Fashion Scholarship Fund
The Fashion Scholarship Fund awards over $1.2 million in scholarships each year to U.S. college students and is aimed at helping students succeed in all sectors of the fashion industry: design, merchandising, analytics, marketing and supply chain, among others. FSF also offers internships, mentorships, as well as talent acquisition, educational and networking events. It is open to all Lehigh students.
- Meet Evelyn Siao ’21 – FSF 2021 Top Prize Winner
- Watch Evelyn Siao's FSF Introduction Video
- WWD’s Coverage of 2021 FSF Awards Celebration
- 2020 FSF Scholarship Winners
Marketing Career Day
Marketing Career Day normally takes place in the late fall. It kicks off with a keynote speaker from the marketing industry followed by a number of panels featuring industry professionals. Discussions include career pivoting, client vs agency career paths, as well as career management.
Networking Events
Students may have the opportunity to attend the National Retail Federation’s Student Program as part of the world’s largest retail marketing conference, where they take part in an intensive small group mentoring session with a seasoned retail executive and network with top company recruiters at a career fair.
Career Treks are organized to allow students to visit fashion retail teams in New York’s apparel industry. In the past, students have made stops at Calvin Klein and the Greg Norman Collection. Industry insiders explained the design process, supply chain, new product launches, and campaign analysis. (NOTE: Lehigh alumni and parents of students continue to be encouraged to partner in a students’ career development by speaking as part of an on-campus event or hosting a Career Trek to a company or organization involved in marketing.)
Guest Speaker Classroom Visits
Recently, department faculty members have pursued opportunities that augmented learning by bringing marketing practitioners into the classroom through personal connections and participation in the AEF Speakers Program. Visitors included Marlene Sidhu, brand marketing director from Bimbo Bakeries USA, Darby Hughes, brand strategy director from Quench, a creative agency; Thomas Rich, president of the Qualitative Research Consulting Association. Each speaker offered students valuable insights regarding the latest trends in marketing and the challenges that today’s marketers must meet in order to achieve success. To give a flavor of working in a community-based organization, Liz Regan, marketing manager of the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance, shared with students how this group brings together local government, business entities, and community partners to enhance the lifestyle for residents in the city’s downtown and surrounding areas.
Academic Project Work
Coursework in the marketing department is intentionally designed to offer both theory-based knowledge and practical application. Class projects represent the type of work that students can expect to do in the early stages of their marketing career. For example, MKT 314-Digital and Social Media Marketing incorporates a full-semester consultation for external clients that entails developing social and digital action plans in support of client organizations’ marketing objectives. Starting with a detailed briefing by a client leader, the teams perform audits of current practices, analyze opportunities for improvement, and develops recommendations. The semester culminates with a final team presentation to the clients’ teams for evaluation. In the past, teams worked with Modern Picnic, a start-up by LU ’16 Ali Kaminetsky; My Social Canvas, an educational innovation platform and the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance.