CSA Scholars’ Roundtable Honor

The CSA Scholars’ Roundtable recognizes those who exemplify high standards in costume scholarship and charges them with leading a National Symposium event that stimulates consideration and discussion of an issue pertaining to costume scholarship.


The Scholars’ Roundtable was formed in 1997 to enhance costume scholarship, taking it in innovative and interdisciplinary directions through a program at the CSA National Symposium. Presented in various formats throughout the years, under the current format a complex or potentially contentious topic relating to the field of costume studies is chosen for discussion each year. Three to four scholars, selected for their varied insights, experiences, and viewpoints regarding that topic, each briefly explore aspects of the subject and then encourage attendees to join the discussion.

Information about the 2026 Scholars' Roundtable will be available in the summer of 2025.

  • Eligibility

    Nominees should be those who:

    • Are members of the Costume Society of America
    • Have particular experience in or insight into as aspect of the elected scholarly issue
    • Are interested in considering and debating the issue from many angles
    • Have done or who are doing innovative work in the field of costume
    • Are willing to work collaboratively and help to lead a dynamic discussion

  • Nomination Procedure

    The nominations process will open in the summer of 2025. Nominators will be asked to provide person’s name and contact information, and a brief statement of why this nominee is a good candidate for this year’s roundtable. Interested scholars are welcome to nominate themselves by submitting the information outlined above.


    Once nominations have been received, nominees will be asked to submit a 200–300-word essay explaining how their experience and/or scholarship contributes towards the selected topic and how they plan to contribute toward the panel discussion.  A curriculum vitae or resume will also be requested (not to exceed 10 pages). 

  • Rubric

    Each criterion is rated on a scale from 1 (developing) to 5 (exceptional).

    • Submission aligns with the CSA mission of fostering an understanding of appearance and dress practices of people across the globe through research, education, preservation, and design. The work examines the past, present, or anticipates the future of clothing, fashion, and costume.
    • Submission advances the CSA strategic goal of increasing diversity in subject matter and research, including hidden, overlooked, and marginalized topics or perspectives. Including the applicant in the Roundtable will advance the future of dress studies and highlight new and innovative voices.
    • Submission demonstrates substantial potential to spark ideas about the tools, theories, and technologies that move dress forward. The applicant’s contribution to the Roundtable is relevant to most CSA members, including but not limited to educators, costume designers, curators, historic interpreters, fashion historians, entrepreneurs, emerging scholars, and CSA enthusiasts.
    • Submission highlights innovative, novel, or progressive approaches to the use of technology in dress studies and adjacent fields such as costume design or museum studies. The applicant’s contribution significantly expands upon previously understood knowledge.
    • Submission indicates experience working in a collaborative environment to foster an engaging discussion or conversation. Examples of experience could include leading seminars, hosting workshops, or participation in other venues for public speaking.



  • Award Schedule

    The application deadline is November 15, 2025. Eligible nominees will be contacted, and the additional information as outlined in the "Nomination Procedure" tab will be due December 15, 2025. Applicants will be notified of the results by mid-January 2026.

Please contact the Committee Co-chair for more information:

Contact Emily Oertling

Recipients

2025, From Zoom to Lectra: The Tools, Theories, and Technologies That Move Dress Forward

Laura Camerlengo

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco


Daniel Drak

Parsons School of Design


Alyssa Ridder
Metropolitan State University of Denver


Dina Smith-Glaviana
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

2024, 1973 to 2073: The Past, Present, and Future of Dress Studies

Marilyn DeLong

University of Minnesota


Clarissa Esguerra

Los Angeles County Museum of Art


Monica Sklar

University of Georgia


Elizabeth Way

The Museum at FIT

2023, Crossroads of Dress and Adornment: Creativity, Culture and Collaboration

Shelly Foote

National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, retired (Organizer)


