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Professor of Interior Design and Chair of the Faculty Association at the time of this interview, Martin Zelnik was hired as a full-time professor in 1969. Zelnik received his BFA from Brandeis University and an MFA of Architecture from Columbia University. He discusses changes in student demographics, noting that students are less traditional and often older than when he started. He talks about how most faculty remain practitioners in their fields, and discusses the linkages between his department and the industry at large. Zelnik notes that professionals can be technophobic, so his students are ahead of the industry’s curve. He mentions that job placement largely falls on faculty and the students themselves, and that most of his students are working long hours during their studies. He touches on the relationship of the faculty association with the union and administration of FIT. He then talks about his hopes to expand the Interior Design Department and his feeling that FIT needs to invest in its graduate programs; he also hopes that FIT will focus on research. Finally, Zelnik says that industry interests can negatively impact FIT’s course development.

This is an interview with FIT professor, architect, and designer Ron Lubman. He discusses his professional interior design experience and the future of design in relation to computers. Lubman was tapped to help found the Electronic Learning Facility, which educated students and faculty on the coming world of computers. He discusses how early demonstrations of computer-aided design were met with major opposition. Lubman goes on to discuss several courses he built on three dimensional space manipulation and how he instills in design students the ability and desire to illustrate technically. Lubman goes into how his coursework resembles Hollywood’s processes and touts Columbia’s “Paperless Studio” as the future of design practice. Lubman then discusses FIT students and how they can be overwhelmed by computer skills without proper motivation. Lubman was recruited to FIT after he gave a lecture on the future of computers in architecture and interior design. He talks about changes in the student body over time and finally discusses interior design faculty reactions to computer-aided design.

Peter Scotese, the Chair of the board of trustees at FIT, joined in 1970. He discusses his appointment to the Board of Education and his advantageous textile manufacturing experience as the CEO of Spring Industries. Scotese lists board members he worked with at the start and later notes how the board has increased its reach. He describes the on-going support that the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries provides FIT and touts the unique offerings of the school such as the Shirley Goodman Resource Center. Scotese also mentions industry support and the ways in which adjunct professors provide a contemporary vocational education to the students at FIT. He then discusses various departments and how their growth is shaped by the industry. To illustrate, he mentions Andrew Goodman and the founding of the buying and merchandising department. Scotese says that the fur industry is pushing FIT to build a program, and that he sees quite a lot of opportunity in the emergence of home fashions. Finally, Scotese explains his Horatio Alger award and pays homage to successful designers such as Emilio Pucci, Nicole Miller, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein.

Chair of the Textile Development and Marketing Department Ingrid Johnson discusses developments in textile studies since her start at FIT in 1981. Johnson notes that course work has evolved from a more science-oriented approach to one that favors reverse-engineering textiles to fit end-use applications. She then illustrates the end-use applications of various fibers. Johnson describes her work as a home furnishing fabric developer before being recruited by Arthur Price to join FIT, and goes on to discuss successful alumni placement at companies such as Liz Claiborne, J. Crew, and Patagonia. Johnson notes the complexity of international sourcing and product development, and then describes the invention of EcoSpun, a recycled polyester textile, patented by alumni of the program. She discusses close connections with the industry and professional organizations such as the Textile Distributors Association. Finally, she describes the demographics of FIT’s student body and how the school attracts students with its international reputation.