Gaskill Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

LuAnn R. Gaskill, professor and chair of the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management at Virginia Tech, has been named the recipient of the 2006 Ohio State University Distinguished Alumni Award in the College of Human Ecology.

Gaskill’s scholarship is grounded in support of small business development and entrepreneurial sustainability in the international textiles and apparel business setting. She recognizes the importance of globalization, cultural diversity, and international perspectives in the work of the academy and focuses her scholarly interests on research that functions to improve quality of life, economic development opportunities, and self-sufficiency for a variety of populations in the U.S. and abroad. Many of her academic contributions are also focused on ways to bring an international perspective into the higher education classroom.

Gaskill, who served as Associate Dean of Outreach and External Relations during the 2003-05 academic years for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, was previously on the faculty at Iowa State University. Her practitioner experiences have included executive management positions with Federated Department Stores and as patternmaker/designer for a children’s apparel manufacturer in Columbus, Ohio. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University, her master’s degree from Ohio University and her doctorate degree from Ohio State University.

The impact of her pursuits have included web-based course development, international keynote presentations, case study research, refereed journal publications, video creativity, curriculum modifications and course development, research presentations and proceedings, and consulting activities. International pursuits have included on-site travel to, and collaborations with colleagues, practitioners, and communities in Botswana, China, England, Greece, Holland, Jamaica, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

She has twenty-five refereed journal publications to her credit and has disseminated over seventy refereed presentations to various academic audiences around the world. Her research scholarship has appeared in the Columbus Dispatch, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post.

Gaskill is currently engaged in preliminary planning for the 2009 conference of the International Textiles and Apparel Association to be held in Capetown, South Africa, in partnership with academic colleagues/business organizations from the Southern Africa region. In 2005, she co-directed a conference of the International Textiles and Apparel Association with attendance exceeding 500 participants representing nine countries. She has held national offices and leadership positions in the International Textiles and Apparel Association and the American Collegiate Retail Association.

Gaskill is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the National Board on Human Sciences Fellowship Award; an International Who's Who of Professional Educators Award; the Ohio State University Alumni Association New Leader Award; a Virginia Tech Outstanding Administrator Award; as well as 14 other university awards for excellence in teaching, research, outreach and/or student development.

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences embraces the arts, humanities, social and human sciences, and education. The College nurtures intellect and spirit, enlightens decision-making, inspires positive change, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. It is home to the departments of Apparel, Housing & Resource Management; Communication; English; Foreign Languages & Literatures; History; Human Development; Interdisciplinary Studies; Music; Philosophy; Political Science; ROTC; Science and Technology in Society; Sociology; Theatre Arts; and the School of Education.