Design & Merchandising

Lynn M. Boorady is currently a Professor and Department Head in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University. Prior to that, she was the founding chair of the Fashion and Textile Technology department at Buffalo State University. 

She is a Fulbright Scholar, prolific designer and invited speaker in her areas of expertise which include personal protective equipment, issues in sizing and fit as well as 3D body scanning. She is currenlty the Advisor of the United States Department of Agriculture sponsored NC-170 Research team which focuses on personal protective technologies for current and emerging occupational hazards. Dr. Boorady has written numerous refereed publications as well as being an active presenter and keynote speaker at professional conferences both nationally and internationally. 

She previously held positions as Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri and was the founding chair of the Fashion Department at the American University in Dubai. She has been a visiting professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Fashion Institute in Manchester, U.K.

Research Interests:

Personal Protective Equipment

Dr. Tilanka Chandrasekera is Professor of Interior Design in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University, where he serves as Associate Department Head, Program Coordinator for the Interior Design Program, and Director of the Mixed Reality Lab. He holds the distinguished Christine Salmon Endowed Professorship and leads pioneering, interdisciplinary research at the nexus of design, emerging technologies, and human experience.

A licensed architect from Sri Lanka, Dr. Chandrasekera earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, and a Ph.D. in Architectural Studies from the University of Missouri–Columbia, where his doctoral research advanced the use of tangible user interfaces in design education.

Before entering academia, he practiced architecture both independently and with leading firms in Sri Lanka, developing a diverse portfolio of work spanning high-rise developments, hotels, wildlife parks, zoological spaces, and custom housing. His dual background as a practitioner and scholar grounds his research in both theoretical rigor and real-world application.

Dr. Chandrasekera is internationally recognized for advancing the role of digital media in design research and education. His scholarship integrates Virtual and Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, psychophysiological measurement, and computational methods to explore how design can foster creativity, cognition, and cultural sensitivity across contexts ranging from healthcare and education to workplace and community environments.

Research Interests

• Virtual and Augmented Reality in Design
• Artificial Intelligence in Design and Design Education
• Design Cognition and Computational Thinking
• Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Design Pedagogy

Paulette R. Hébert, Ph.D., Professor
Department of Design and Merchandising,
in the College of Education and Human Sciences
and Don and Cathey Humphreys Chair
OSU Global
Oklahoma State University

Paulette R. Hebert, Ph.D. currently serves as a tenured Professor in the Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University where she is in her 19th year. Concurrently, she holds the Don and Cathey Humphreys (Endowed) Chair in OSU GLobal nd encourages undergraduate and graduate students' long term study abroad. Dr. Hebert holds a Bachelor of Interior Design, Master of Science (Human Ecology - Merchandising) and Ph.D. (Human Ecology - Merchandising) degrees from Louisiana State University (LSU). She previously taught at LSU in the College of Design and later at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) in the School of Architecture and Design, College of the Arts, where she served as an Assistant, Associate and Full Professor with tenure. Dr. Hebert has taught in higher education for over 30 years and concurrently she previously served as a licensed interior designer with lighting design specialization. She served for many years on a state licensing board. She has received over 40 regional or national design awards for building projects. For over 35 years she has completed complex projects such as those in the athletic, education, entertainment, hospitality, housing, medical, retail and transportation sectors throughout the U.S. and internationally. Clients and employers have included consulting engineering firms, architecture firms and building owners and managers. Other awards and recognitions include: American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AACSU) Japan Studies Institute Fellow, San Diego State University; American Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Board on Human Sciences (BoHS) Undergraduate Research Mentor Award; OSU College of Education and Human Science Leadership and Service Excellence Award. She has received the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Educator Award of Excellence (International). She has received First and Second Place Awards from the Fashion Group International (FGI) Alpha Awards Competition. Her students also won FGI's First Place Student Group Award. She is currently the College of Education and Human Sciences' Nominee for the OSU University Service Award-Faculty and the College of Education and Human Sciences' Nominee for the National Board on Human Sciences'(BoHS) Ellen Swallow Richards Service Award. Dr. Hebert mainly conducts lighting design and facility management research. She has received various federal grants. For example, she was funded 3X by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for sustainability projects which she presented on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. She served twice as leader of Faculty and Student Team (FaST) Internships for lighting design and facility management for 10-week summer sessions at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), near Chicago, IL with external support from the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and ANL. She has been funded by the Natural Hazards Center and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Hebert completed a Fulbright Specialist Project (U.S. State Department) in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Additionally, she has received external support from various groups including: IFMA, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) Education Trust Fund, and multiple universities and organizations. She has disseminated the results of her work to many academic, professional and lay audiences in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Hebert has presented hundreds of juried and/or invited papers in ten+ countries. She has authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal publications and several book chapters. She continues to serve as a reviewer for several journals. She has accrued administrative experience at two Universities and previously served as Assistant Dean, Department Head, Acting Director, Director and Program Coordinator. Also, she has contributed to lighting policy while serving as a co-author of IES recommended practices and standards publications and in co-developing a local lighting ordinance. Her professional service has included IALD Educator Member and former Board Member of the IALD Education Trust. She has been a member of the Mountains and Plains Museum Association (MPMA).  She has previously served two terms as the Co-Advisor for the OSU IFMA Student Chapter. She has been a long-time member and former OSU chapter president of Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society.

