Susan Sokolowski, PhD

Susan Sokolowski, PhD, has more than 30 years of performance sporting goods experience, working cross-functionally between footwear, apparel and equipment in creative and strategic roles. Her work is holistic in nature, where consideration of the athlete’s body form, performance, materials and styling are addressed to develop game-changing innovation solutions. She is specifically focused on issues surrounding design of products for women, children, and adaptive athletes. Susan has been internationally recognized for achievements in design innovation from Nike, The United States Olympic Committee, Vogue Magazine, Fast Company, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, Design Museum London, and Volvo. She holds over 45 U.S. patents and 65 foreign patents. A motivational coach and mentor, Susan is committed to inspiring students in product design, development and business. Susan is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (PhD), Cornell University (MA) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (BFA). At the University of Oregon, she is a Professor of Product Design and the Founding Director of the Sports Product Design MS Program.