Meet the Center for Merchandising and Design Technology

With a unique set of industry-leading instruments including a 3D body scanner, an environmental chamber, and a “thermal manikin” that has 46 zones that can precisely measure temperature and humidity – and produce “sweat” – faculty, staff, and students who work at CMU’s Center for Merchandising and Design Technology (CMDT) are always researching something new. 

For instance, according to Tanya Domina, chairperson of the Department of Fashion, Interior Design, and Merchandising, their team is now branching into new areas of applied research, such as wearable medical devices and biodegradable textiles.  

“We have two undergrad students that are taking a leadership role studying textiles made from the abaca plant, which is a relative of the banana tree,” says Domina. “The textiles are developed from the bark. It's biodegradable, it's renewable, it's sustainable.” 

With Laboratory Coordinator Lauren Agnew supervising 5-7 undergraduate and 3 graduate student workers, the CMDT is involved in several industry-related contracts at one time. One recent partnership was with Woolchemy, a New Zealand-based company that focuses on high performance and sustainability using natural wool fibers, which was honored with the Raw Material Achievement Award at IDEA25. 

During their open house at CEHS’s inaugural “First Friday” event on September 5, 2025, Domina described how CMDT’s portfolio is vast, moving beyond just clothing and including industries as far-ranging as automotive, medical, home furnishings, and bedding companies, too.  

Another award-winning Venture Competition collaboration came with Spectrum (now Corwell) Health, and it was a thermal bra for patient use following surgery and in post-mastectomy recovery.  

Domina indicated that students from all over campus, not just fashion design majors, are working at the lab, many of whom end up presenting at the student undergraduate research exhibition and at national and international conferences. .  

“It’s a really great experiential learning opportunity,” Domina notes. “Learning this equipment, working with companies to solve problems, makes your resume really stand out when you apply to a company that gets hundreds of thousands of applications.” 

Visit the CMDT homepage to learn more about this innovative facility!