Professor Emeriti
Emeritus/Emerita status is an honor bestowed upon qualified, retiring faculty at the request of the college/school faculty. The provost receives the request to grant this title. The associated approved benefits encourage an honoree’s continued participation in the life of the university community.
Dr. Sharon Welkey provided exemplary service as Dean of the School of Media and Design for 13 years and retired as Dean Emerita in May of 2025. She came to UIW in 2008 as the Director of the Fashion Management Program and remained in that position for two years.
Upon completion of the Ph.D. in 2002, she taught full-time as an assistant professor and eventually became the Coordinator in the Fashion Merchandising program at Texas State University in San Marcos, Tx.
While completing the doctoral degree, she taught as adjunct faculty at Texas Christian University, the University of North Texas, and Texas Woman’s University.
She received a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, AR, a Master of Science in Fashion Merchandising, and holds minors in Education and in Marketing, from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, and a Ph.D. in Clothing and Textiles from Texas Woman’s University, also located in Denton.
Dr. Welkey has over 40 years of experience in education, 15 years at the junior high and high school levels, and 26 years at the university level. In addition, she has 10 years of retail and apparel industry experience as a buyer and as the owner of a home-based monogramed apparel business.