Education

---

Cornell University, Department of Human Centered Design

Ph.D., Apparel Design, expected May 2023 

Minor: American Indian and Indigenous Studies

Dissertation: In Pursuit of an American Fashion Identity: Stories of Colonization, Missionization, and Survivance, 1890-1926

Committee Chair: Dr. Denise N. Green 

Arizona State University, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

M.A., Art History, May 2018

Thesis: The ‘Man Ray School of Photography’: Reviewing Surrealism in Fashion Photography of the 1930s 

Committee Chair: Dr. Claudia Mesch

Purdue University, Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing

B.S., magna cum laude, Apparel Design, May 2015

Minor: Art and Design Studio  

Xepoleas, Lynda, M., “Subversive Beauty: Reassessing the Surreal in 1930s American Vogue,” Journal of Surrealism and the Americas, accepted. 

Xepoleas, Lynda M. and Emily Hayflick, “Curating Costumes from Many Lands: Addressing the Colonial Gaze in University Dress Collections through Digital Fashion Curation,” Critical Studies in Fashion and Beauty, forthcoming. 

Green, Denise N., Jenny Leigh Du Puis, Lynda May Xepoleas, Victoria Pietsch, Christ Hesselbein, Rachel Getman, “Curating Empowerment,” In B. Barry, & D. Christel (Eds.), The Fashion Activist Reader: Transforming Fashion Education and Ending Body Oppression (McGill-Queen’s University Press), forthcoming.

Green, Denise Nicole, Jenny Leigh Du Puis, Lynda May Xepoleas, Victoria Pietsch, Christ Hesselbein, Rachel Getman, Kate Greder, and Jessica Estrada, “Fashion Exhibitions as Scholarship: Evaluation Criteria for Peer Review,” Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 39, no. 1 (January 2021): 71-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X19888018

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “Fashioning Professionals: Identity and Representation at Work in Creative Industries,” The Journal of Dress History 4, no. 4 (2020): 130-132.

Xepoleas, Lynda M. and Denise N. Green, “‘Indian’ Lacemaking: Addressing the Appropriation and Exploitation of Indigenous Labor within American Fashion,” International Textile and Apparel Association’s Annual Conference, November 3-6, 2021. 

*Recipient of the 2021 Intellect Books Research Award

Xepoleas, Lynda M. and Denise N. Green, “‘Indispensable Treasures’: Reframing Indigenous Design as ‘American’ Fashion in Illustrated Lectures,” International Textile and Apparel Association’s Annual Conference, November 11-21, 2020.

*Recipient of the 2019 Robert C. Hillestad Fellowship in Historic Textiles or Costume, ITAA

Xepoleas, Lynda M. and Fatma Baytar, “Fabricating the Clothed Body in Museum Displays: An Exploration of Digital Mannequin-Making Techniques,” International Textile and Apparel Association’s Annual Conference, November 11-21, 2020. 

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “Materializing Fashion Narratives: Situating Photographic Materialism in the Field of Fashion Studies,” Chicago Fashion Lyceum’s Inaugural Conference, Chicago, IL, October 5-8, 2020. 

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “Establishing an American Fashion Discourse: Art Museums in Service of the New York Fashion Industry, 1936-1946,” Costume Society of America Annual Conference, New York, NY, June 1-7, 2020.

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “‘A New Source of Inspiration’: Ethnographic Study Collections in Service of American Fashion Design, 1916-1919,” College of Art Association’s Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, February 12-15, 2020. 

Xepoleas, Lynda M. and Denise N. Green, “Reimagining Mid-Century American Fashion within Museum Photography,” International Textile and Apparel Association’s Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV, October 25-29, 2019. 

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “The ‘Man Ray School of Photography’: Surrealism and Fashion Photography,” International Society for the Study of Surrealism’s Inaugural Conference, Lewisburg, PA, November 1-4, 2018.

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “Man Ray, Fashion, and the Modernist Lens,” Costume Society of America Joint Mid-Atlantic/Southeastern Region Symposium, Shippensburg, PA, October 11-14, 2018.  

Xepoleas, Lynda M., “Recapturing the Surreal in Fashion Photography of the 1930s,” Costume Society of America Annual Conference, Portland, ME, May 29-June 4, 2017.

*Recipient of the 2017 Adele Filene Student Travel Award, CSA

Cornell University  January 2022 - present

Graduate Teaching Assistant, American Studies Program 

Courses: AMST 1101: Introduction to American Studies (Spring 2022)

Cornell University, July 2020 – August 2021

Instructor of Record, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design

Courses: FSAD 1120: Fashion Design and Visual Thinking (Summer 2021)

                 FSAD 1120: Fashion Design and Visual Thinking (Summer 2020)

Cornell University, July 2019- May 2021

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design

Courses: FSAD 2660: Activewear Design and Product Development (Spring 2021)

                 *Recipient of the 2021 Nancy Rutherford Teaching Innovation Award, ITAA

                 FSAD 2640: Fashion Draping (Spring 2020)

                 FSAD 1250: Art, Design and Visual Thinking (Fall 2019)

                 FSAD 1120: Fashion Design and Visual Thinking (Summer 2019)

Cornell University, August - December 2019

Graduate Assistant, Department of Art

Courses: Introduction to Photography (Fall 2019)

Cornell University, May-July 2019

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design

Research Project: 'A Source of Inspiration': Ethnographic Study Collections in Service of American Fashion Design, 1915-1928

