Rachel Lomonaco-Benzing, Ph.D.

Rachel LoMonaco-Benzing earned her Ph.D. in Textile and Apparel Management at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2018, where she studied independent retail strategies in the context of the sharing economy. Her 2009 M.S. thesis at the University of Rhode Island focused on sustainable attitudes and behaviors of textile and apparel students in an effort to develop and improve sustainability content across the curriculum.

Prior to her Ph.D., she worked in customer service and product management with the home products B Corp, Preserve, where she learned more about sustainable entrepreneurship and innovative take-back recycling systems. Her other industry experiences have varied from textile testing and finishing to retail fabric and apparel sales, as well as alterations. She has previously taught at the University of Rhode Island, University of Missouri, Fisher College in Boston, and the Met School in Providence. 

Her research interests include innovative teaching strategies in fashion, B2B sharing enterprises, and sustainable apparel production practices.