Heeju Park’s work is a model for how designers in fashion, fabrication and materials spaces can engage meaningfully with community partners. He was honored with the Community-Engaged Practice & Innovation Award for his innovative projects with on-campus community partners. Park was approached by the coach of the Cornell women’s hockey team with questions about women’s hockey uniforms. The current uniforms were essentially smaller versions of men’s equipment. Park worked with students to design a uniform for women’s bodies, which included design innovations in the safety padding needed to protect women in the sport.
Park then led a similar project in partnership with the men’s lacrosse team, reimagining their uniforms to include references to the indigenous community from which the sport emerged. Similarly, Park has partnered with Cornell Dining to explore uniform designs to maximize comfort and safety in hot kitchens for employees.