After intensive searching, Iowa State chose professor Eulanda Sanders as chair of the department of apparel, events and hospitality management of the College of Human Sciences (CHS) on Tuesday morning. 

Currently, Sanders is the Donna R. Danielson professor of textile and clothing. Her appointment as chair will be effective July 1, 2017.

Laura Dunn Jolly, dean of CHS, described Sanders as a great listener, very thoughtful and as having consensus-building skills that will be important moving forward, all of which Jolly believes will benefit the department.

“She has a very deep understanding of the department and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion,” Jolly said.

The dean believes Sanders will help the department think in new ways, as well as take her vision for working collaboratively from within the departments to other departments on campus.

Since joining Iowa State in 2012, Sanders has expanded the doctoral program of textile design and the apparel design and product development programs. In June 2016, she began serving as an equity adviser for CHS.

In a previous interview, Sanders said part of what drew her to Iowa State was its reputation for research, and she saw an opportunity for developing new design initiatives.

Along with her research in areas such as black and African-American appearance and using solar technology in apparel, Sanders’ work has appeared in 96 exhibitions.

Sanders was not available for comment at the time the article was published.