The survey results were released Jan. 17 at the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s 101st Annual Convention at the Javits Center in New York City. A press release about the students’ survey findings has now made its way onto more than 300 media outlets’ websites, throughout the U.S. and internationally. These include the websites of 162 local TV stations (in cities including Phoenix, San Diego, Honolulu, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Seattle), 30 trade publications, and 87 newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, Yahoo! Finance, Los Angeles Daily News, Newsday, Dallas Business Journal, and the Anchorage Daily News.

In announcing the release of Shopping Trends Among 18-25 Year-Olds, LIM College student Alexis Michaelides said, “We have read and observed what industry leaders had been saying about our use of technology for shopping and it did not match our own habits and preferences.”

“As part of our activities as an NRFSA we decided to survey our peers to analyze how 18-25 year-olds shop, where we shop, how much we spend, our preferences for shopping online and via mobile devices versus in stores, and the role social media plays in our shopping activities,” said Patrick Mays, another member of the LIM College NRFSA team.

“And sure enough retail observers have been significantly overestimating our use of online and digital technology for shopping. We like shopping in stores and are not as engaged in shopping on the Internet as many have touted.  I guess the demise of the brick and mortar format of retailing– at least for 18-25 year-olds– is grossly exaggerated,” Nicole Flasch-Mihalko, another member of the LIM College NRFSA team concluded.

LIM College was the first higher education institution to promote participation in NRFSA and first to register their student members. Under the direction of faculty advisor Professor Marla Greene of the Marketing & Management Department and Marketing & Management Department Chair Dr. Dudley Blossom, and with Robert Wallstrom, President of Saks OFF 5TH as a consultant, the LIM College group’s survey of 310 18-25 year-old primarily female consumers was conducted online this past fall.

“One of the goals of NRFSA is to encourage campus groups to engage in activities that build the skills and understanding of retail to succeed in careers in retail and related industries,” said NRF Foundation Executive Director Kathy Mance. “Their leadership and initiative in creating and undertaking a survey epitomizes what we hoped to foster when we formed NRFSA. The students will certainly enjoy the benefits of such extra-curricular efforts as they continue their education and move into the world of retailing.”

In September 2011, NRF launched the National Retail Federation Student Association to foster and recruit talented students into the retailing industry, enhance their educational experience at participating colleges and help them build an early network of peers who will become leaders in the industry.

A window display titled “Made in the USA,” designed by Visual Merchandising students from LIM College, was recently unveiled at The Fashion Center Space for Public Art and Design, which is part of the headquarters of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District (BID), the not-for-profit corporation that promotes New York City’s apparel industry. The window will be on display through December 15, 2011.

The window features images of products and brands that are “Made in the USA” that one might spot during a quintessential all-American pastime: tailgating. The back of a Chevrolet truck with Goodyear tires holds classic tailgating treats including the iconic American hotdog, Coca-Cola, and snack brands such as Cracker Jack, Lay’s potato chips and Doritos. And a mannequin wears an ensemble made completely from labels of the Hershey brand — the top combines cuttings of the wrappers of Kit Kat bars and Reese’s Pieces and the skirt flounce is a double tier of Hershey chocolate bar wrappers.

The window design aims to showcase great American brands and encourage their purchase to help support the American economy and domestic job security by asking the question “Where Were You Made?”

The window was conceived, designed and installed by the students in LIM College’s Visual Presentation course, which is taught by Marjorie Lee Woo, Associate Chair of the Visual Merchandising Department. Participating students included: Carinne Cusanelli, Symone Audain, Danielle Locke, Aurora Lopez, Abby Yisrael and Samantha Scopo. Eric Feigenbaum, Chair of the Visual Merchandising Department, also assisted with the installation.

“The Fashion Center has provided an incredible opportunity for our Visual Merchandising students,” said LIM College President Elizabeth S. Marcuse. “We hope this window display brings a smile to the thousands of New Yorkers and visitors who see it as they walk through the Garment District, while also stimulating conversation about some of the important economic issues facing our nation.”

“Ms. Rowe is an integral part of the Berkeley administration,” said Glen Zeitzer, PhD, Berkeley College Provost. “Her dedication to the academic success of our students will serve her well in her new role.” 

Berkeley College has appointed Kristin Rowe as Assistant Provost, Advisement.

Ms. Rowe previously served as Campus Operating Officer for the Berkeley College New York City locations, where she managed day-to-day operations, finances, student and staff retention, and community outreach. Since joining Berkeley College in 1999, she has worked in several capacities in Advisement. 

Before joining Berkeley College, Ms. Rowe was a Regional Resource Specialist with the New York State Department of Health and a Traumatic Brain Injury Program Specialist for the State of Vermont. She also served the United States Peace Corps as a volunteer in Tanzania, East Africa. 

Ms. Rowe holds an MA in Counseling from New York University in New York City and a BA in Biology from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.

