The following topics are developed as approximately one-hour presentations that are designed to be guest speaker topics for your classroom or as brown-bags for your team. We can deliver them live via Zoom and customize as needed to meet your learning outcome goals.
To arrange for a speaker, contact the speaker directly to ask questions and work out the date and time.
Creative Arts / Career & Technology
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kristina Bruder, Merchandising Lecturer Kristina.Bruder@unt.edu |
Introduction to Product Development | What is product development and how is it different from fashion design? This presentation will introduce students to private label development processes. |
| Christy Crutsinger Merchandising Professor Christy.Crutsinger@unt.edu |
The Creativity Behind Color | Learn about color theory and the latest trends in apparel and home furnishings. Course will explore the psychology of color in design, brand development, and retail store layout. |
| Jana Hawley Dean and Merchandising Professor Jana.Hawley@unt.edu |
Folk Art of the World: Honoring Culture, Community, and Commerce | An exploration of folk arts from remote areas of the world and an overview of successful strategies that have helped these artisans move their products to the global marketplace. |
| Tammy Kinley Merchandising Professor Tammy.Kinley@unt.edu |
20th Century Fashion Designers | Examination and key works of the more prominent fashion designers of the twentieth century. |
Science / Biology
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Marie Afflerbach Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Ann.Afflerbach@unt.edu |
Fad Diets | Fad diets – the good, the bad and the ugly. What is a diet? Which diet should I follow to lose weight? Are any diets good and effective? |
| Ann Marie Afflerbach Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Ann.Afflerbach@unt.edu |
Nutrition Facts Labels | Understanding and utilizing Nutrition Facts labels to monitor nutrient intake and ingredients of products in order to become a more informed shopper and help in the creation of healthier meals. |
Science / Chemistry
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kristina Bruder, Merchandising Lecturer Kristina.Bruder@unt.edu |
Building Performance in Textiles | How we make our clothing do more than just cover us; it solves problems with features such as antimicrobials, moisture management, cooling effects, anti-static, smart textiles, compression, etc. |
Science / Sustainability
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jana Hawley Dean and Merchandising Professor Jana.Hawley@unt.edu |
What Happens to Your Old Clothes? | An overview of the textile recycling industry, offering suggestions on how and why we should recycle our clothing. |
| Birendra KC Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Birendra.KC@unt.edu |
Understanding a Need for Sustainability in Tourism Through Tourism Impacts at Destinations Worldwide | Discuss different destinations around the world and tourism impacts in those destinations to demonstrate the need to think and act sustainably |
| Jiyoung Kim, Merchandising Associate Professor Jiyoung.Kim@unt.edu |
Sustainability in the Fashion Supply Chain | Overview of current trends and efforts within the fashion industry to stay environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. Discussion of various issues and dilemmas companies face and the role of consumers. |
| Jiyoung Kim, Merchandising Associate Professor Jiyoung.Kim@unt.edu |
Sustainable Me | Discussion of our role as a consumer and the power we hold to transform the fashion and clothing industry. Interactive discussion on living a sustainable lifestyle and better influencing others. |
Social Studies / Disaster Management
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jihye (Ellie) Min Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Jihye.Min@unt.edu |
The Impact of Covid-19 on the Hotel Industry | Discuss the cyclical nature of the hotel industry and the impact of major economic events, disasters, seasonality, etc. on the industry. |
| Kim Williams Hospitality Chair and Professor Kim.Williams2@unt.edu |
Tourism Destination Recovery | A look at how Hurricane Katrina impacted the New Orleans tourism industry and its recovery efforts. Also, explore how these lessons learned shaped the response for future crises and disasters like COVID-19. |
Social Studies / Economics
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Marie Afflerbach Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Ann.Afflerbach@unt.edu |
Healthy Eating on a Budget | How can I plan healthier meals when I am on a budget and the dollar menu is so convenient? Learn to be creative in planning healthy meals and snacks while also watching every penny. |
| Birendra KC Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Birendra.KC@unt.edu |
