) organized a panel, Multicultural Consumer Conversation, which included members Larinda Cole (M.S. 08), Victor Wells,

Ray Plaza, Johnny Yu, and Dr. LuAnn Gaskill. Dr. Doris Kincade, and Amber Roth (Ph.D. 09) organized the panel Conducting Research with Diverse Populations which included graduate student alums Kate Carroll (Ph.D. 02 ); Holly Cline, (Ph.D. 06), Jessica Lloyd (Ph.D. 08); and Cristin Campbell Sprenger (M.S. 98). Amber Roth also curated two Wallace Hall Gallery Exhibitions: Global Traditions in Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management and Year of the Diverse Consumer, which exhibited projects from the 12 courses that contributed to the year-long event through research and design class assignments.

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY