Woodbury University Names Longtime Faculty Member Anna Leiker Chair of Fashion Design Program

    BURBANK, CA, December 17, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Anna Leiker, Interim Chair in the Department of Fashion Design at Woodbury University, has been named Department Chair, the university announced today. The appointment is effective immediately.

As an adjunct faculty member, Anna Leiker has been an integral part of the Woodbury community for 17 years, teaching such courses as Digital Fashion Design 1 and 2, Swimwear and Knitwear, Advanced Technical Studio, and Childrenswear. She has been involved in advising, assessment and internships throughout her tenure at Woodbury. Leiker's scholarship involves fashion technology, specifically smart textiles, fashion sustainability, and fashion photography. Earlier this year, she received Woodbury's Excellence in Teaching Award.

"Anna is a fashion industry professional with experience in both corporate and entrepreneurial fashion worlds - an ideal fit for the Chair of Fashion Design," said Sue Vessella, MFA, Interim Dean, School of Media, Culture & Design. "She epitomizes so much of what makes Woodbury distinctive. A dedicated instructor with an outstanding track record in enabling student success, Anna is engaged and engaging, creative and inspiring."

"My vision for our program is to infuse elements of sustainability and wearable tech into the fundamentals of the curriculum," Leiker said. "The mission of the Fashion Design faculty is to link academic and workplace environments for the professional advancement of our students. Fashion is a fascinating and complex phenomenon, an expression of personal attitude, a contrast of mass production and artisan movements. Creative people working in fashion anticipate and generate changes, which is why a fashion degree appeals to students with inquiring minds."

Leiker has served as an Instructor/Lecturer at California State University, Northridge, and as an Instructor in the Textile and Knitwear Department at Technological College in Moscow. As a fashion industry professional, she has worked as an independent designer, a Partner/Exporter at Liaison Trading International, and Technical Specialist at The Warnaco Company's Olga and Speedo divisions.

Leiker earned a Master of Science in Textile and Apparel Design from California State University, Northridge, and a Bachelor of Science in Design and Technology/Apparel Industry from Moscow State University of Design and Technology. She is currently at work on an MFA in Documentary Photography with a focus in fashion.

Woodbury's School of Media, Culture & Design offers a BFA in Fashion Design. The university is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Fashion Department program highlights include the annual Woodbury Show, access to the Fashion Study Collection (more than 6,000 pieces, some dating back to the early 1800s), local lectures, museums, galleries, and exhibitions exploring a variety of topics including social and cultural issues, and Summer Study Abroad experiences. In 2015, Woodbury's Fashion Design program was ranked 10th among the top fashion schools in the West and 23rd nationally among private schools and colleges by Fashion-Schools.org, an online resource for those who aspire to a career in the fashion industry.

About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. The university ranks 15th among the nation's "25 Colleges That Add the Most Value," according to Money Magazine, and is a 2016-17 College of Distinction. Woodbury is a finalist for the General Community Service Award, a part of the 2015 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognition program. With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as a Master of Architecture degree with a concentration in Real Estate Development. Visit woodbury.edu for more information.

Media Contact:
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
(323) 469-3397
[email protected]

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