Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT since 1998, is a highly regarded educator and academic administrator
with over forty years’ experience in public higher education. She held a number of
senior administrative posts at the City University of New York (CUNY) before arriving
at FIT, including acting president of Bernard Baruch College and vice chancellor of
the university. Prior to her appointment at FIT, she was professor of counseling psychology
at the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY. Dr. Brown has also served as
a New York City deputy mayor during the Dinkins administration. At FIT, Dr. Brown
has led an ambitious multiyear strategic initiative that has transformed the college.
She has built faculty ranks, increased technology, enhanced student services, expanded
the curriculum with innovative new programs, and renovated facilities. She has invigorated
the college’s culture with groundbreaking initiatives in diversity and sustainability.
Under Dr. Brown’s leadership, sustainability became a key element of FIT’s mission.
Her early participation in the Clinton Global Initiative University formalized a commitment
to sustainability that was reflected in the college’s physical plant, curriculum,
and public programming. She established a Sustainability Council that promotes dialogue,
campuswide activities—including the annual Sustainability Business and Design Conference—and
manages grant programs for related projects. FIT has been honored by both New York
City and New York State for its leadership among public institutions in the field
of sustainability.
CHAIR, SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL, CHAIR, SCIENCE AND MATH
Dr. Karen R. Pearson
Karen Pearson, PhD, is a professor of Science and Math at FIT and is the co-chair of the college’s
Sustainability Council. She has won a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching,
has been noted as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Women in STEM, and is a recipient
of FIT’s President’s Award for Excellence. Pearson has done extensive work in the
development of interdisciplinary STEAM curricula and programming at FIT and is the
recipient of multiple research and program awards, including those from the National
Science Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts. Her research outside of
the classroom is focused on the design, synthesis, and application of new materials
that have potential in low-energy devices, such as thin-film transistors (TFTs) and
light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Featured Speaker
Maxine Bédat
Maxine Bédat is the founder and director of New Standard Institute (NSI), a think-and-do tank
using data to drive systems change. Bédat is a central drafter of the New York Fashion
Act and a leader of the coalition championing it. She is also the author of the book
UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment, a Financial Times Book of the Year, which has been translated into several languages. Prior to NSI,
Bédat co-founded and was the CEO of Zady, a fashion brand and lifestyle destination
creating a transparent and sustainable future for the apparel industry. Bédat has
been recognized by Fast Company on its annual Most Creative People in Business list and by Vogue Business’ 100 Innovators, and she has been included in The Business of Fashion BoF 500, the definitive index of people shaping the global fashion industry, and
Oprah’s Super Soul 100 list, for leaders elevating humanity. Bédat began her career
in international law, working at the Rwandan Criminal Tribunal and at the British
multinational law firm Allen & Overy. She received a Juris Doctor with honors from
Columbia Law School.
Presenters and Panelists
Whitney Crutchfield
Assistant Professor, Textile Development and Marketing, FIT
Whitney Crutchfield is an assistant professor in FIT’s Textile Development and Marketing program, who
has served the FIT community since 2016. Her expertise lies in woven textiles and
textile dyeing techniques, with a particular emphasis on low-impact methods and materials.
Crutchfield is the founder and owner of We Gather, an educational textile studio in
Brooklyn. She previously held positions at American Eagle Outfitters and Martha Stewart
Living.
Andrea Diodati is an award-winning fashion designer and entrepreneur. After seeing the wasteful
nature of her wholesale fashion line, Diodati created a direct-to-consumer brand that
used 3D modeling to facilitate customer collaboration. Clients could codesign custom-made
dresses that were crafted in New York City using deadstock fabric. Diodati’s industry
experience includes designing runway for Anna Sui as well as freelancing for Kate
Spade and Alice + Olivia. Presently, Diodati is exploring how digital fashion can
replace single-use garment consumption.
Mallorie Dunn
Adjunct Professor, Fashion Design and Center for Continuing and Professional Studies
(CCPS); Founder and CEO, SmartGlamour
Mallorie Dunn is an adjunct professor at FIT, teaching in both the Fashion Design program and for
CCPS. Her areas of specialty include sewing, draping, inclusion, sustainability, and
small-business management. Prior to teaching, Dunn founded and operated SmartGlamour
— an inclusive, customizable, sustainable, NYC-based small business, offering clothing
in sizes ranging from XXS to 15X and beyond. Throughout its decade of operation, SmartGlamour
has been covered on PBS and by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Bust, Seventeen, Teen
Vogue, and more. Bustle has called SmartGlamour’s runway shows “An Industry Blueprint.”
Her career focus — through her brand and through her teaching — is to positively impact
the fashion industry by constantly striving for intentional inclusion and leaving
it a kinder space for the planet and the people on it.
