Just a sad reminder…

 

Saturday, October 17, 2015

 

The Buffalo State community is deeply saddened by the death of Elaine Polvinen, professor of fashion and textile technology, who died on October 12, 2015.

 

Ms. Polvinen joined the Buffalo State community as a lecturer in the fashion technology program in 1991. She was appointed as an assistant professor in 1993 on the strength of her involvement with students, artistic experience in weaving and wearable art, knowledge of computer software, and industry contacts. She quickly helped to develop two new courses in the fashion technology program and served as faculty adviser for the student Fashion Club. In 1994, she was appointed to the graduate faculty. She was promoted to associate professor in 1997 and to professor in 2005. A year later, she became coordinator of fashion and textile technology. In 2008, she founded Runway, the department’s annual showcase of student-designed fashion.

She also embraced technology, and she was instrumental in upgrades to Buffalo State’s CAD equipment and software that provided students with hands-on experience using industry technology. She negotiated partnership agreements that resulted in Buffalo State acquiring $2.5 million in software donations for the fashion and textile technology program, and she received 10 grants totaling almost $200,000.

“Elaine was instrumental in the development of this department,” said Lynn Boorady, associate professor and chair of Fashion and Textile Technology. “Her commitment to the profession, the industry, the program, and most of all our students never faltered. Professor Polvinen mentored hundreds of students, guiding them through research projects and grants. Her students appreciated her guidance and dedication. Many have said they owe their success to her. We will miss her very much.”

In addition, Elaine founded a successful blog on Word Press.com in early 2007 called Virtual Fashion Technology (https://fashiontech.wordpress.com). She personally edited the blog until her health began to fail the fall of 2012, when she turned it over Mr. Bud Robinson, who has managed it since then. Bud is currently on the Board of Advisors at the Cal Poly Pomona school of Apparel Merchandising an d Marketing, where students currently earn a BS degree and soon an MBA. Bud is also the CMO of AM4U Inc. (www.am4u.com)a pioneer in Demand Manufacturing and waterless dyeing and printing of active apparel and textiles proudly made in the USA.