Dr. Sandra Tulio-Pow

Sandra uses design to improve the human experience. Her research is interdisciplinary and collaborative, recent projects include inventing clothing for extraordinary groups, specifically: police officers, patients in hospital rehabilitation programs, breast cancer survivors, women with lymphedema, women who wear plus size, people who are transgender, those with low vision and most recently, wearable technology that integrates disinfection using UVC light. She has won the Dean’s SRC award twice, holds a patent for a sling integrated into a purse. Her expertise is designing apparel solutions that consider the clothing taskscape to improve quality of life.

• User Experience/Human Centered Design
• Uniforms
• Clothing for Special Needs
• Health Care & Wearable Technology

• 2022 – 180,000 – Mitacs Accelerate, Wearable Storage & UV Disinfection Device. Principle Investigators: Tullio-Pow, S. & Marquez-Chin, C.
• 2017 – $50,000 – Toronto Police Services (research). Examination of uniform needs for neighbourhood officers. Principal Investigator: Tullio-Pow, S. Co-Investigators:  Schaefer, K., Dell’Agnese, L., Chau, P.Y., White, T., Dares, J., Lee, D., & Kim, N.
• 2017 $14,320 – Liquor Control Board of Ontario (research).  Examination of uniform needs. Principal Investigator: Tullio-Pow. S.

• Kumar, K., Yates, M., Tullio-Pow, S., & Marquez-Chin, C. (2025). Using Precedent Analysis, Interviews, Archetypes, and Design Sprints to Inform Designing. Poster presentation at the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Gateway to a Better Future. St. Louis, MI. November 18-22, 2025.
• Tullio-Pow, S., Strickfaden, M., & Cole, C. (2025). Quillworking And Memories with Agnes Mitchell. Video presentation at the CSA Midwest Regional Symposium, Fashioning the Midwest: At the Heart of Turtle Island. Toronto, ON. November 6-7, 2025.
• Strickfaden, M., Thomas, J., & Tullio-Pow, S. (2025). Taskscape Analysis: Provoking Depth in Product Development. Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design, Vol. 183, 2025, 99–110 https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1006431
• Tullio-Pow, S. & Strickfaden, M. (2022). Clothing Taskscape as an Approach Toward Assessment of User Needs. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 40(1), 19–36. https://doi/org/10.1177/0887302X20968818
• Tullio-Pow, S., Schaefer, K., Barry, B., Story, C., & Abel, S. (2021). Empowering women wearing plus-size clothing through co-design. Clothing Cultures, 7(1), 101-114. https://doi. org/10.1386/cc_00032_1
• Tullio-Pow, S., Yaworski, A. & Kincaid, M. (2021), Transgender fashion: Fit challenges and dressing strategies, Clothing Cultures, 7(1), 35–47, https://doi.org/10.1386/cc_00026_1
• Tullio-Pow, S., Yu, H., & Strickfaden, M. (2021). Do You See What I See? The shopping experiences of people with visual impairment. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 5(1), 42-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2021.v5.i1.a69 
• Tullio-Pow, S., Schaefer, K., Nyhof-Young, J. & Strickfaden, M. (2020). Sleepwear for Breast Cancer Survivors: Enacting Inclusion Through Feminine Identity and Attachments in Langdon, P., Lazar, J., Heylighen, A. & Dong, H. (Eds) Designing for Inclusion: Inclusive Design: Looking towards the Future. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2020, p. 23-34.
• Tullio-Pow, S. (2016). Mapping the Clothing Taskscape: Apparel Needs in Rehabilitation Therapy. In ITAA 2017 Proceedings: Anchored by Our Past, Navigating Our Future. St. Petersburg, FL: ITAA. Winner: ITAA Student Best Paper Doctoral*
• Ahsan, N. & Tullio-Pow, S. (2015). Functional Clothing for Natural Disaster Survivors. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal. 24 (3), pg. 306 – 319.

• 2022 Nancy Rutherford Teaching Innovation Award, ITAA
• 2019 Dean’s Scholarly, Research and Creative Award
• 2017 ITAA Student Best Paper, Doctoral Level 
• 2017 Alvanon Research Award, ITAA