Research Interests:

Lighting Design
Facility Management and Design
Museum Design -Cultural Heritage Exhibit and Preservation, Material Culture
Color, Light and Textiles

Dr. Juyeun Jang is an assistant professor in the Department of Design & Merchandising at Oklahoma State University. She teaches courses related to fashion marketing, retailing, and fashion consumers, focusing on the digital transformation of the fashion industry and continuously changing consumer behaviors. Her primary research focuses on immersive retailing using advanced technology such as virtual reality and its impact on consumers’ information processing and behavioral responses for developing creative retail environments and business strategies. She also has carried out innovative and practical research projects to investigate the impact of on/offline environments on consumers’ cognitive/affective and psychophysiological responses (eye-tracking, heart rate, muscle activities, etc.).

Dr. Jayadas is a Professor in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University (OSU). He received his PhD in Industrial Engineering, with an emphasis in Human Factors and Ergonomics from Texas Tech University in 2013 and joined OSU in 2014. 

Research Interests:

Human factors and ergonomics; Biophilic design; Improving consumer experience in stores; Empathic and co-design of duty belts and vehicle interior for law enforcement; Usability testing of products; Balance, strength & biomechanics of falls in older individuals, Virtual Reality based Design Interventions and Occupational Training

Dr. Kyuree Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Design & Merchandising at Oklahoma State University.

Her major fields of teaching and scholarly emphasis include:

Advertising; Consumer Behavior; Digital Activism; Merchandising; Retail Analytics; Retail Channels; Social Networks; Sustainability

Dr. Kim's research primarily focuses on:  

Digital marketing

• Examining contemporary marketing approaches using diverse digital communication channels
• Identifying the desires of consumers and translating them into brand experience to improve the shopping journey

Social interaction

• Focusing on online interaction among consumers (e.g., cocreation, connective action, or social movement) and its impact on the current marketplace and society

I am an instructor in the area of fashion design and production. Currently my professional work is focused around product development, apparel manufacturing and assuring that fashion design and production students get the skills necessary to be successful in the fashion industry. Courses currently taught are Basic and Intermediate Apparel Construction, Advanced Apparel Design, qnd Mass Production. Other courses I have taught Sewn Products Analysis and the NYC Study Trip . I am the owner of DML Distributing – product developer and distributor of the OSU Tartan Plaid. I also work some as a technical design consultant for a collegiate brand.

