The Inaugural Baker School Academic Symposium

The Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology holds its first-ever academic symposium featuring nine sessions with 20 speakers from the school presenting their cutting-edge research.  See the full schedule below.

This event is for the FIT community only. 

Wednesday, March 8, 8:30 am-4:30 pm
John E. Reeves Great Hall

8:30–9:15 am: Refreshments and Baker School Research Poster Viewings 

8:30–9 am: Unconventional Research Poster: Dr. Shireen Musa, International Trade and Marketing 

“As societal and environmental injustices are increasingly prevalent, expectations for organizations to implement sustainable practices, such as Fair Trade, have grown. Previous research has demonstrated that Fair Trade consumers have the emotional attribute of compassion and the educational trait of desire for sustainability awareness. This paper builds on prior research by introducing consumers’ spiritual attribute of past life belief (PLB)  and positing the effect of PLB on Fair Trade consumption (FTC). The article is novel as it is the first to introduce and  link the spiritual attribute of PLB to FTC, while addressing racism, religious discrimination, sexism, classism, societal and environmental stewardship, and nationalism” (Musa, S. 2023. In Press with the Peer-Reviewed Journal of  Scientific Exploration).  

9:15– 9:30 am: Welcoming Remarks by Baker School Interim Dean Shannon Maher 

9:30–10:15 am: Dr. Jennifer Lee, Fashion Business Management
“The use of emerging technologies in interdisciplinary experiential learning projects” 

This presentation will introduce how different emerging technologies were incorporated into the two collegewide  interdisciplinary experiential learning projects called the Loop for Good and the Legacy, Diversity Meets Technology, which Dr. Lee has been serving as a project lead. Founded in 2019, the Loop for Good has made continuous growth  and evolutions as FIT’s collegewide interdisciplinary experiential learning project focused on sustainability and  technology under the President’s Sustainability Grant since 2019. The 2022’s fourth project demonstrated an innovation on the creative process through various 3D digital and physical fashion products created by over 120  students and faculty across the college (Journey to the Loop for Good 2022 Video). 

The Legacy: Technology meets diversity is another college-wide interdisciplinary experiential learning project focused  on emerging technologies contributing to diversity and inclusion in wider society. As a project lead and instructor of  the project, Dr. Lee taught the student participants about how to conduct research on the cultural aspects and history  of dress, how to illustrate the concept of diversity and inclusion in fashion design, and how to visualize the design  ideas in a 3D digital and a physical garment format. The project was funded by the President’s Diversity Grant (2022- 2023). The first design exhibition of the project will be held in The Museum at FIT lobby as a part of the Black History Month events (2/10 – 2/28, 2023).  

10:30–11:15 am: Professor Catherine Geib, Fashion Business Management
“The evolution of Millennial and Gen Z consumers on Fast Fashion, Social Media and their buying  patterns on Sustainable fashion” 

This paper will report the 2021 results of a six-year study of quantitative primary data on the fashion apparel buying  habits of millennial and generation z consumers of fast fashion, their relationship with social media and how those decisions have affected the respondents opinions on being sustainable in their clothing purchases. The final research  study completed in 2021 will be the focus of the current paper with the similarities and differences analyzed from the  2016 and 2018 quantitative data. Conclusions will be reported and best practices that have come to light from the  studies revealed.  

The following questions will be answered: 1. Has awareness been raised in the past six years on sustainability amongst  the survey respondents? 2. What are the changes in the buying patterns of fast fashion over the past six years, and are the differences measurably different? 3. Are there changes in the way young consumers use social media in their lives? 4. Finally because of income level, social media influences and the Covid 19 pandemic, has change on sustainable practices been intensified in the 2021 research? The paper will examine from the data accepted sustainable methods such as the resale and rental market and companies that have adopted these sustainable practices. It will conclude its results as the final paper in the six-year study.  

11:15–noon: Professor Christine Pomeranz, International Trade and Marketing
“Priming the Global Fashion Sector for Digital Currencies” 

Join Professor Christine Pomeranz and Queens College Professor Jian Xiao to learn how the eYuan, China’s  Central Bank Digital Currency, is expected to revolutionize the luxury fashion industry by promoting economic and  cultural inclusion. They will introduce digital payments and the renminbi digital payment landscape. In addition, they  will discuss how the fashion industry can protect its exposure and the related accounting considerations. 

12:15–1 pm: FIT Interdisciplinary Panel
“How to Teach Business and Labor History: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration” 

Join Dr. Kyunghee Pyun (History of Art), Professor Robin Sackin (Fashion Business Management), Dr. Daniel  Levinson Wilk (Social Sciences), Professor Meeta Roy (Fashion Business Management), Helen Lane (Instructional Design Librarian, Gladys Marcus Library), and Dr. Rebecca Bauman (Modern Languages and Cultures) to learn about how FIT faculty from the Baker School and the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences are collaborating on interdisciplinary research. 

