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Chris Baeza
Chris Baeza
Associate Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor, Fashion Industry & Merchandising

Contact:

Location:

URBN Center, 110
MS, Leadership Development, Pennsylvania State University
BS, Fashion Design and Textile Design, Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science
Books & Book Chapters
 
Baeza, C., Quinn, E., Contributing Authors, Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Apparel, and Textiles (chapter 25), Professor Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design ®, Business School for the Creative Industries, UCA Dr. Bernice Pan, CEO, DePloy ®, Professor Sandy Black, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion. 2024
 
Baeza, C., Henriques, J., Henriques, C., Gipson, K., Schaar, R., PREPARING STUDENTS TO BE ETHICAL LEADERS AND DESIGN INNOVATORS BY ANALYZING THE IMPLICATIONS OF SPECULATIVE FUTURES. B Academia Roundtable, 2022.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

Baeza, C., Quinn, E., "Transforming the fashion industry by THE EVOLUTION OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING EDUCATION." Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice.
Baeza, C., Schaar, R., "Using Design Fiction to Teach Ethics in Design." Innovation the Journal of the Industrial Designers Society of America, Design Education, Winter 2020.
[In progress] Baeza, C., Jushchyshyn, N., "Transforming the fashion industry with Immersive Merchandising Education." Journal of Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, Intellect Publishers.

Conference Proceedings


Baeza, C., Jushchyshyn, N., "BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND DIGITAL MEDIA: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE ON ETHICS, SUSTAINABILITY, AND IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY." ICERI2024 Conference, November 2024.
Baeza, C., Litzky, B., Schaar, R., "Ethics-Driven Design Education: Integrating Entrepreneurship, Ethics, and Gamification for Sustainable Innovation." IABS 2024 Conference, June 2024
Baeza, C., Schaar, R., "Afrofuturism, Climate Justice, and Design." International Design Conference Education Symposium, September 2021
Baeza, C., Quinn, E., "Transforming the fashion industry by THE EVOLUTION OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING EDUCATION." Sustainable Innovation 2021: Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Clothing, Sportswear & Accessories 23rd International Conference

Professional Activity

Editorial Board Member, Fashion, Style & Popular Culture (Journal), Intellect Books
Book Review, "Fabric for Fashion: The Complete Guide" by Clive Hallett and Amanda Johnston for New Publishing Solutions
External Reviewer, Marist College, 2023
Course Benchmarking, Collarts, 2023 
 
 

Current Research Projects & Grants In Progress

"Immersive Cotton Supply Chain Education: Bringing Transparency to Life" (Cotton in the Curriculum Grant Program Track 1, Principal Investigator, $40,000, 2025-2026)

"Immersive Philadelphia Textile Trail: A Virtual Reality Experience at ANS" (ANS Museum Innovation Fund Grant, Co-Principal Investigator, 2024)

"Building a Sustainable Path: ADVANCING DESIGN Education with World-Building for Sustainability and Climate Action" (Climate Hub Grant, Drexel University, Principal Investigator, 2023)

"EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO LEAD CLIMATE RESILIENT CHANGE" (Colonial Academic Alliance Innovate/Collaborate Grant Program, $40,000, Co-Principal Investigator, 2021-present)
Completed Research Projects

"LEAD THE FUTURE ... from concept to consumer" (Mike Edwards Alumni Gift, $50,000, Co-Principal Investigator, 2021-2023)

 
Recent Panels & Lectures

PA Fibershed Panel: Truth about Fast Fashion, Summer 2024
Philadelphia Fashion Incubator: Entrepreneurial Mindset, 2024
A SYMPOSIUM ON THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THE FUTURE OF RETAIL (Panelist), 2022
COSTCO Packing (Lecture), 2022
The FUTURE FORUM: Fabricating the Future, 2022
Fashion Forward: The Back To School Series: How leading fashion institutes expand the boundaries of curricula, 2021
Philadelphia Fashion Incubator: Sustainable Design, April 2020
Student Research Mentorship

Faculty Mentor, STAR Scholar, Summer 2021 & 2022
Mentor, Fashion Scholarship Fund Case Study Competition Winners (Multiple years, total student awards $37,500)
High School Research Mentorship:
Villa Maria Senior Student Capstone (2023-2024): Trends in fashion industry impacts
Penn Crest AP Research (2021-2022): Perceptions of Fair-Trade Clothing

Recent Media Appearances

2024 Article Contributor, "Fashioning the future: How digitalization can help the fashion industry reduce waste and increase opportunity", Design & Make with Autodesk

Woman's World article, "Save $100s on just-as-great 'dupes'!", February 5 2024 issue

Drexel Magazine: How to Save the World, "Design Ethically", 2022

Recent Creative Projects

2021 Virtual Fashion Show Production

2019 Fashion Show Production

Art direction and execution of the Sean Williams "Sole of Philadelphia" Sneaker Exhibition

Art direction for Program Marketing Video