Join in the celebration of two long-time and esteemed faculty members, Li-Fen Anny Chang and Karen Dorff before their last day at CVAD at the end of the Spring 2022 semester! We congratulate them on their years of accomplishments and teaching excellence and wish them every happiness in retirement!
Li-Fen Anny Chang
Since arriving at UNT in Fall 2000, with 12 years of professional experience in the apparel industry, couture training, and teaching, Associate Professor Li-Fen Anny Chang worked to build a more comprehensive fashion design curriculum. She improved teaching through research and created new projects for students to prepare them with up-to-date knowledge and needed skills in the industry. She helped students explore the relationships between art and fashion. Through hands-on demonstrations and project critiques, she encouraged students to integrate conceptual and analytical thinking with the technical skills of fashion design.
“Anny Chang has been an encouragement and a mentor to so many students she taught. We truly will miss her teaching and professional skills, which helped so many students jumpstart their fashion design careers. I wish her a lot of opportunities “to smell the roses” in retirement! She has made a huge difference in the lives of her colleagues and students,” said Chair and Professor Hepi Wachter, Department of Design.
Her original designs have been exhibited and awarded nationally and internationally at the following events.
- YWCA RAGS Guild Wearable Art in Tacoma, Wash.
- American Heart Association in Denton, Texas
- BECA - Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art
- “CURATE THIS! 2010”
- Texas Make It With Wool
- National Make It Yourself With Wool
- The Queen Sirikit Institute of Sericulture of Thailand in Bangkok
- The Surface Design Association biannual conferences in San Antonio, and
- The International Textile and Apparel Association annual conferences in Honolulu, New Orleans, and New York City.
"For more than two decades, Anny has provided a guiding hand to students in the Fashion Design program, instilling in them both the desire to succeed and the skills to do so. We wish her much joy in her future endeavors," said Professor Denise Amy Baxter, associate dean of academic and students affairs.
Chang said that over time, she looks upon the success of her students as a reflection of her own performance.
Karen Dorff
Principal Lecturer Karen Dorff began teaching in the Communication Design program in Fall 2000. Prior to teaching, she worked as a professional designer with extensive corporate and studio experience. Her work has been recognized by The Black Book AR 100 Competition, CASE Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Dallas Society of Visual Communicators, IABC International Association of Business Communicators, MarCom Creative Awards, Neenah Paper Collateral Promotions, and Print Magazine.
“Karen Dorff has been a cornerstone in the Communication Design program's graphic design concentration. She is a strong role model, delivering what she is expecting from her students: excellence. Her most recent recognition, a 2022 UNT Faculty Excellence Award, demonstrates that quality in terrific ways and is so well deserved. Her passion for her subject matter was demonstrated in the classroom and changed lives. I know she will not slow down much, but I wish her a fun retirement,” said Chair and Professor Hepi Wachter, Department of Design.
She considers it a rare privilege to have been given the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of the outstanding Communication Design program at UNT and said it’s been an extraordinary experience that she’ll remember with great fondness and pride. Principal Lecturer Dorff credits the sustained success of the Communication Design program over many decades to working with incredibly talented students dedicated to their craft alongside a team of accomplished educators providing guidance, instruction, and mentorship — all working together toward shared goals.
"There is nothing more rewarding than helping students achieve their professional goals and celebrating their accomplishments," she said.
"Karen Dorff has been an integral member of the Communication Design program’s faculty since she came to UNT. She has taught countless students, helping them shape their futures and careers as designers. Students in her classes have routinely won national awards, landed internships and launched careers across the spectrum of graphic design fields. Her peers and students will sorely miss her," said Professor Eric Ligon, associate dean of administrative affairs.
