Ja Young Hwang, Ph.D.

Ja Young Hwang, Ph.D., received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Design degrees in fashion design from Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea. In 2013, she received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in apparel merchandising and design (concentration: apparel design) at Iowa State University. She began her teaching career in 2006. Prior to joining Kent State University, she served as an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, teaching undergraduate and graduate advanced product development courses and the CAD patternmaking software OptiTex.

Dr. Ja Young Hwang is a designer and a design researcher with an interest in the aspect of designing that commonly recurs in design practice. Dr. Hwang is interested in an in-depth understanding of the nature of design thinking and implementation applied to design practice, particularly in the context of fashion. Her empirical research, creative scholarship, and teaching activities have been centered on the exploration of design thinking while using creative problem-solving techniques and experimentation to produce innovative design solutions. Since 2013, Dr. Hwang has been focusing on building a body of scholarly knowledge in the area of design thinking to support the application of design thinking to any type of model, discipline, technology, sustainability, business, and education.

AREAS OF INTEREST 

• Design thinking and design education 

• Design products to enhance human experiences and behavior

AWARDS & RECOGNITION 

• Best of Show for Perspective Rays, The Apparel, Textiles, & Design Juried Design Showcase and Exhibition at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 109th Annual conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 2019. Collaborator: Kim Hahn 

• Best of Show for Phalaenopsis Amabilis 1, The Apparel, Textiles, & Design Juried Design Showcase and Exhibition at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 108th Annual conference, Atlanta, Georgia. 2018.

• Best of Show for Polyfrost I, The Apparel, Textiles, & Design Juried Design Showcase and Exhibition at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 107th Annual conference, Dallas, Texas. 2017. Collaborator: Kim Hahn. 

• Cotton Incorporated Innovations in Cotton Design Award 2nd place. Polyfrost I, Sponsored by Cotton Corporation, Presented at 2016 International Textile Apparel Association Annual Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia. November 8-11, 2016.  Collaborator: Kim Hahn.  

• ITAA creative and Innovative employment of techniques. Polyfrost I, Sponsored by ITAA, Presented at the 2016 ITAA annual conference, Vancouver, British Columbia. Collaborator: Kim Hahn.   

• Best Paper Award, Sponsored by International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes. Presented at 18th IFTTI 2016 Annual Conference, March 21st- 25th, 2016

• Honorable Mention, Lovers2, Iowa State University Fashion Show, Iowa State University (2011)

• Fellow, Preparing Future Faculty; Iowa State University (2011)

CERTIFICATION 

Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis Training Completed (ID # 10531) 
Description: The Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis is one of the most widely used assessments for individual, premarital, marital, family and student counseling.

TEACHING 

• FDM 30151 Advanced Patternmaking

• FDM 30161 Fashion Design Studio I 

• FDM 30171 Fashion Design Studio II

• FDM 40141 Fashion Design Studio III

• FDM 40099 Senior Fashion Design Thesis I 

• FDM 40991 Senior Fashion Design Thesis II

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION 

• Executive Director, European Academy of Design (Current)

• Member, International Textile and Apparel Association (Current)

• Member, Costume Society of America (Current) 

EXPERTISE

Design thinking, practice-led, research-led practice in design, sustainable design practice, user-centered/human-centered design, functional design, CAD technology - 2D and 3D patternmaking software.