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Iowa State contributes to worldwide conference centered around home economics

Faculty News Student News
09/28/2022
Rachel Eike, Ellen McKinney and Conni Spotts, part of Iowa State University’s Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality, attended the 2022 International Federation for Home Economics World Congress.

Iowa State University’s Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management was represented at the 2022 International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) World Congress by three attendees from the department’s apparel, merchandising and design program. 

Assistant Professor, Rachel Eike; Associate Professor, Ellen McKinney; and doctoral student, Conni Spotts, all showed creative scholarship in the Textile and Design Exhibition while also showcasing work from fellow colleagues, Ling Zhang and hybrid doctoral student, Stephanie Hubert. McKinney also presented research via oral presentation Firefighter Glove Design: Critical Literature Review and Proposed Design Process Model. While Eike presented research with colleagues regarding sustainable engagement approaches with students and consumers to extend the life of their soft products via Campus Stitch Shops: Opportunities to Promote Sustainable Consumption and Education and Supporting Sewing Skills.

“Academics who study and teach in home economics have much to contribute to the ever-changing home environmental challenges,” shared Eike in a panel discussion during the conference.

Eike, representing as the IFHE Textiles and Design Committee Chair, alongside Nany Ganovsky, IFHE President of Honor, Donna Pendergast, IFHE Journal Editor, and Jacob Hojgaard Christensen, IFHE Young Professional Network, shared views of wWhat and how will Home Economics be contributing to in the future. 

Eike, representing as the IFHE Textiles and Design Committee Chair, alongside Nany Ganovsky, IFHE President of Honor, Donna Pendergast, IFHE Journal Editor, and Jacob Hojgaard Christensen, IFHE Young Professional Network, shared views of what and how will Home Economics be contributing to in the future. 

IFHE also connects research and education from more than 70 countries and encompasses all aspects of the home including: textiles and clothing, finance, child development, interior design, and management.  

“I sat in on a presentation from someone from Nigeria and it was interesting how much different their challenges are from what we have here in the United States,” said Eike. 

Iowa State was also represented in the 2022 IFHE Design Catalog: 

  • Re-Seen, Constance R. Spotts, PhD student (Ellen McKinney,mentor) 
  • Re-Surfaced Bauhaus on Canvas: Upcycled Wall Art, Rachel Eike, AMD Assistant Professor and Damon Eike, AMD MS student 
  • Supporting Responsible Apparel Consumption through Design: Integrating Multiple Aspects of Consumer-Perceived Quality to Promote Long-Term Apparel Use, Ellen McKinney, AMD Associate Professor 
  • Rose Window of the Notre Dame de Paris, Ling Zhang, AMD Assistant Professor and Li Jiang, AMD PhD student 
  • Stephanie Hubert’s creative piece (AMD PhD student, Hybrid) (Rachel Eike, mentor) 

About IFHE: The last IFHE World Congress in the Unites States was held in 1988 in Minneapolis, Minn. The international organization serves as an umbrella unit for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) and advocates initiatives presented by the United Nations, particularly the Sustainability Development Goals for the 2022 Congress. IFHE Congress is held every four years, and was originally scheduled for August of 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic was postponed to 2022. The next IFHE Congress will be held in Ireland in 2024. Please reach out to Dr. Eike if you are interested in learning more about the IFHE organization, presenting research, or showcasing creative scholarship in the Textiles and Design juried exhibition. 

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