Victor Uphaus
Fashion Merchandising
Think outside the box. Do your research. Apply strategy in everything you do. Question everything. Get along with people. Network all the time. Apply marketing, business strategy, and leadership in all you do if you want to achieve success. Victor Uphaus , Instructor , Miami International University of Art & Design
In what program do you teach?
I teach in our Fashion Merchandising programs, in both the Associate in Arts and the Bachelor of Arts.
What would you say is the defining moment in your life when you knew you were destined to become a creative professional?
The moment I realized that you could combine creativity and profit generation.
How do you weave your professional background into the classroom experience to provide an industry veteran's sense of the realities / challenges / opportunities of the profession?
As a retail executive I realized that in order to be successful in our business we needed to combine creativity and marketing in order to be financially successful.
Is there a class assignment that exemplifies your approach to teaching and mentoring? Similarly, how does your approach inspire each student to push themselves beyond their own perceived limits?
I like to use many assignments that involve critical thinking and thinking outside the box. I inspire my students to question everything and to inspire and motivate their employees to achieve great things.
What role does collaboration contribute to students' success, especially when students from other programs contribute to the same project?
They learn that 1+1=3. That synergy can achieve more than one can alone.
In your opinion, what is the single most important thing you impart to your students to help them succeed in your class and in the real world? Alternatively, what is the most critical advice you would offer any student as he / she embarks on a creative career?
Think outside the box. Do your research. Apply strategy in everything you do. Question everything. Get along with people. Network all the time. Apply marketing, business strategy and leadership in all you do if you want to achieve success.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you, your experience, or your role as a faculty member at Miami International University of Art & Design?
My 20-year tenure teaching college students has given me experience to motivate students to reach their goals and full potential.
I teach in our Fashion Merchandising programs, in both the Associate in Arts and the Bachelor of Arts.
What would you say is the defining moment in your life when you knew you were destined to become a creative professional?
The moment I realized that you could combine creativity and profit generation.
How do you weave your professional background into the classroom experience to provide an industry veteran's sense of the realities / challenges / opportunities of the profession?
As a retail executive I realized that in order to be successful in our business we needed to combine creativity and marketing in order to be financially successful.
Is there a class assignment that exemplifies your approach to teaching and mentoring? Similarly, how does your approach inspire each student to push themselves beyond their own perceived limits?
I like to use many assignments that involve critical thinking and thinking outside the box. I inspire my students to question everything and to inspire and motivate their employees to achieve great things.
What role does collaboration contribute to students' success, especially when students from other programs contribute to the same project?
They learn that 1+1=3. That synergy can achieve more than one can alone.
In your opinion, what is the single most important thing you impart to your students to help them succeed in your class and in the real world? Alternatively, what is the most critical advice you would offer any student as he / she embarks on a creative career?
Think outside the box. Do your research. Apply strategy in everything you do. Question everything. Get along with people. Network all the time. Apply marketing, business strategy and leadership in all you do if you want to achieve success.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you, your experience, or your role as a faculty member at Miami International University of Art & Design?
My 20-year tenure teaching college students has given me experience to motivate students to reach their goals and full potential.