Project Supervisor: Dr. Denise N. Green

Arizona State University, August 2015 - December 2017

Graduate Teaching Assistant, School of Art

Courses: ARS 300: Introduction to Visual Culture (Fall 2017) 

                 ARS 100: Introduction to Art (Fall 2015 - Spring 2017)

Purdue University, August 2014 - May 2015

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing 

Courses: CSR 215: Survey of Textiles (Spring 2015)

                 CSR 100: Beginning Garment Construction (Fall 2014)

Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection, August 2020 – present

Graduate Research Assistant

• Oversee the handling of materials for exhibitions and class visits 
• Process new acquisitions 
• Complete condition reports for items on loan
• Photograph pieces for online exhibitions and social media posts

Cornell University Libraries, August - December 2018

Library Assistant, Digitization and Conservation Services 

• Assisted with the conservation and digitization of materials from the American Textile History Museum currently housed within Cornell University Library's Rare and Manuscript Collection 

Arizona State University Libraries, January - December 2017 

Library Assistant, Special Collections 

• Assisted with the handling, movement and temporary storage of ASU Special Collections in preparation for upcoming renovations 
• Oversaw several projects related to the rehousing of artifacts, photography, periodicals, and theatrical costumes 
• Monitored environmental conditions, inspected objects for potential damage, and reported conservation issues 

Phoenix Art Museum, August - December 2016

Curatorial Intern, Fashion Design 

• Conducted exhibition and object-based research
• Contributed to the selection and mounting of objects for exhibition, including dressing and installation of contemporary mannequins and display cases 
• Assisted with the handling, cataloging and maintenance of objects in the permanent collection

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, June - August 2016

Curatorial Intern, Costume and Textiles 

• Assisted with the handling, photography, rehousing and cataloging of LACMA’s permanent costume and textiles collection 
• Contributed original research to several object files within the permanent collection 
• Assisted with the assembly, preparation, dressing and installation of nineteenth century and contemporary mannequins for upcoming exhibitions
• Attended various workshops and tutorials in the areas of: lighting, handling, dressing, TMS, collections management and the conservation of textiles and works on paper 

Children’s Museum of Phoenix, September 2015 - April 2016

Art Studio Assistant 

• Facilitated weekly programs and assigned lesson plans
• Prepared and maintained art studio and materials
• Encouraged continued support of museum programs and engaged with visitors during the creative process 

Purdue Galleries, May - July 2015

Gallery Attendant

• Interacted with gallery visitors and answered questions regarding exhibitions and upcoming events
• Maintained gallery’s appearance and assisted with take down/set up of rotating exhibitions 
• Conducted individual research on Purdue’s permanent collection

CHE Graduate Summer Archival Research Fellowship, Cornell University, Summer 2022 ($7,500)

Stella Blum Student Research Grant, Costume Society of America, 2021-2022 ($3,000)

Intellect Books Research Award, International Textile and Apparel Association, 2021

Rutherford Teaching Innovation Award, International Textile and Apparel Association, 2021 *Second Place

University of Fashion-Avalon Sustainability Award for Design Scholarship, International Textile and Apparel Association, 2020

Graduate Student Fellowship, The Association of Dress Historians, 2020 ($500)

Robert C. Hillestad Fellowing: Outstanding Graduate Student in Historic Costume or Textiles, International Textile and Apparel Association, 2019 ($3,000)

Graduate Research Assistantship, Cornell University, Summer 2019 ($4,500)
Graduate Conference Travel Grant, Cornell University, Fall 2018 ($250)
Graduate School Recruitment Fellowship, Cornell University, 2018-2019 ($26,000)
Adele Finele Student Presenter Award, Costume Society of America, 2017
Graduate and Professional Travel Award, Arizona State University, Spring 2017 ($500)
School of Art Student Enrichment Grant, Arizona State University, Spring 2017 ($500)
Graduate Research Grant, Arizona State University, Spring 2017 ($1,200)
Jack Handford Summer Internship Award, Costume Society of America, Summer 2016 ($2,000)
Annual Art History Essay Prize, Purdue’s Department of Art and Design, 2015
Kneale Award for History, Purdue's 84th Annual Literary Awards Contest, 2015  
Undergraduate Candidate of Distinction, Purdue University, 2015
Outstanding Senior in Apparel Design, Purdue's Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing, 2014-2015
Fashion Design Scholarship, Purdue Fashion Association, Spring 2013 ($500)

Committee Member, DEAI Committee, Costume Society of America, November 2021-Present

Committee Member, Curatorial Exhibition Scholarship Committee, ITAA, November 2020-Present

Editorial Assistant, The Journal of Dress History, January -December 2020

Member, The Association of Dress Historians, January 2020 – Present

Member, College of Art Association, May 2019 – Present

Member, International Textiles and Apparel Association, August 2018 – Present

Member, International Society for the Study of Surrealism, May 2018 – May 2019

Member, Costume Society of America, August 2015 – Present

Member, American Alliance of Museum, August 2015 – May 2018 

Member, Textile Society of America, August 2015 – May 2018

Volunteer, Lemon Art Research Library, Phoenix Art Museum, May – July 2017

President, Council of Graduate Art Historians, ASU, August 2016 – May 2017

Vice President, Council of Graduate Art Historians, ASU, August 2015 – May 2016

Member, Boilermaker Student Athletic Council, August 2013 – May 2015

Member, Purdue Fashion Association, August 2011 – May 2015