Adam MacPhàrlain

Missouri Historical Society


Kelly Reddy-Best

Iowa State University


Petra Slinkard

Peabody Essex Museum


Leon Wiebers

Loyola Marymount University

2022, Innovation in the Fashion History Curriculum

Linda M. Welters,

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island


Abby Lillethun

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey


Lauren D. Whitley,

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

2021, Design and Curatorial Scholarship: Purpose, Place, Present, and Future

Co-Chair: Dr. Kelly Reddy-Best

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa


Co-Chair: Dr. Carmen Keist

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois


Karen DePauw

Indiana Historical Society

Indianapolis, Indiana


Kristen Morris

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado


Linda Pisano

Indiana University Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana


Eulanda Sanders

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa


Sarah Scaturro

Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, Ohio

2019, Do we really study diversity and dress?

Dr. Michael Mamp (Moderator)

Central Michigan University

Mt. Pleasant, MI


Nancy Deihl

New York University

New York, NY


Tameka N. Ellington, Ph.D.

Kent State University

Kent, OH


Carmen Keist, Ph.D.

Bradley University

Peoria, IL


Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Ph.D.

Iowa State University

Ames, IA

2018, Engaging Labor, Acknowledging Maker

Laurie Brewer

Rhode Island School of Design

Providence, RI


Dr. Michael Mamp

Central Michigan University

Mt. Pleasant, MI


Sara Bernstein

Pacific Northwest College of Art

Portland, OR


Ariele Elia

FIT, Fordham Law

New York, NY

2017, Technology: Friend and Foe?

Denise Nicole Green

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY


Virginia Heaven

Columbia College

Chicago, IL


Abby Lillethun

Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ


Ingrid Mida

Ryerson University

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2016, Everyone Their Own Curator: Professionalism and Authority in the Digital Age

Jo Paoletti

Chair, Scholars Roundtable Committee


Virginia Heaven

Columbia College

Chicago, IL


Sara Hume

Kent State University Museum

Kent, OH


Deborah Kraak

Independent Museum Professional

Wilmington, DE


Ingrid Mida

Ryerson University

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2015, Credit Where Credit is Due

Jean Parsons

Associate Professor, Department of Textile and Apparel Management, University of Missouri

Columbia, MI


Sara Marcketti

Associate Professor, Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management; Associate Director, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Iowa State University

Ames, IA

2014, Beyond Material Culture: Sources for Scholarship

Dr. Kimberly Chrisman Campbell

Dr. Jo Barraclough Paoletti

Petra Slinkard

2013

Sara Marcketti

Christina Johnson

Dr. Ann B. Wass

2012, Mind the Gap!

Dr. Elizabeth J.W. Barber

Cynthia Cooper

Mark D. Hutter

2011, Innovations in Fashion and Dress Scholarship

Anne Bissonnette

Marilyn DeLong

Howard Kurtz

2009 – 2010:

Hiatus of Scholars’ Roundtable Honor

2008

Tina Bates

Joseph Hancock

Gayle Strege

2007

Catherine Amoroso Leslie

Jean Parsons

Dennita Sewell

2006

Hiatus of Scholars’ Roundtable Honor

2005

Sandra Buckland

Jacqueline Field

Elaine Pedersen

2004

Hiatus of Scholars’ Roundtable Honor

2003

Hiatus of Scholars’ Roundtable Honor

2002

Nancy Bryant

Edward Maeder

Charlotte Jirousek

Laurel Wilson

2001

Joanne Eicher

JoAnn Stabb

Sally Helvenston

Margaret Spicer

Naomi Tarrant

2000

Patricia Anawalt

Beverly Chico

1999

Patricia A. Cunningham

Jane Farrell-Beck

Valerie Steele

1998

Linda Baumgarten

Claudia Brush Kidwell

Elizabeth J. W. Barber

Joy Emery

1997

Jean Druesedow

Jo B. Paoletti

Phyllis Tortora

Patricia Campbell Warner

Linda Welters