The Travel and Tourism Industry: Different Market Segments and Economic Impact | Discuss different types of tourism markets including nature-based tourism, cruise tourism, sport tourism, etc. and the economic impact generated by these market segments. |
| Jihye (Ellie) Min Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Jihye.Min@unt.edu |
Hotels in our Neighborhood | An overview of the Dallas hotel market. This presentation will show how to conduct a market study and discuss the market’s past, present and future hotel performances. |
Social Studies / History / Government
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Christy Crutsinger Merchandising Professor Christy.Crutsinger@unt.edu |
The Politics of Fashion | Follow the women’s suffrage movement from Seneca Falls to Seventh Avenue, the U.S. fashion capital. You will meet Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Amelia Bloom as they dress for the ‘cause.’ |
| Tammy Kinley Merchandising Professor Tammy.Kinley@unt.edu |
Fashion Before and After the French Revolution | The French Revolution was a major turning point in many aspects of European culture, even in fashion. Post war, it became very fashionable to be unfashionable. |
| Tammy Kinley Merchandising Professor Tammy.Kinley@unt.edu |
Clothing in Bible Times | An exploration of clothing worn by the ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Roman and Greek cultures. (Familiarity with the Bible, Torah or Quran is not necessary. Limited references to religious figures is for timeline context.) |
| Marissa Zorola, Merchandising Senior Lecturer Marissa.Zorola@unt.edu |
The United States Garment Industry: The Transition from Homemade to Factory-Produced | Ready-to-wear clothing has been available for a long time; however, the design, production, distribution, and retail of mass-produced clothing is actually a rather 'new' concept. How did we transition from homemade, made-to-last clothing to mass-produced, trend-driven apparel? |
Social Studies / Psychology
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Iva Jestratijevic Merchandising Assistant Professor Iva.Jestratijevic@unt.edu |
A Body to Die for: Fashion Models, Body/Beauty Ideals and Eating Disorders | This lecture provides an overview of invisible problems in the modeling industry, including thinness, eating disorders, and body and beauty norms. In this lecture we will discuss how occupational aesthetics in the modeling industry not only is an internal problem affecting model health and well-being but also extracts a high external toll on the general public who view fashion media. |
| Kim Williams Hospitality Chair and Professor Kim.Williams2@unt.edu |
What Kind of Traveler Are You? | Explore the psychographics of travel. Learn more about your travel preferences and how they can evolve over time. Take a test that helps match you personality with the right travel destinations. |
Careers & Technology / Business
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kristina Bruder, Merchandising Lecturer Kristina.Bruder@unt.edu |
Introduction to Trend Forecasting | An overview of how retailers forecast trends, using illustrations from the trend forecasting service, WGSN. We will also explore the process that is generally used -- research, evaluation, and validation. |
| Iva Jestratijevic Merchandising Assistant Professor Iva.Jestratijevic@unt.edu |
Making Fashion Transparent: What Consumers Know About the Brands They Admire | The journeys made by our clothes remain largely unseen. They may have started life in a field and then travelled across a vast network, in many countries, through the hands of hundreds of workers, working for dozens of different companies, before reaching our wardrobes. In this lecture we will discuss why consumers' trust in fashion brands has been eroding, and why the fashion industry suffers from a raising trust deficit. Lecture will also provide an overview of the major fashion brands and the level of information they publicly share about their products, and sustainability practices. |
| HJ Maria Kim Merchandising Professor HaeJung.Kim@unt.edu |
Modern Luxury Brand (MLB) for Gen Z | Gen Z might wish to have luxury brand accessibility, not just ownership. The more authentic and inclusive MLB is, the more likely Gen Zs are to stick around once MLB has them in the door of restaurants or convenience stores such as Cartier did in Japan. |
| Jiyoung Kim Merchandising Associate Professor Jiyoung.Kim@unt.edu |
Design Meets Data | Using visual graphics to present your insights from large consumer data set in an effective and aesthetically pleasing way |
| Tammy Kinley Merchandising Professor Tammy.Kinley@unt.edu |
Retail Application of the P&L Statement | An overview of factors that drive profit, with a focus on how the retailer determines the price on the tag. |
