Master’s Degree in Retail & Merchandising Online

Joseph “Joe” Henry Hancock, II is an international authority in the area of fashion branding as a form of storytelling. He started in academia after 20 years in the retailing industry, having worked for such legendary brands as The Gap Incorporated, The Limited Corporation and Target Corporation. He released his book Brand/Story: Ralph, Vera, Johnny, Billy and Other Adventures in Fashion Branding (2009) and the 2nd Edition in 2016 called Brand/Story: Explorations and Cases in Fashion Branding both by Bloomsbury. His works on branding and storytelling have appeared in such publications as The Brand Challenge by Kartikeya Kompella (Kogan Page 2016) and Strategic Design Thinking by Natalie Nixon (Bloomsbury, 2015). He has completed three co-edited books, Fashion in Popular Culture (2013), Global Fashion Brands (2014), and Cotton: Companies, Fashion & The Fabric of Our Lives (2016) with Intellect Publishing through The University of Chicago Press. Dr. Hancock is the principal editor of the peer-reviewed journal Fashion, Style and Popular Culture (Intellect Publishers) and he is working on an authored book on Jeans and another called The Fashion Business Reader, both with Bloomsbury, that will be released in 2018 and 2019.

Dr. Hancock is the Executive Director for Events for the Popular Culture/American Culture Associations (PCA/ACA) and was their 2009 recipient of the Felicia F. Campbell Award for Area Chairs. He has been awarded Drexel's 2008 Steinbright Cooperative Career Center's faculty of the year and recently received the 2011 Stanley J. Gwiazda Professorship Award. He has received over $100,000 in grants, fellowships and awards and has generated $13,000 in corporate gifts for Drexel University.

Dr. Hancock has lectured and taught courses at University of Technology in Sydney, Australia and at Stockholm University. Has been an invited speaker at Cornell University, The Ohio State University, Albright College, and the University of Delaware. He has received research fellowships and grants from the Popular/American Culture Associations, the London College of Fashion, and Stockholm University and has taught courses at The Ohio State University, Ohio University, and Oregon State University.

Drexel’s 10,000 Hours Podcast: It’s Called Fashion, Look it Up

Have you ever wondered where cargo pants come from? Drexel’s Joe Hancock has. In fact, he wrote an entire dissertation on them. He also talks to us about growing up in mall culture, why he loves Ralph Lauren and the styles he never wants to come back.

Vivianna Bermudez is the Director of Communications and Events for the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. She is responsible for upholding Drexel University brand standards across multiple digital platforms and developing visual communications that cater to Drexel’s online student population. Her experience in social media, visual communications and data visualization spans her career in the communications field, which has included positions with Johns Hopkins University and the University of Delaware. She has also worked for specialized boutiques, such as Velvet Lounge and Pitcrew. Vivianna has served as a board member for the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Baltimore Chapter, mentoring and connecting undergraduate students with internships and job opportunities in the design and retail industries. She also held the positions of Financial Educator and Marketing and Communications Director for Shine Foundation, a non-profit organization that educates homeless survivors of domestic violence about financial literacy.

Vivianna holds an MA in Digital Communications from Johns Hopkins University and earned her BS in Fashion Merchandising from the University of Delaware.

As a professional educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience, Anne Cecil lectures locally, nationally, and internationally on a variety of topics: Visual Merchandising, Popular Culture, Online Learning, and Technostress. She is the founding Area Chair of the Punk Culture Area for the Popular Culture Association where she has consistently grown area participation and has spearheaded an effort to legitimize punk research in the academic arena.

Anne has returned to part-time teaching to pursue various entrepreneurial and creative endeavors including: ONO Made in the 191, a consultancy that works with Independent Makers, Manufacturers and Sellers to create and maintain sustainable business; Roxanne Lava, a bespoke women's shoe company; Co-host of Fashion Matters, a collaboration between Anne Cecil & Philadelphia personality Phillip Silverstone. Each week the two discuss how Fashion touches our lives. Her thoughts can be heard on Time Out with Phillip Silverstone via TuneIn Radio.

Dr. Tsz Kwok joined Drexel in 2000 with nearly eighteen years of academic training and experience in higher education. He is currently an Adjunct Professor and the Associate Director for Drexel’s Graduate College. Working together with faculty, professional staff, students, and administrators across the University, Dr. Kwok is committed to a range of initiatives aimed at enriching the many academic, research, and experiential learning opportunities for graduate students.

Dr. Kwok’s primary areas of research include leadership development, creative leadership, pre-orientation program, comparative and international education, qualitative research methods, and teaching and learning about multicultural education in teacher preparation courses.

Krista Lowther served as the Director of Strategic Patterning Services and Innovation for L Brands. She graduated from Ohio University with a BS in Merchandising and from The Ohio State University with an MS in Textiles & Clothing, focusing on women, sports, and fitness. Her career spans over 28 years working for L Brands, parent company to Victoria's Secret, VSX, PINK, Henri Bendel, Bath and Body Works and Express. In her tenure at Express, Lowther was also an Associate in Planning and Allocations, Merchandise Testing, and an Assistant Buyer.

Over the past 15 years, Joel Rodriguez has led the development of online and hybrid courses across Drexel University’s 17 colleges and schools, including the development of courses in the MS in Retail and Merchandising program. In addition, he currently serves as the Associate Director of Emerging Technologies at Drexel University Online. In this role Joel researches technology trends across industries, such as education, retail and finance. Joel has spent the last 10 years consulting with more than a dozen start-ups and small to medium size businesses across the Northeast. He also teaches as an adjunct faculty member in Drexel’s School of Education.

Joel graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with an MA in Adult Education and Communications Technology. He is currently pursuing an EdD in Educational Leadership.