This session will present a three-year interdisciplinary research project called Shop Girls to Show Girls: Teaching Resources on New York’s Working Class for Community College Students funded by the National Endowment for the  Humanities, Education Grant from 2021 to 2024. There have been three modes: 1) Inserted segment in the form of mini lesson: anecdotes like film clips or interview used prompts to emphasize labor conditions, sometimes using life experiences of teachers or known figures; 2) A full lesson plan with a unit of more structured teaching using readings, digital resources, lectures, and discussions to spend 3-6 hours; 3) A new course: some faculty fellows are writing a new course focusing on a specific industry’s labor conditions or a group’s working conditions. The website (laborstudies.fitnyc.edu) makes types of materials available: film clips, newspaper articles, job ads, lyrics of popular  songs, census data, art works, graphic posters, and panelists will emphasize upcoming opportunities for collaboration: presenting at conferences, writing a book together, or applying for research grants.  

1:15–2 pm: FIT Sabbatical Committee Panel
“How to Conceive and Execute Research Projects” 

Join Professor Nancy Ostroff (Fashion Business Management) and Faculty Senate Sabbatical Committee  members: Dr. Kyunghee Pyun (History of Art; chair of the Sabbaticals and RTR Committee), Professor Karen Trivette (Head of Special Collections and College Archives, Gladys Marcus Library), Professor Michael Coan (Jewelry Design, School of Art and Design, Chair Emeritus), and Professor Meg Joseph (Global Fashion Management, School of Graduate Studies) to discuss the framework of research, the sabbatical application process,  qualifications for a sabbatical, and answer your questions.  

This session is to promote campuswide opportunities available to the faculty. “Research” is more accessible than  one can imagine. Members of the Faculty Senate Committee on Sabbaticals and Release Time for Research will share anecdotes and examples of successful applications in the past. Professor Nancy Ostroff will discuss her application for the sabbatical, which she was awarded. “Research” is applicable to the entire faculty as it is defined as a systematic investigation into a problem or situation. Usually, academic research questions tend to me more conceptual and theoretically focused while professional research or applied research focuses on solutions to  problems and issues—practical and professional. Changing industry standards and operational environments should  be areas of research.  

2– 2:45 pm: Professor Delphine Horvath, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing
“Journey of writing my first textbook and tips for publishing your own” 

For the 2021 Fall Term, Professor Delphine Horvath was awarded a Release Time for Research Grant to support her  project of conducting preliminary research for a new textbook she is co-authoring, Cosmetics Marketing: Strategy and  Innovation in the Beauty Industry. This will be the first textbook devoted solely to cosmetics marketing. Professor Horvath will share the main steps involved in her journey of writing a textbook and the tips for publishing your own, such as things to consider when choosing a publisher, signing the contract, applying for a grant through Faculty Development Grants and Awards, building the timeline until the delivery of the final manuscript and beyond. The textbook is now available for preorder on the Bloomsbury website with a publication date in July 2023.  

2:45– 3:30 pm: Dr. Imran Islam and Dr. Ajoy Sarkar, Textile Development and Marketing
“Potential for cotton yarns in winter wear: An exploratory study” 

This study was an investigation into the viability of cotton yarns for full-fashioned apparel. The objectives of the study  were to develop a method to introduce crimp in cotton yarns prior to knitting followed by comparing thermal  properties among knitted structures made from different yarns. The knit-de-knit technique was utilized to impart  artificial crimp in cotton yarns and labeled “de-knitted” cotton in this study. Full Cardigan and 1×1 Rib structures were  knitted using four types of yarns- regular cotton, de-knitted cotton, wool, acrylic on a flatbed knitting machine. Results showed that full cardigan structures had better intrinsic thermal resistance than 1X1 Ribs. Additionally, 1×1 rib with  de-knitted cotton exhibited higher thermal resistance than regular cotton with more favorable properties such as  greater thickness and weight.  

3:45– 4:30 pm: Professor Robin Baxter, Fashion Business Management
“Trends in Cotton Sourcing” 

The presentation is a derivative of the work engaged in by Professor Sonja Chapman (Home Products Development) and Professor Robin Baxter (Fashion Business Management), which focused on the use of data to assist companies  in identifying sourcing options for apparel outside of China. The presentation explores patterns in cotton sourcing that  emerged post implementation of the 301 trade sanctions by the Trump administration, as compared to patterns in  cotton sourcing that are developing post passage and implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. 

4:30 pm: Closing Remarks by Baker School Interim Dean Shannon Maher