Monica Hauck-Whealton
Records Advisory Officer for Counties, Libraries, and Miscellaneous Governments, New
York State Archives
Monica Hauck-Whealton is the New York State Archives’ records advisory officer serving counties, libraries, and miscellaneous governments.
She has over 15 years of experience providing advice and assistance to government
employees regarding retention and management of their records.
Prior to transitioning to a career in records management, Hauck-Whealton earned an
MS in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay
and a BA in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College. She started her state
service career at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where
she focused on legislative affairs and enforcement of stationary source air quality
regulations.
Valentina Henao
East Coast Business Development Manager, Eastman Chemical Company
Valentina Henao is a native of Medellin, Colombia, with over 15 years of experience in the textile
industry. She is the East Coast business development manager for Eastman’s textile
division, with a mission to make sustainable textiles accessible to all with Naia™
cellulosic fiber. Henao assumed this role in October 2022, bringing a wealth of expertise
on promoting sustainable textiles solutions while driving business growth. Henao’s
journey in the industry began at DuPont, where she gained valuable insights and advanced
to positions such as textile marketing manager and fabric testing manager. Prior to
joining Eastman, she managed business development for various technologies, consulting
and serving on the board of directors for several brands. To advance the brand strategy
for Naia™, Henao actively engages with students and industry professionals to educate
and raise awareness about the importance of sustainability as a core feature of textile
design, while also brainstorming innovative ways to support brands’ sustainability
and fabric needs. Henao holds a BS in International Trade and Marketing from FIT.
She also has a Retail Management certificate from FIT, a Business Communication certification
from Hunter College, and a Contemporary Art certification from Sotheby’s Institute
of Art.
Nomi Dale Kleinman
Associate Professor, Textile/Surface Design
Nomi Dale Kleinman is an associate professor in the Textile/Surface Design program. Kleinman joined
FIT in 2007, specializing in woven design. At FIT, she co-coordinated the annual Sustainability
Conference for 8 years, served on the president’s Sustainability Council, and co-founded
the Summer Institute on Sustainability Fashion and Textiles, a week-long conference.
In 2020, she won FIT’s Faculty Excellence Award and in 2023, she received the Sustainability
Council’s Changemaker Award. Kleinman’s current work and research centers on digital
weaving, sustainable fibers, slow textiles, and fiber arts. She has judged international
textile competitions, and her slow weaving has been featured in New York Fashion Week.
Casey Lardner
Executive Director, Genspace
Casey Lardner holds a PhD in neuroscience from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and
completed postdoctoral research at Columbia University. Building on a background in
ecology and evolutionary biology, Lardner used molecular neuroscience techniques and
next-generation sequencing in mice and wild urban rats to model and understand the
human brain. As a grad student, she co-directed an outreach group called “MINDS” and
produced a science storytelling show called Studying the Brain. After her postdoc,
she pursued full-time science communication and informal science education as a program
coordinator in the Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone. Lardner is the president
of BraiNY, the Greater NYC Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, and is enamored
with all brains and minds — whether they belong to mice, pizza rats, or people.
Tamara Malas
Founder, Tamara Malas
Tamara Malas is a fashion designer whose namesake label was born from the idea that fashion should
be for everyone. Launched online in 2018, the brand offers designs, in sizes zero
through 36, that are grounded in real life, with a heavy dose of whimsy. Each piece
is ethically and responsibly made through Malas’ close partnerships with small factories
in NYC and abroad. They utilize closed-loop production to create small-batch, limited-run
collections using the highest quality fabrics, from which customers can curate a wardrobe
of wearable but unique pieces that are made to last. Recently, Malas opened her first
brick-and-mortar shop, located at 143 Ludlow Street in NYC. Before embarking on this
venture, Malas, who has a fashion design BFA from the School of the Art Institute
of Chicago, worked at Dazed & Confused magazine (now titled Dazed) and the CFDA-award-winning
brand Creatures of the Wind.
Sarah Mullins
Assistant Chair and Associate Professor, Footwear and Accessories Design
Sarah Mullins is the assistant chair of FIT’s Footwear and Accessories Design program. She teaches
courses in handbag design and development, Adobe Illustrator, and senior thesis. Mullins
attended the Parsons Paris School of Art and Design Summer Program, studying the history
of fashion and fashion illustration. She holds a BFA from Burlington College and an
AAS in Accessories Design from FIT.
Al Palmaccio
Assistant Director of Engineering and Sustainability, FIT
Everyone has a part to play in reducing FIT’s carbon footprint. But Al Palmaccio, who joined FIT in 1995, has perhaps played the largest role. By managing energy-efficient
equipment upgrades to FIT’s facilities — from steam-powered heating and cooling, for
example, to LED lights and water-saving washing machines — he has overseen a 58% reduction
in the college’s carbon emissions since 2007, when FIT began participating in the
New York City Mayor’s Office NYC Carbon Challenge. For this work and more, the NYC
Department of Citywide Administrative Services named him a 2017 Energy Champion.