Research Interests:

3D, Technical Design and Production of Apparel Related Products

Dr. Sumit Mandal is an Associate Professor of Textile Science at Oklahoma State University (OSU) whose internationally recognized leadership in protective clothing research, functional textiles, and nanotechnology has significantly advanced firefighter safety, occupational health, and environmental resilience. A Canada Killam Laureate with distinguished academic and research experience spanning Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, India, and the United States, Dr. Mandal has established a globally impactful research program dedicated to developing next-generation personal protective equipment (PPE) for wildland firefighters. His pioneering work integrates advanced nanotextiles and functional materials to engineer innovative protective clothing systems that improve thermal protection, heat stress management, and wearer comfort under extreme wildfire conditions, ultimately enhancing firefighter performance and survivability. Complementing this work, he leads groundbreaking research on particulate-protective clothing designed to reduce firefighters' exposure to hazardous contaminants associated with occupational cancer, translating cutting-edge scientific discoveries into practical solutions that safeguard first responders and communities. His exceptional scholarship and leadership have earned numerous prestigious honors, including the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Rising Star Award, the Oklahoma State University Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award, the OSU College of Education and Human Sciences Marguerite Scruggs Award, the Yvonne Captain Faculty Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Education, the Hind Rattan Award, and the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award. Beyond his research accomplishments, Dr. Mandal serves as an Associate Editor or Editorial Board Member for five leading international journals, shaping the future of textile science through scholarly leadership while mentoring the next generation of researchers. His visionary, interdisciplinary, and service-driven research continues to strengthen OSU's land-grant mission and position the university at the forefront of innovations that protect lives and advance global public safety.

Research Interests:

Textile & Apparel Science, Textile Engineering & Technology, Protective Textiles & Clothing, Thermal Protective Clothing

Dr. Hyejune (June) Park is the Carol Dewitt Morsani Associate Professor in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University, where she specializes in merchandising. She teaches courses in diverse areas of retail merchandising including digital retailing, global sourcing, and technology in retail and consumer experiences. Dr. Park's research primarily examines causal relationships in consumer behavior, using psychological theories to understand consumption-related values, attitudes, and behaviors. Specifically, her research investigates (1) consumers' interactions with technology in the retail environment and (2) consumers' perceptions and behaviors regarding sustainability in the apparel industry. Prior to joining OSU, Dr. Park also taught Fashion Merchandising at the State University of New York at Oneonta.

Gina Peek is the Associate Dean for Extension and Engagement and Assistant Director, Family & Consumer Sciences OSU Extension. In her position, she supports and provides unbiased research-based education to solve human problems and enhance human lives.

Research Interests: My research stream compliments my area of Extension instruction: Solving human problems, enhancing human lives.

Dr. Emily Roberts is an Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Her research focus is in Environmental Gerontology, the study of the person-environment fit between older adults and the physical environment. She holds a Ph.D. in Architectural Studies and a Masters in Gerontology. She previously attained a Masters of Architecture. As an Environmental Gerontologist, Dr. Roberts has studied the factors involved in aging in place, as well as evolving models of long-term  and community care systems, particularly for older adults with dementia and their families. In 2023 she co-edited a comprehensive book on the current state of long-term care entitiled: (Re)designing the Continuum of Care for Older Adults: the Future of Long-term Care Settings.

 https://link-springer-com.argo.library.okstate.edu/book/10.1007/978-3-031-20970-3

 Dr. Roberts has conducted research in the United States in Special Care Units for individuals with dementia, as well as in Canada, focusing on government funded community-based long-term care programs. She has participated in over $1.5 million dollars in internally and externally funded research and has conducted research in multiple community and institutionally based dementia care sites in Taiwan, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. Current research includes development of assistive technology for dementia homecare as well as community stakeholder research in adaptive reuse of large commercial sites for mixed-use Dementia Friendly City Centers, with programs, services and housing for individuals living with dementia and their family caregivers. She is also currently the PI on grant funded research for intergenerational programming on active aging for rural high school students which has given an effective status on the Rural Health Information Hub. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/project-examples/1157

Dr. Roberts has taught courses online and in person and has presented her research to students from Cornell University and Stanford University School of Medicine as well as internationally to students in India, Taiwan and Germany.  Dr. Roberts is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Aging and the Environment and is the Environmental Gerontology network chair for the Environmental Design Research Association.

Research Interests:

Dementia caregiving, assistive technology, long-term care, adaptive reuse for mixed-use memory care settings, policy factors in long term care, person-centered care, intergenerational active aging pedagogy