Fashion merchandising professor earns award for AI teaching integration

What started as an initiative for faculty to collaborate on ways to integrate AI into their teaching has now resulted in an award from The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles. Dr. Seung-Eun (Joy) Lee, Professor for the Fashion Merchandising and Design program, was recognized for her presentation, “Building AI Literacy in a Fashion Marketing Course: Pedagogical Implications.”

Lee’s presentation focused on the integration of AI into her course, Fashion Advertising and Promotion. Throughout this course, students used AI tools to analyze consumer culture, evaluate brand perception, examine advertising and marketing content, and develop marketing strategies.

“A major focus of the course was helping students use AI thoughtfully, while also critically evaluating the accuracy, relevance, and limitations of AI-generated outputs,” says Lee. 

This course originated from the Department of Fashion, Interior Design, and Merchandising’s (DIFM) strategic initiative on AI learning, which was brought to attention under the leadership of DIFM Department Chair, Tanya Domina. Through this initiative, the department created a semester-long AI learning cohort, consisting of faculty members who would explore ways to apply AI in their own teaching. These faculty members would then share their implementation strategies, examples, challenges, and student learning outcomes.

Lee, who also serves as the Director for the Fashion Merchandising and Design Online Program, presented her findings at the 2026 International Conference on Clothing and Textile, where she won the award for Best Oral Presentation!

Lee concludes, “My presentation and award reflect not only my individual course innovation, but also the broader efforts of our department to support faculty development, pedagogical innovation, and student preparation for a rapidly changing industry.”