The Department of Art and Design Welcomes Michelle Burton

Dr. Michelle Burton joins the Department of Art and Design this Fall as an Assistant Professor, bringing a wealth of experience in retail sustainability and a passion for empowering students to achieve academic and professional success.

Before venturing to academia Michelle worked for two decades in the retail industry in positions of varying responsibility from stores to the corporate office. She served in a variety of capacities within the merchandising organization from buying to planning and allocation. She has always had a strong passion for the constant change the retail industry has provided. Along with that she has had a profound interest in education and helping students achieve their academic and professional goals. In addition, she is passionate about sustainable consumption behaviors (SCB) in underrepresented populations and the ongoing technology transformation in the retail industry. Within SCB she seeks to understand the consumer’s engagement in sustainability practices, the impact of these practices on well-being, circular business models and educational platforms (e.g., digital/social media) encouraging sustainability practices. Within the realm of technology transformation in the retail industry she studies the impact on people, the supply chain and overall sustainability initiatives.

Dr. Burton has published articles on topics related to the consumer’s repurposing behaviors in Sustainability, Fashion Practice, and the International Journal of Home Economics. She currently serves on the editorial board for Humanities and Social Sciences Communication journal. She has also served as a manuscript peer reviewer for the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, International Journal of Home Economics, and Fashion Practice.

Dr. Burton is also actively engaged in organizations such as American Collegiate Retailing Association (ACRA), International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA), and Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Practices (ESRAP). She currently serves as the International Textile and Apparel Association co-chair for the consumer behavior track and has previously been involved in the organization’s international conference by reviewing pedagogy, consumer behavior, and undergraduate abstracts for possible inclusion in the conference. During her time serving in ESRAP she committed to serving as both reviewer and co-chair for the annual student poster competition. This juried poster competition equipped and empowered students to become change agents and invoke an entrepreneurial mindset by proposing the development of a business plan for a socially responsible fashion retailer using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as building blocks for the strategy.

Michelle received her Ph.D. from Iowa State University, M.S. from University of North Texas, and B.B.A from the University of Houston. In her spare time Dr. Burton is an avid runner who enjoys the outdoors and long road trips.

She is thrilled to join the faculty at Montclair State University. What stood out to her most was the strong sense of belonging she felt on campus, even before arriving. The enthusiasm of the community and the deep commitment to the students are inspiring. She looks forward to working closely with her students and supporting their academic and professional success.

We invite you all to join us in welcoming Michelle Burton to the Department of Art and Design! We are excited to see the impact she makes on the department and on our students.

To find out more information about Michelle, please visit, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-burton-ph-d-149625/.