By
Mindy Jones
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Soyeon Shim envisions helping more students go into retail careers
The new director for the UA School of Family and Consumer Sciences wants to reach out to more students through alumni networking - in hopes of promoting more career opportunities for family and consumer majors.
Soyeon Shim, a former University of Arizona division chair for the retail and consumer science department stepped up as the director of the School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the start of the semester. With this new position, Shim oversees the family sciences and Retail and Consumer sciences departments.
"I am working very hard to nurture our relationships with the community. I think that is the best way to get our students out there," she said.
Since taking over the position after former head Rodney Cate stepped down to pursue research and teaching responsibilities within the school, Shim has made many changes within the department.
One change Shim is dedicated to making is the networking of the over 6,000 UA Family and Consumer Sciences alumni.
"Many of the alumni are now doctors, lawyers, teachers, and researchers. If we can get these people to come back and talk to our undergraduates, they will be able to see that they can make it," she said.
Shim assisted in creating a e-mail list to connect the alumni in an effort to find out what their needs are, their input for future graduates, and what they can give back to the UA community.
She has also scheduled Pamela Hamilton, an alumna and current senior executive of the trucking company Navistar, to speak at a seminar for undergraduate students during homecoming weekend.
This seminar is another example of Shim's desire to connect with her students.
She oversaw the creation of the Southwest Retail Center in 1993, a place where students can find internship information. The center's mission statement is devoted to strengthening the relationship between the retail community and the UA, Shim said.
"She is such a forward thinker," said Patti Wylie, associate director of the department's student services. "She is an amazing person with incredible visions."
The center has established working relationships with such high-dollar companies as Wal-Mart, Bashas', Toys R Us, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
This summer, about 10 percent of the 700 undergraduate and 50 graduate students in the program participated in these internships throughout the state.
Shim began her employment with the UA in the summer of 1990 as an associate professor in the merchandising and consumer studies division.
Accredited with a bachelor's and master's in merchandising from Yonsei University in Korea and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee, Shim became a full professor in 1995.
Shim, who has been given multiple awards, including the University of Arizona Teaching award in 1996, is also working on Campaign Arizona to help raise funds for the UA.
She hopes to aid students like Yara Castaneda, a family studies junior, through the Southwest Retail Center and its wide variety of internships available to students.
"I think it would be helpful to know what volunteer and job opportunities are available for people like us," said Castaneda.
