Hurst folds retail experience into apparel classes

Jessica Hurst, assistant professor in apparel, educational studies and hospitality management, brought industry experience with her when she returned to her alma mater to teach students the ins and outs of textile and clothing merchandising.

Merchandising classes take into account management issues, visual displays, negotiation strategies and other retail concepts like assortment planning and control, Hurst said.

Hurst said that many of the classes she is teaching this semester have been offered in past semesters, but she is making "major refinements." Hurst is teaching TC 377, brand management and promotion, a class that she created.

In her retail information analysis class, which Hurst has revamped to include a model stock and a six-month buying plan that students track on spreadsheets, she teaches students the planning process involved in ordering and selling merchandise.

"Experiences [in the industry] have really helped me create this planning and controlling class," Hurst said.

Hurst, who has served on the faculty since August, said Iowa State has one of the best textiles and clothing programs in the field, "mainly because we have the development, production and merchandising all in one major."

"[The combination] gives students rounded, 'more real' perspectives of the whole industry," Hurst said.

Hurst's research is focused on the human resources aspect of the industry, specifically "finding ways to help retailer employees convert employees from interns," Hurst said. A survey, created by Hurst, for collecting data on internships and entry-level jobs, was recently revised and purchased by a division of Monster.com.

Initially an elementary education major at Iowa State, Hurst said she took a few classes in the major and realized it wasn't for her. She changed her major to textiles and clothing after seeing a fashion show.

After graduating from the program in 1999, Hurst started a job with Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas.

"At Neiman Marcus, my favorite part was helping my co-workers with training classes," Hurst said. "I really liked helping, really liked teaching. Being a buyer just really wasn't my dream."

Hurst returned to Iowa State to earn a master's degree in textiles and clothing. While taking classes, she also served as a teaching assistant in a textiles science lab.

"[Leading the class] made me realize that teaching might be something I'd like to do," Hurst said.

Hurst continued her education, attending Michigan State University, where she earned a Ph.D .in merchandise management and retail.

After moving to Ames from Michigan, joining the Iowa State faculty, finishing her dissertation and having a baby all within the last year, Hurst says her motto is "challenge knows no boundaries."