Taaluma Totes Design Began in AHRM

“Of course I was interested and willing to help Jack DuFour, (Co-Founder, Taaluma Totes) on their backpack project.” says Dr. LuAnn Gaskill, Professor in the Apparel Program.  She had first learned of the Engineering students working on the backpack project from Dr. Doris Kincade, Professor in the Apparel Program, who had met with Jack in his quest for marketing and manufacturing insights.  Dr. Kincade met with the student team and discussed the specifications they needed - fabric requirements, stitching, dimensions, standards, etc.  She also shared information on costing - how to cost and what to consider when costing.  Together with Peggy Quesenberry (Trainer/Instructor in the Apparel Program), Dr. Kincade discussed manufacturing information pertaining to how and where they could have the bags produced and the type of skills needed to construct the backpacks.  Dr. Gaskill became involved given her experiences in international small business management and marketing.

The students approached Dr. Gaskill with their backpack project concept, fabrics, and design ideas.  “Working with the students, I created the prototype backpacks including the patterns and design specifics.”  A first sample prototype was made, feedback was collected, and a second set of prototypes were created and constructed by Dr. Gaskill.  Jack took it from there and thus began Taaluma Totes. 

Jack writes, “Dr. Gaskill spent countless hours with our team to develop prototypes and patterns to send to Uganda in order to ramp up local production efforts.”   Taaluma Totes offers handmade Uganda backpacks crafted by local artisans; proceeds from sales help fund scholarships for students in Uganda.   

Learn more about Taaluma Totes:
 http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/taaluma-totes-international-backpacks-that-carry-a-country

Taaluma Totes gives back to international fabric sellers; Collegiate Times, Oct. 14, 2013:

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/22823/taaluma-totes-gives-back-to-international-fabric-sellers  

Alumna receives High Honor from Finland!

Dr. Leena Kirjavainen received one of the highest honors in her home country last year.  The Cross of Merit of the White Rose of Finland was awarded to Leena for her years of work in home economics and resource management across the globe.  The Association of Home Economics Teachers in Finland applied for the honor through the Ministry of Education during the last term of President Tarja Halonen, and presented to Leena on August 22, 2013.

Leena is a 1984 Ph.D. graduate of the resource management program at Virginia Tech.  She was on campus recently giving the inaugural presentation for the Globalization of Consumers: A year of Study program in AHRM for 2013-2014.  
 

Leena's talk, GlobalizationTrends and Families' Livelihoods: Issues in Africa, was presented to over 70 students and faculty in Fralin Auditorium on September 23, 2013.  She identified areas of globalization and environmental changes that impact consumers everywhere and highlighted examples from the Horn of Africa where she currently works as a consultant to the Intra-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Djibouti.

Leena is known as an effective program coordinator, team leader and interactive manager as well as a mentor, multi-cultural communicator and a high-level negotiator in the international arena.  Her special interests have been in women's empowerment and capacity building through education and skills training, and in strengthening agricultural and home economics institutions.  Recently, she has refocused on gender roles in household food and nutrition security, livelihoods, climate change, emergencies and conflicts.  

She served the International Labor Organization in Trinidad and Tobago (1975-77), the Nordic Governments in Tanzania (1977-79), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, where her appointments included Project Manager in Sudan (1984-89), Director of Women and Population Division at FAO Headquarters in Rome (1992-97), and FAO Representative to Laos (2003-06).

 

  

Dr. Kirjavainen's talk can be watched on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLD2okihCHM

Super Hokie Spotlight!

Samantha Skidmore, AHRM senior, is a huge Hokie Fan!   She made the first Super Hokie costume out of duct tape in Fall 2011 for the national Duct Tape School Spirit competition.  She didn’t win the competition that year, but that didn’t stop her.  She made a maroon duct tape dress and joined the Cassell Guard Generals (the official student section leaders for men's and women's basketball).  Then she made a black duct tape dress for the “Blackout” game in basketball.



“After wearing duct tape for that long, I was really sick of it. It's quite uncomfortable and the wig was too tight, so I set out this summer to make a new costume out of fabric. I ditched the wig and made a zip-up corset and skirt complete with accessories.”

Her new costume consists of an orange dress and signature maroon cape. The shoes are maroon with gold toes.  Of course, the gold “super hero” headband completes the ensemble.  Her studies in Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management help guide her enthusiasm for design and after graduation she would like to design women’s collegiate apparel.

"I started wearing costumes to football games and let my persona grow from there.  I now have 500 likes on Facebook and 400 followers on Twitter."

Samantha has used the Super Hokie persona to promote Virginia Tech and the idea of girls being very passionate about sports.  Her favorite part of being the "Super Hokie" is interacting with fans in a whole new way, getting them pumped up on game day, and then getting to know them on Twitter and Facebook.

"It has really made the vast Hokie Nation feel like a tight knit community to me."

So, the next time you're at a sports event at Cassell Coliseum or Lane Stadium...look for Samantha and say, "Let's Go -- Hokies!"