Rachel Studd

Rachel Studd is a Reader in Design at the University of Manchester's Fashion Business and Technology Department, serving as Scholarship Theme Lead for Materials and teaching undergraduate/postgraduate units in Fashion Buying, Product Development, and Business Strategy. She coordinates the FSE Teaching Network and serves on university committees for teaching innovation and belonging initiatives.

Her research bridges fashion product development (trend forecasting, design communication) and higher education pedagogy (student transitions, belonging frameworks). Key interests include co-creation with industry, digital learning tools, critical thinking development, and sustainable curriculum design.

Award highlights include Senior Fellowship of HEA, Teaching Excellence Award, and Fellowship at the Institute of Teaching and Learning. She mentors faculty scholarship development and validates programs for UK fashion institutions.