Joanne Arbuckle is deputy to the president for Industry Partnerships and Collaborative Programs. As the liaison between the president, the college, and outside organizations, she develops and expands partnerships and collaborations nationally and globally for the college. She works closely with the executive director of the FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab to integrate the work of the lab with the schools and other divisions of the college.

Arbuckle served as dean of the School of Art and Design for over a decade. As dean, she was responsible for all school operations, departmental development, special programs, fundraising, student enrichment initiatives, and faculty recruitment. Previously she served for five years as assistant chair of FIT’s Fashion Design Department. She became an associate professor in 2002 and a full professor in 2006. In 2003, she won the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

An industry professional with more than 30 years of experience, Arbuckle worked as a designer and merchandiser before becoming president of the fashion-industry consulting firm Design Integrity. She served for seven years on the nominating committee of the prestigious Earnie Awards in children’s wear.

Arbuckle co-authored the book Historical Dictionary of Fashion and contributed to the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion.

She earned her Master of Arts in educational administration in higher education from New York University, her Bachelor of Science in fashion design at the State University of New York Empire State College, and her Associate in Applied Science in fashion design at FIT.