Dr. Kim Hahn has been appointed Interim Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Faculty Affairs in the College of the Arts, effective July 1, 2023.
Dr. Hahn is currently a full Professor at the School of Fashion with over nine years of administrative and leadership experience as the Associate Director, the Interim Director, as well as the study away coordinator for the School. She earned her undergraduate degree from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, and studied for both her master’s degree (majoring in Fashion Design) and doctoral degree (majoring in Fashion Merchandising) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Before she arrived at Kent State in 2011, Dr. Hahn was an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she taught product development, advanced pattern development and CAD pattern making using OptiTex. Dr. Hahn is one of just a handful of scholars contributing to both fashion merchandising and design, thanks to her research into consumer behavior and engagement with creative scholarships. She has been involved in research and creative scholarships that have explored the influences of cultural factors on fashion and current industry trends.
Dr. Hahn’s innovative design scholarships have been recognized and validated through juried, invited, and solo exhibitions. Over the past decade, she has also created over forty original, wearable artworks. Dr. Hahn has received various international and national design awards, as well as several research and fellowship awards including the 2018 Presidents’ Faculty Excellence Award at Kent State University. In addition to her creative scholarship, Dr. Hahn has a strong record of published research into technology, sustainability, and consumer behavior. Her expertise has earned her numerous research publications in several top journals, including the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, Fashion Practice, and the International Journal of Sustainability in Economic, Social and Cultural Context.
We welcome Dr. Hahn to her new role here in the College of the Arts!