Joan Anderson, instructor and internship coordinator in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University, works to help students reach their future goals through her teaching in the areas of merchandising mathematics, theory, and strategy. 

Tell us a bit about yourself!  

I am originally from Montana, but I have lived previously in Colorado, Washington State, and Hawaii. I am a CSU alumna. I studied in the Department of Design and Merchandising for by B.S. and M.S. and the School of Education for my Ph.D. Outside of academia, I enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing, travel, and wine! 

What brought you to the Department of Design and Merchandising at CSU?  

I am a retired faculty member and department head from Washington State University in the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles who eventually returned to Colorado. Antigone Kotsiopulos, a former CSU department head and associate dean, recruited me out of retirement to rejoin the faculty ranks. I am now the internship coordinator and instructor and am very happy to be back! 

What are your research and/or teaching interests, and how did you get interested in that topic?  

I no longer have an active research program – I teach in the area of apparel merchandising – specifically merchandising mathematics, theory, and strategy. Overall, my goal is to support students to be the best at what they choose to be. 

What is your teaching philosophy?  

My teaching philosophy is to teach students how to learn. 

What is your favorite thing about CSU and the campus?  

It is nice to be home. Colorado is an amazing place. 

The Department of Health and Exercise Science is a part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.