At fall 2024 convocation on August 19 in the Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, FIT welcomed 21 new classroom and non-classroom faculty members to the college. Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Yasemin Jones introduced the new hires, followed by remarks from the president of the Faculty Senate, Professor Amy Werbel, and President Joyce F. Brown. (See more about Dr. Brown’s announcement at convocation that she will step down in 2025.)
Sebba Alqetrani joins the Communication Design Pathways department, focusing on Packaging Design. She has extensive experience in beauty and packaging industries and has served as director of Sustainability, Package Engineering, and Development at MAC and Estée Lauder, and as director of Packaging Engineering and Development at Jouer Cosmetics. She is deeply committed to mentorship, participating in programs like Howard University’s 21st Century Advantage Program and Estée Lauder’s Each One Teach One. Alqetrani holds a BS in packaging from Michigan State University and was awarded the 2024 Michigan State University School of Packaging Young Alumni Achievement Award.
Larissa King joins the Fashion department within the Fashion Design degree program, bringing over 15 years of intimate apparel expertise. King excels at developing salable, production-friendly designs that align with brand identity and target price points, with a specialization in lingerie using sustainable textiles. Proficient in CLO 3D rendering and various PLM systems, she has developed top-selling silhouettes. King holds a BFA in Fashion Design with an intimate apparel specialization from FIT and an MA in Fashion and Textile Studies.
Damian Mucaro comes to the Toy Design department as faculty and associate chair. He brings 36 years of experience in product design and development within the toy industry, and an impressive track record of innovation. As partner and owner of Company 5 since 1996, Mucaro has led teams in creating products for major clients like Fisher Price, Disney, and Stryker. He has past experience as an adjunct Toy Design faculty member and holds a BFA in industrial design from William Paterson University.
Yevgenia Nayberg is joining the Illustration and Interactive Media department in the Illustration program. Since 2010, she was an adjunct full professor at St. John’s University and has taught at FIT as an adjunct faculty member since 2021, covering topics in visual storytelling, character design, and digital media design. Nayberg’s exhibition record features solo shows at the Drop, Forge and Tool Gallery, the JCC of Manhattan, and the Chancery Art Gallery. Her artwork has received multiple Sydney Taylor Book Awards and notable recognition from the New York State Council on the Arts. Nayberg holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts and a BFA from the Moscow State Academic Art Institute.
Ashley Teamer joins the Fine Arts department, bringing a rich background in contemporary drawing and painting. Teamer recently served as the academic dean at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, overseeing critiques, campus events, and instruction. With an extensive exhibition history that includes solo and group shows at prestigious venues such as the Everson Museum of Art and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Teamer’s work is also well-recognized. She holds an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale School of Art and a BFA in Painting and Sculpture from Boston University.
Barbara Weinreich brings extensive expertise in both academic and applied aspects of interior design and architecture to FIT’s Interior Design department. She has served as director of graduate and undergraduate programs at the New York School of Interior Design, and she has taught at Pratt and led her own firm, specializing in high-end retail and residential design. She is a noted advocate for sustainable and accessible design, with significant contributions to various design committees and academic conferences. Weinreich holds an MA from Columbia University and a BA from Brown University.
Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology
Craig Dana comes to the college’s Production Management department with over 25 years of global experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry. Dana has held senior leadership roles at brands such as Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, and American Eagle, leading initiatives in strategic planning, product development, international trade, and supply chain management. Notably, Dana directed a comprehensive global market review for Ralph Lauren’s Luxury Furnishings division, managed multibillion-dollar product portfolios, and implemented strategies that significantly reduced costs while enhancing operational efficiencies. Dana holds an MBA in finance and management from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BA in political science and geography from Colgate University.
Eunyoung Kim joins theTextile Development and Marketing program. Dr. Kim holds dual PhD degrees in textile technology management and fiber and polymer science from North Carolina State University, where she conducted significant research on nonwoven fuzz and fabric properties. Dr. Kim’s professional background includes roles as a manufacturing quality engineer at Apple, a research scientist at CreateMe Technologies, and a textile scientist at Evolved By Nature. Dr. Kim also holds an MS in polymer science and engineering from Pusan National University and a BS in clothing and textiles from Yonsei University.
Min “Mitchell” Kim brings to the Production Management department an extensive and diverse background in finance, strategic planning, and investment management. They have served in leadership roles such as chief financial officer at Bertis Bioscience and managing director at Maybank Securities. Kim’s career also includes significant contributions to companies such as Morgan Stanley, where they co-led the Asian telecom sector. Kim holds an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago and a BS in systems engineering from Boston University.
Bridget Lavery-Palmieri brings significant experience in retail business and marketing to FIT’s Fashion Business Management department. Lavery-Palmieri’s teaching career includes adjunct teaching at LIM, FIT, and Parsons. Past professional work includes leadership in consumer insights and brand strategy at Macy’s, as well as talent development and training. Lavery-Palmieri is completing a master’s degree in Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies from Empire State College and holds a bachelor’s degree in retail merchandise management from Johnson & Wales University.
