The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Faculty Excellence Award is presented annually to faculty members who demonstrate outstanding teaching, professional development, and a commitment to student learning, using exemplary research, scholarship or creative activity, and exceptional service to instruct students while serving as an active member of the academic community. Sarah is the 2020–2021 recipient of the award for FIT’s School of Art and Design. 

Sarah currently serves as the Assistant Chair of the Footwear and Accessories Design Department at FIT and has been a full-time faculty member of the department for 17 years, teaching courses in accessories, product design and development, and Adobe Illustrator. She has overseen senior theses and coordinated various special student projects with industry partners such as Keds, Barnes & Noble, CK Jewelry, Harman Kardon, Rooy, and Pikolinos. Sarah was also the curriculum leader for FIT’s online Sneaker Essentials certificate program, where FIT faculty, together with leaders from Complex and across the sneaker world, taught about key areas and related career opportunities in the ever-evolving sneaker industry.

Sarah says that she remembers experiencing many examples of faculty excellence as a student at Ellis, which have shaped her own career.

"The Ellis faculty always showed a passion for their subject areas and shared that passion with the students,” she shares. "My teaching of design at FIT is heavily influenced by my Ellis art classes with Ms. Newham. She was an incredible teacher, and I was exposed to a great variety of mediums, which directly relates to my work in footwear and accessories design. I remember preparing screens on the playground for silk screening and creating a photography portfolio for my senior project, and I still wear a ring I soldered in the art room. I rarely meet people who have had such an exceptional high school art education as I did at Ellis.”

Following her graduation from Ellis, Sarah earned her B.F.A. from Burlington College, as well as an A.A.S. and a Millinery Certificate from FIT. She was a senior designer on Maclaren’s global product development team for over 14 years, specializing in soft goods and collaborating on products with brands such as Dylan’s Candy Bar, Lacoste, Juicy Couture, and Kate Spade. In addition to teaching and designing, Sarah has co-authored several books on making handbags and belts, and she continues to make leather goods for distinct clients—the most specialized products being the hyena paws for the Broadway and touring productions of The Lion King.