Sue Rock
Founder/Executive Director, Sue Rock Originals and Sue Rock Originals Everyone, Inc.
Sue Rock is an influential woman in both the fashion and non-profit sectors. She is at the
helm of Sue Rock Originals, a sustainable brand creating womenswear, accessories,
and home furnishings. Working solely with reclaimed fabrics from NYC’s garment industry,
this business has, for more than 15 years, maintained successful sales with brick-and-mortar
retailers in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and via its own online presence. Spurred by the
loss of a friend due to domestic violence, Rock realized that survivors who leave
their abuser needed practical services. So she founded the 501(c)(3) charity Sue Rock
Originals EVERYONE to provide textile training, restore skills, and empower people.
Rock’s groundbreaking work has been recognized by two New York City borough presidents,
a New York State Senator, and numerous members of the City Council.
Evelyn Rynkiewicz
Associate Professor, Department of Science and Math
Associate Professor Evelyn Rynkiewicz, PhD, is a disease ecologist who teaches courses in ecology and biology at FIT. Her
scientific research investigates co-infection in wild mice, focusing on how parasites
and pathogens interact with each other and with the host immune system. In her work
with FIT students, Rynkiewicz’s primary goal is to increase science literacy among
non-science majors; and she also strives to give her students the confidence to bring
ideas of the scientific process and the natural world into their thinking about their
careers. Rynkiewicz is the faculty advisor for FIT’s Biodesign Challenge program.
She earned her doctorate from Indiana University, after which she pursued postdoctoral
research at the University of Edinburgh (as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral
Research Fellow) and at Columbia University.
Wray Serna
Founder, Wray; Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, Cloth
Wray Serna is an American independent fashion designer and entrepreneur based in New York City.
She is the founder of WRAY, a clothing, swimwear, and accessories brand, and co-founder
and chief design officer of Cloth. WRAY, founded in 2015, offers women’s wear in sizes
XXS through 6X. While Serna designs and develops her collections in NYC, every garment
is created ethically at fair-trade, family-owned operations in India. As the co-founder
and chief design officer of Cloth, a fashion app, Serna has created a profiling system
that gives retailers a better sense of who their customers are and what is in their
closets, allowing them to better target and engage their customers.
Julian Silverman
Assistant Professor, Science and Math, FIT
Julian Silverman is a materials chemist and assistant professor at FIT. His research focuses on creating
sustainable ingredients for consumer products from renewable and waste resources.
Joy Batashoff Thaler
Founder, CocoaCompassion
Joy Batashoff Thaler is the founder of CocoaCompassion, a socially impactful bean-to-bar chocolate company
dedicated to supporting cacao farmers and to enhancing mental health and wellness.
It was Thaler’s deep concern for smallholder cacao farmers, who often face severe
poverty, that prompted her to advocate for transparency and ethical practices in the
cocoa industry and to start a chocolate business committed to merging social responsibility
with business savvy. CocoaCompassion prioritizes people and the planet over profit,
while addressing critical needs both locally and globally. Thaler’s innovative approach
and proven ability to identify untapped opportunities have earned her accolades, such
as BrandWeek “Best in Show” and POPAI Silver and Bronze awards for in-store shopping
excellence.
Thaler trained in bean-to-bar chocolate making from Ecole Chocolat. She also holds
a B.A. in psychology from George Washington University and certification in family-to-family
support programming from the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), reflecting
her commitment to mental-health advocacy. Her professional background is marked by
significant achievements across various sectors: At Thomson Reuters, she was recognized
as a top-1% performer in global sales; and in her roles as a Senior Brand Manager
at CBSNews.com and at Fujifilm’s QuickSnap, she led strategic rebranding efforts and
contributed to substantial revenue growth.
Maxine Bédat is the founder and director of New Standard Institute (NSI), a think-and-do tank
using data to drive systems change. Bédat is a central drafter of the New York Fashion
Act and a leader of the coalition championing it. She is also the author of the book
UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment, a Financial Times Book of the Year, which has been translated into several languages. Prior to NSI,
Bédat co-founded and was the CEO of Zady, a fashion brand and lifestyle destination
creating a transparent and sustainable future for the apparel industry. Bédat has
been recognized by Fast Company on its annual Most Creative People in Business list and by Vogue Business’ 100 Innovators, and she has been included in The Business of Fashion BoF 500, the definitive index of people shaping the global fashion industry, and
Oprah’s Super Soul 100 list, for leaders elevating humanity. Bédat began her career
in international law, working at the Rwandan Criminal Tribunal and at the British
multinational law firm Allen & Overy. She received a Juris Doctor with honors from
Columbia Law School. 
