TCU's Mission: To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community. 

This is a place where students learn how to adapt to whatever the future might bring, develop critical thinking skills and expand their creativity. With a choice of rigorous academic programs in 131 undergraduate areas of study, 49 master's level programs and 20 areas of doctoral study, Horned Frogs have opportunities to search for meaning and examine values, yet graduate well-prepared for professional accomplishment.

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Expert Inquiry

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Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

National Retail Federation

American Collegiate Retailing Association

International Textile and Apparel Association

Pop Culture/American Culture Association

Assessing Corrosion Effects on the Electrical Performance of Wearable Photovoltaic Cells: A Comparative Study of Current Consistency and Resistance

The Applicability of Existing Acceptance Models for Enterprise Organizational Technology Acceptance of Wearables

Wearables for Biomechanical Performance Optimization and Risk Assessment in Industrial and Sports Applications

Personal Flotation Devices and Occupational Hazards/Risk by Commercial Fishers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Being part of a winning team: a problem-based approach to teach sustainability adoption in collegiate athletic uniforms

Meeting athleisure end-user needs through problem-based learning

Pre-purchase and post-purchase apparel satisfaction of female skiers and snowboarders

Conceptual model and strategies for creative thinking in apparel design

Dr. Charles Freeman is a nationally recognized researcher and innovation leader specializing in advanced textile materials, wearable technologies, protective systems and soft-goods engineering. His work examines how equipment and textile systems can be designed and validated to improve functionality, safety, durability and performance across sport, military, aerospace, occupational and extreme-environment applications.

At TCU, Freeman serves as professor and chair of Fashion Merchandising and as director of Research and Creative Activities in the College of Fine Arts. He is leading the development of TCU’s Athlete Equipment and Materials Design Lab, an interdisciplinary research and testing platform focused on the development, evaluation and commercialization of next-generation equipment and material systems. The lab connects textile science, product development, biomechanics, design and industry expertise to address real-world challenges in athlete protection, thermal management, equipment durability and wearable sensing.

Freeman has contributed to 48 peer-reviewed publications and over 40 funded projects totaling more than $4.8 million in research support. His research includes smart textile sensors for monitoring foot and ankle movement, wearable systems for biomechanical assessment, textile-based PPE, wearable photovoltaic materials, bio-based polymers and apparel systems for athletes and occupational users.

Freeman has helped move university research from laboratory concepts to protected intellectual property and market-ready technologies. As co-founder of an NSF-supported university research spinout, he negotiated university licensing and equity agreements, completed an entrepreneurial accelerator and secured private investment. He previously directed a university research commercialization network that trained faculty researchers, supported interdisciplinary venture development and connected research teams with investors and corporate partners.

Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property

Wearable Energy Technologies

Protective Clothing Systems

Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development

Military and Occupational Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment

Research Commercialization

Thermoregulation and Thermal Comfort

Product Development and Prototyping

Aerospace Soft Goods

Moisture Management

Textile Testing and Product Validation

Soft-Goods Engineering

Wearable Sensors and Smart Textiles

Performance Apparel and Footwear

Apparel and Consumer Behavior

Fashion Merchandising

Entrepreneurship

Apparel Design

Fashion Design

English

Texas Christian University Profile

Beyond ‘Landman’: TCU students co-star in Taylor Sheridan’s expansion of Four Sixes marketing

TCU Launches New Training and Development Program with Advanced Functional Fabrics of America

New TCU Certificate, Research Partnership Focus on Textiles, Soft-Goods Engineering

TCU Students Reimagine Four Sixes Ranch Retail Experience Ahead of NCHA Celebrity Cutting Event

TCU ‘Now Written into the History of the Four Sixes Ranch’

TCU Students Known for Spacesuit Stitch Continue Collaboration

Students turn to clothing rentals for style and savings

TCU Student Uncovers Fashion’s Hidden Costs—And Designs for the Moon

Undergraduate Research Explores Hidden Costs of Fashion

“Mobile Markerless Motion Capture for Movement Data Collection in all Environments”

“Wearable Sensor Motion Capture System”

“Face Filtration Mount for Automated Filter Tester”

"Thermoplastic Polymer and Method of Forming the Same."

Professor, Department Chair of Fashion Merchandising & Director of Research and Creative Scholarship Initiatives

A partnership between Taylor Sheridan’s storied 6666 Ranch and Texas Christian University spans fashion merchandising, design and business and has produced a retail presence already making the rounds on the national rodeo circuit.

TCU and Four Sixes Ranch

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