Warren Satchell joins the Fashion Business Management department. He brings a depth of fashion business experience, with leadership roles at WGSN, Amazon Fashion, and Perry Ellis International. His leadership at Amazon Fashion as head of men’s editorial content and fashion direction saw them developing editorial campaigns, including Amazon’s first men’s print campaign featured in Esquire and GQ. Satchell also spearheaded Amazon’s Global Trend Summit, which has become a key initiative in guiding the global buying organization on seasonal fashion trends. He holds an MS in innovation and entrepreneurship from Northeastern University and a BA in fashion merchandising from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Larry Tung arrives at FIT’s Marketing Communications department with over two decades of experience in academia and media production. Previously an associate professor at Hofstra University and a faculty member at York College and Kean University, Tung has taught a wide range of courses, including digital journalism, documentary filmmaking, and media ethics. He has directed and produced 16 documentary films, many of which have been featured at prominent international film festivals, and has contributed writings to various journalism platforms and scholarly publications. He holds an MFA in television production from Brooklyn College and an MS in journalism from Columbia University.
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Christine Ballesteros joins the Science and Math department with a research background in cryptographic pairings and mathematical efficiency. Dr. Ballesteros has contributed to the field through publications in prominent journals and presentations at leading conferences. In addition to their research, Dr. Ballesteros has taught a diverse array of mathematics courses, including Algebra, Calculus, and Mathematical Modeling at FIT, Baruch College, and American Intercontinental University. Dr. Ballesteros holds a PhD in mathematics from Tokyo Metropolitan University, an MS in mathematics from Japan’s Sophia University, a master’s degree in applied mathematics with a focus on actuarial science from the University of the Philippines, and a BS in mathematics from the same institution.
Diane Bellino joins the Film, Media, and Performing Arts department, bringing an impressive background in film and screenwriting that includes awards and recognition from the Sundance Film Festival and grants from the New York State Council on the Arts. In addition to her film work, Bellino has an extensive academic career. She most recently was an assistant professor at the Pratt Institute, where she taught screenwriting, narrative filmmaking, and senior thesis projects. She also served as assistant dean in the School of Art and assistant chair of the film department at Pratt. Bellino holds an MFA in film and video production from the University of Iowa, where she was awarded the Iowa Arts Fellowship, and a BA in English literature from Brown University.
José Blanco joins the college’s History of Art department with a specialized focus on fashion history. Dr. Blanco brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and has made significant contributions to the study and understanding of fashion history. He was most recently a professor at Dominican University and chaired the fashion design and merchandising department. Before that, he was associate professor at the University of Georgia and held faculty positions at Florida State University. In these roles, Dr. Blanco oversaw the colleges’ historic clothing and textiles collections and taught a range of courses in clothing and textiles history. He holds a PhD in theater from Florida State University, and an MA in Theatre Arts and a BA in dramatic arts from Universidad de Costa Rica.
Todd Brown comes to the Social Sciences department with an impressive background in environmental psychology. Dr. Brown has taught at the University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University, where he designed and led courses on socio-racial diversity, addressing the impact of architectural spaces on social dynamics. He holds a PhD in environmental psychology from the City University of New York Graduate Center, where he also completed his Master of Philosophy and Master of Art in the same field. He earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as a Master of Public Health and a BA in architectural studies from the same institution.
Luke Hellwig joins the Science and Math department with a focus on color science. Most recently, Hellwig worked as senior color vision scientist at Samsung Display America Lab. He holds a PhD in color science from Rochester Institute of Technology, and his research focuses on improving color appearance modeling and developing perceptual metrics for display performance. Hellwig’s work contributes to standards for VESA Display HDR and the ICDM Information Display Measurement Standard. He also holds a BA in physics from Carleton College.
Jaclyn Hilberg joins the English and Communication Studies department, where she will serve as assistant chair in the Educational Skills area. Dr. Hillberg’s professional experience spans several institutions, including her most recent position as assistant professor of English and director of writing at Albright College. Previously, she was a professor of English at Collin College and held various teaching roles at the University of Louisville and the University of Tennessee. Her scholarly contributions include publications on literacy sponsorship, translingual pedagogy, and the role of rhetoric in political discourse. Dr. Hillberg holds a PhD in rhetoric and composition from the University of Louisville, an MA in English with a concentration in rhetoric, writing, and linguistics from the University of Tennessee, and a BA in history from the University of Pittsburgh.
Non-Classroom Faculty
Tiffany Nixon joins the library as the new head of Special Collections and College Archives, bringing extensive experience from theater and archives management. Most recently, Nixon served as the director of Archives and Records Compliance at the Roundabout Theatre Company, where she played a key role in expanding and managing the institution’s permanent archives and curating its costume collection. Nixon’s professional affiliations include serving on the Executive Board of the International Association of Libraries, Museums, Archives, and Documentation Centres of the Performing Arts; and serving as an adjunct at NYU’s Tisch Production and Design Studio. Nixon holds a Master of Library and Information Science with a concentration in archives from San Jose State University, as well as both an MA and a BA in English literature from the same institution.
David Wells joins the Career and Internship Services department. Wells brings extensive experience in career development and education, having served as the assistant director of Career Development at the University of Massachusetts, Isenberg School of Management. In that role, he managed internship credits, guided international students, and delivered career and professional development instruction. His background also includes career coaching and program development at Palm Beach State College. Wells holds an MA in counseling from Eastern Michigan University, an MS in social administration from Case Western Reserve University, and a BA in sociology from Tulane University.
Nedean Wilson will lead FIT’s Academic Advisement Center as director, a position she has held in an interim capacity since October 2021. Wilson brings great experience to this role, having successfully led a team of 16, including faculty, counselor associates, and support staff, while managing a caseload of over 400 students. Her responsibilities have included developing and maintaining student-centered policies, collaborating with academic departments and international programs, and creating workshops to support academic success. She has also played a pivotal role in managing the Starfish Student Platform, chairing faculty searches, and participating in various committees, such as the Student Conduct Council and the International Advisory Committee. Wilson holds an MS in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in communication from Boston College.