| Marissa Zorola, Merchandising Senior Lecturer Marissa.Zorola@unt.edu & Kim Williams, Hospitality Chair and Professor Kim.Williams2@unt.edu |
How the Disney Parks Create the Ultimate Consumer Experience | Disney is known for their legendary guest service. Learn how Disney has and continues to create the ultimate consumer experience for generations to come. |
| Sanjukta Pookulangara Digital Retailing Professor Sanjukta.Pookulangara@unt.edu |
Mom, Can I Have Your Silver Earrings for Keeps? | Introduce the concept of Slow Fashion and how the industry in evolving to meet this challenge. |
| Sanjukta Pookulangara Digital Retailing Professor Sanjukta.Pookulangara@unt.edu |
Are You Being Social? | An overview of social media and how brands are using it. |
| Sanjukta Pookulangara Digital Retailing Professor Sanjukta.Pookulangara@unt.edu |
Oh, the Places You Will See and the People You Will Meet | An overview of the international retail industry. |
| Kiseol Yang Digital Retailing Professor Kiseol.Yang@unt.edu |
Can I Recommend? Product Recommendation Engines and Website Strategies | Different types of recommendation system and site strategies retailers use to convert site traffic. |
Career & Technology / Business Communications
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Christy Crutsinger Merchandising Professor Christy.Crutsinger@unt.edu |
Crucial Conversations | Learn how to master your story, stay in dialogue, and speak persuasively. This interactive session will focus on effective communication strategies, via case study and role play. |
Careers & Technology / Hospitality Management
| Professor | Title of Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Harold Lee Hospitality Management Clinical Assistant Professor Harold.lee@unt.edu |
The current trends in the hospitality industry | Why is it Important to Keep up With the Latest Hospitality Trends?; Factors Responsible for Upcoming Hospitality Developments |
| Xi Leung, Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Xi.Leung@unt.edu |
How Could Reviews Help Hotels? | An overview of the role of social media reviews in hotel marketing. Learn how to read reviews and how to respond to reviews. |
| Xi Leung, Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Xi.Leung@unt.edu |
Virtual Reality in Hospitality & Tourism | An introduction to VR, AR, MR technology. Explore the applications of technology in the hospitality industry. Also introduce some research projects involving virtual reality. |
| Xi Leung, Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Xi.Leung@unt.edu |
Experience matters! Why should I Choose Hospitality as my Major? | Discuss the core of the hospitality industry is to create the customer experience. Emphasize the importance of the experience economy. Explain why a hospitality major could give student a competitive advantage in the future job market. |
| Luwis Mhlanga Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Luwis.Mhlanga@unt.edu |
How Mom and Pop Restaurants are Adapting During the Covid-19 Crisis | Exploring local area restaurants’ survival mode. |
| Todd Uglow Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Todd.Uglow@unt.edu |
How to Plan and Execute a Non-Profit Fundraising Event on a Limited Budget | Now more than ever, non-profits need to become creative and resourceful in their fundraising efforts. |
| Todd Uglow Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Todd.Uglow@unt.edu |
What Excites Sponsors? Earning the Trust and Support of Sponsors for Hospitality and Entertainment Venues | A significant challenge among hospitality entertainment venues is understanding the mindsight of the potential sponsor. This session will take you on a journey to understand how sponsors think and provide you with everything a venue needs to develop and implement its own sponsorship committee or department. |
| Todd Uglow Hospitality & Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Todd.Uglow@unt.edu |
Shielding Hospitality Organizations from Legal Attack: 10 Key Areas Every Hospitality Manager Should Know | All hospitality managers should be engaged in decision making that minimizes risk to their organization. There are several action items that should be implemented within different areas of any hospitality venue to protect those organizations from potential liability. |
| Han Wen Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Han.Wen@unt.edu |
How to Design and Plan Floor Plans for Restaurants and Event Venues | An introduction to restaurant/event venue design trends and a short tutorial about how to draw floor plans using the SmartDraw® software. |
| Han Wen Hospitality & Tourism Management Assistant Professor Han.Wen@unt.edu |
An Introduction to Gastronomy and Olfactory Studies | An overview of the dimensions of gastronomy and sensory analysis skills. Briefly discuss the relationship between food, beverage, and culture. Introduction to the possible career paths related to hospitality beverages. |