A speaker on a TEDx stage in front of a large screen displays the question, 'How do we make the clothing industry more inclusive?'. The stage features large red TED letters and a dark backdrop. Audience members are seated facing the stage, some taking notes or using laptops.

Kayna Hobbs-Murphy, Ph.D.

kaynahobbs@gmail.com


EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science - University of Minnesota - Apparel Design - GPA 3.98

Master of Science - Colorado State University - Apparel Design - GPA 4.0

Thesis: Custom Paralympic Shooting Jacket: A Single-Case Product Development Project

Doctorate of Philosophy - Colorado State University - Ergonomics and Human Factors - GPA 4.0

Dissertation: Analysis of 3D Facial Anthropometric Measurements for Respirator Fit Outcomes

Graduate Certificate in Data Analysis - Colorado State University

Graduate Certificate in Total Worker Health - University of Colorado Anschutz


RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO - Tenure-Track Assistant Professor

August 2023-December 2025

  • Instructed undergraduate students in apparel design courses including:

    • Flat Patternmaking I

    • Pre-capstone (collection development)

    • Capstone (collection execution)

    • Fashion Show Planning and Execution

  • Conducted and disseminated academic-level research including:

    • Creative Scholarship

    • Qualitative Research

    • Quantitative Research

  • Engaged in service tasks spanning departmental to profession-based including:

    • Committee placements

    • Peer review for academic journals

    • Assessment of departmental learning and technology


US Army Development Command, Natick, MA - Applied Ergonomics Intern

May 2021-December 2021

  • Conducted extensive literature review for women' s bulletproof vests 

  • Trained in ANSUR data collection processes which informed PhD Dissertation

  • Collaborated with internal and external scholars regarding pressure-sensing suits

  • Participated in on-campus and off-campus data collection efforts of soldiers including:

    • Anthropometrics

    • Biometrics

    • Human Factors

    • Ergonomics


HONORS AND AWARDS

2022 Graduate Student Fellow, Office of the Vice President for Research, Colorado State University

2022 President’s Leadership Award, American Industrial Hygiene Foundation, Falls Church, VA

2020 Paper of Distinction Design/Product Development Track with Kristen Morris and Juyeon Park, International Textiles and Apparel Association, Online meeting

2020 TEDxCSU Speaker, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

2020 Distinction in Creative Scholarship, College of Health and Human Sciences Research Day, Colorado State University

2019 1st Place Distinction in Creativity Award, Graduate Student Showcase, Colorado State University


JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Hobbs-Murphy, K., Brazile, W.J., Morris, K., & Rosecrance, J. (2025). Demographic differences in facial anthropometric data from 3D scans and implications for respirator fit, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 69(4), 442–452, https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxaf012

Pennington, W., Martinez, Y., Hobbs-Murphy, K., Valley, M. (2025). The Most Important Thing is to Know What to Wear When Working in the Sun. Journal of Agromedicine, 30(4), 692–700. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2025.2540576

Hobbs-Murphy, K., Olmedo-Nockideneh, I., Brazile, W.J., Morris, K., & Rosecrance, J. (2024). Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of 3D facial measurements. Applied Ergonomics, 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104218

Hobbs-Murphy, K., Morris, K., & Park, J. (first published online 2022, published in print 2024). A Case Study of Developing a Paralympic Shooting Jacket for Disabled Athletes. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 42(1), 51–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X221102920

Miller, N. J., Engel-Enright, C., Hobbs, K., & Brown, D. A. (2021). Advancing US small business apparel production: a state-level mixed-method exploration. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 26(1), 88-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2020-0143


GRANT FUNDING

August 2024 - December 2027

College of Health and Human Sciences Seed Grant. Enhancing Clothing Accessibility for Individuals with Mobility and Gender Considerations. Hobbs, K. (PI) and Aflatoony, L (Co-PI). $15,000.

August 2022 – August 2020

HICAHS Emerging Issues: Assessing the 3D Facial Anthropometrics of LatinX Workers. Rosecrance, J. (PI), Hobbs, K. (Co-Investigator), Morris, K. (Co-Investigator), Brazile, W. (Co-Investigator), HHS-CDC Centers for Disease Control, Colorado State University, $20,126.