Spring Break
Designing a difference in apparel design
OSU professor practices hands-on approach, hopes to inspire students, innovate
Aleks Cherednichenko
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News
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"One of the classes that I had to take as an undergraduate was apparel design, and I just fell in love with it," Mullet said.
Recently Mullet was named Educator of the Year by Apparel Magazine, a premier trade publication for the apparel industry. Each year the magazine gives the award to an educator who has made innovative contributions to teaching and research while promoting the field of apparel design to students.
"I was nominated through my professional organization, International Textile Apparel Association, to which my department head [Leslie Burns] passed my name," Mullet said.
Mullet is the coordinator of OSU's apparel design program, which has 125 undergraduate students. She teaches four courses through the year, including a flat-pattern-making course in the fall term.
"I've worked at OSU for only three years. Before that I taught at Virginia Tech for about 20," Mullet said. "I told myself if there was ever a job opening here, I'd take it. Well here I am."
Mullet has always been interested in how the human body works and how clothes can help it function. She has worked with companies like Nike and Innovative Sports in designing functional sportswear.
"Being part of the College of Health and Human Sciences has allowed me to collaborate with people in biomechanics," Mullet said. "Which is helpful with my designs."
Mullet also practices what she preaches in the classroom. "I have what I call the 'up-the-arm theory' - if you do it with your hands, it will travel up to your brain."
"I like the fact that she makes this class interesting at 8 o'clock in themorning," said Marcella Owsley, a student in Mullet's class and sophomore in HDFS. "We're actually doing something in class. We're not just sitting there listening to her lecture."
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