معرفی
Dr. Janet Coulter is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Design at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University, with a distinguished career spanning both industry and academia. Her expertise encompasses fashion design, technology, manufacturing, and management. Coulter has held leadership roles including Director of Academic Enterprise for nearly a decade and Faculty e-learning coordinator, demonstrating her commitment to innovation in education and industry partnerships.
Her educational background is highly interdisciplinary:
- PhD in Fashion Technology (Ulster University)
- MBA (Ulster University Business School)
- MSc in Multimedia Computer-Based Learning with Education (Queen's University Belfast)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education
- BA (Hons) in Textile and Fashion Design
- Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Dr. Coulter's research focuses on the intersection of fashion, technology, and wellbeing. She pioneers work in e-fashion wearables that monitor biomarkers associated with stress to support mental health, particularly among students. Her sustainable fashion research explores bio-degradable materials from natural sources and circular economy approaches. Coulter also investigates 3D fashion simulation in virtual environments and strategic co-design methodologies in creative industries, bridging the gap between traditional fashion practices and digital innovation.
Her publication record reveals an evolving trajectory from foundational work in e-textiles for wellbeing toward increasingly sophisticated applications of artificial intelligence in fashion design and production. Recent research demonstrates a strong focus on sustainable practices, gender inclusivity in STEM education through textile applications, and the commercialization of innovative fashion technologies. Coulter's work consistently addresses real-world challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration.
Dr. Coulter's contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards:
- Distinguished Enterprise Fellowship from Ulster University
- Outstanding Innovation Award from InterTrade Ireland
- Rolls Royce Science Prize (2017)
- Distinguished Educational Excellence in Innovative Practice Award
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Fellow of the Centre for Higher Education Research Practice
As an academic leader, Coulter has successfully secured £831,830 in research funding and led 8 KTP/FUSION projects and 8 Innovation vouchers. She has mentored numerous PhD students and serves as an external examiner for multiple institutions including Dundee University. Her strategic research partnerships have resulted in commercial applications such as thermoplastic moulded bullet proof armour for female officers deployed to Afghanistan and international market expansion for bio-waste fashion products in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Korea.
Dr. Coulter maintains active industry connections through her role as Director of Academic Enterprise and participation in professional organizations including the Institute of Designers in Ireland. Her research group focuses on virtual/3D augmented fashion technologies, bio-textiles for sustainable fashion, and collaborative design approaches that bridge academia and industry. Current projects explore AI applications in fashion design, metaverse fashion experiences, and innovative materials development for circular economy models.
