Julie Hillery

‘That’s more like it:’
Hillery named Kohl’s Professor

by Mark McGowan

Julie Hillery’s lifelong career in retailing – it began when she was 16 – is paying off for NIU.

Hillery, an associate professor in the School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences in the College of Health and Human Sciences, was last week named the Kohl’s Professor of Retailing and Merchandising. Hillery will serve a courtesy appointment in the Marketing Department of the College of Business.

It is the first named professorship for Kohl’s, which also will provide $5,000 annually in scholarships split between students in textiles, apparel and merchandising (TAM) and students in marketing.

The retailer also will assist with curriculum development and some in-class projects.

“Kohl’s is such a wonderful company. I’m just thrilled to be their representative at NIU,” Hillery said. “They’re really devoted to the NIU student and devoted to giving them the first opportunities.”

Michael Gravley, vice president and Fox Valley regional manager for the Menomonee, Wis.-based Kohl’s, said NIU students are a perfect fit for the retailer.

“Our intent is to help develop executives for our company and to also develop students here. The way we run our business has been a very great fit with the students who come out of Northern,” Gravley said. “We already have a great relationship our summer interns from NIU and Dr. Hillery, and this is an opportunity to expand this to a larger role with the business school.”

Hillery began cooperating with Kohl’s and Michele Fitzgibbon, store manager for Kohl’s in Batavia, to place interns from FCNS in their stores about five years ago.

Since then, the percentage of interns from NIU who then enter the Kohl’s executive training program has climbed above the national average as has the job acceptance rate of NIU students who interview with the company and the subsequent retention rate.

“It’s just been a great match. Our students seem to have the wonderful work ethic Kohl’s is looking for,” Hillery said. “The Kohl’s customer profile very much represents, or is very similar to, the family profile of my students. Their parents shop there. They shop there. The students feel very comfortable in that environment.”

NIU placed 12 interns in Kohl’s stores over the summer, a number Hillery expects to grow to at least 25 or 30 with the partnership and as Kohl’s continues its nationwide expansion (a DeKalb store will open next spring).

“On a very tactical level, it allows the students to get the business skills they need to be successful in management positions with Kohl’s,” said Denise Schoenbachler, chair of the Marketing Department. “Their increased visibility and increased presence and attachment to NIU suggests that more students will be aware of and access this opportunity.”

Schoenbachler said the courtesy appointment, meanwhile, is “a shining example of how units across the university can work together for the benefit of the students, the benefit of the faculty and the benefit of the colleges. I hope we can serve as a model. We appreciate Kohl’s bringing us together. It was easy. It made sense.”

Hillery, who came to NIU in 1995, will teach a senior-level merchandising course, professional development for TAM students, apparel product analysis, retailing and an entry-level fashion industries course.

“I’m just very thrilled that Julie has been given this honor. She certainly deserves it, and the TAM program certainly deserves it,” said Laura Smart, acting chair of FCNS. “It gives more visibility to what we’re already doing and, hopefully, we’ll attract more quality students.”

10-13-03