The exhibit, which opened October 1 and will be in place until the beginning of 2012, features nine paper dresses by LIM College students that were originally created for the 2011 National Stationery Show’s “Paper Runway” competition this spring, including the winning design, “Feather Fantasy,” by Alexis Michaelides and Margaret Carroll. Each of the paper dresses is paired with a vintage or exceptional custom motorcycle.

“We were very excited to add the paper fashions of the very talented Visual Merchandising students of LIM College to Chrome & Couture,” explained Sydney Voghel Ochs of the Mattatuck Museum. “When we saw the dresses at the National Stationery Show, we knew we wanted them as part of this exhibition, which is one of our edgiest. Their level of creative sophistication is a credit to LIM College and the quality of the visual merchandising program and the students in it.”

Marjorie Lee Woo, Associate Chair of LIM College’s Visual Merchandising Department, worked with the students and supervised the installation of their creations. A milliner, Woo also created paper headpieces to accompany the dresses in the show.

Works by LIM College students Jordan McGovern, Gina Mercatili, Lisa Michaelides, Sara Bautista, Connor DeGuehery and Edin Giron, as well as Professors Grailing King and Katerina Lanfranco, are also included in the display.

The 2011 issue of The Annual, SVA’s yearly print publication offering an inside look at our ever-evolving College, is now available for view online. Featuring an introduction by President David Rhodes, this year’s edition traces the history of SVA’s always expanding roster of master’s programs and offers a preview of the new ones coming in 2012—MA Critical Theory and the Arts, MFA Design for Social Innovation, and MFA Products of Design.

Aside from conversations with the chairs of each of those departments—Robert Hullot-Kentor, Cheryl Heller, and Allan Chochinov, respectively—the 2011 Annual also features an exclusive interview with MFA Design Department Co-chair Steven Heller, who talks about how he develops new graduate programs and explains how SVA is “an incubator of practical work,” among other things.

To read the complete 2011 Annual, visit SVA.edu. Also on view: Student Demographics and Allocation of Tuition & Fees.

According to Businessweek, Michelle Obama offered another nod to SVA during the ceremony, quoting the College’s Acting Chairman Milton Glaser. “Good design is good citizenship,” she said, emphasizing that good design improves life for everyone.

Heller and the other recipients will receive their awards from the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum at a gala on October 20 at Pier Sixty in New York City. For more information and to view all the winners of the 2011 National Design Awards, visit Cooper-Hewitt.

LIM College students joined some of the world’s leading fashion designers in decorating bicycles for the public to ride around Manhattan during Fashion Week.

The promotional event, called “Tour de Fashion,” was part of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District’s (BID) effort to bring the glamour of Fashion Week to the streets of New York. Participating designers included Betsey Johnson, Nicole Miller, Isaac Mizrahi, Nanette Lepore and Diane von Furstenberg. Each outfitted one of 30 bicycles, and from September 8-15, their customized creations were available for NYC residents and visitors to borrow and pedal through Midtown.

Thanks to a longstanding partnership between LIM College and the Fashion Center BID, four Visual Merchandising students — Gina Mercatili, Alexis Michaelides, Katrina Munroe, and Adrianna Pinks – had the opportunity to create an LIM College-themed bicycle for this major fashion event. LIM College was the only educational institution participating in this project. In fact, the College’s bicycle was the only one not created by a designer.

After the program’s conclusion the designer bicycles will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Incubator.

“The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at Berkeley College provides the support our faculty members need to be both innovative and effective,” said Glen Zeitzer, PhD, Berkeley College Provost. “Ms. Nice is an asset to CELT in its mission to promote faculty excellence and Berkeley College is pleased that NCSPOD has recognized her many accomplishments with this award.”

As Director, Ms. Nice focuses on faculty development, including the staff’s use of technology, and coordinates academic service learning, research and scholarship opportunities. She has spoken at numerous conferences about the topics of instructional and course design, faculty development, engaging students and social media in the classroom.

John Fry Individual Merit Awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to staff, program, and organizational development, especially those who support others in conducting more effective programming.

Ms. Nice holds an MBA in Marketing from Centenary College, an MA in Corporate and Organizational Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a BA in Anthropology/Writing from Drew University.

Capaldo earned her master’s degree in human resource management from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from William Paterson University.

“I am honored to help further DeVry’s commitment to providing New York residents with top-quality, career-oriented higher education, as well as its mission to prepare students for 21^st century career success,” said Capaldo.

In her new position, Capaldo will be responsible for managing the center and maintaining all operations, including admissions, compliance, community outreach and involvement, while attracting and retaining quality faculty and staff. DeVry College of New York’s NYC metro comprises three locations: the Manhattan Center, Midtown Manhattan Campus and Rego Park (Queens) Center.

The College of Westchester is pleased to announce approval to offer online degrees in Business Administration, B.B.A. and Business Administration – Management/Marketing, A.A.S.  by the New York State Education Department.

Accredited by the Middle States Commission on High Education

To request more information about programs at The College of Westchester, call 888.398.1503 or visit http://www.cw.edu/index.php