Andrea Skillings received an MA in 20th-century fashion from The New School University and a BS in Fashion Merchandising, Textiles and Design from the University of Rhode Island. She joined the Academy of Art University in 2016 as an adjunct instructor and in 2017 was appointed Program Coordinator of the Product Development program. The program, through her leadership, focuses on the tools required to bring a fashion product from a basic concept to designing the product and into the roadmap of the product build. Through critical and theoretical discussions around product development, Skillings advocates empowering her students in developing professional skills that will translate from the classroom to the workplace.