When Allen Miller asked his wife Susan Davidson what she wanted for her milestone birthday, she didn't ask for a trip, a celebration, or a special gift
Instead, she asked for something that would outlast any celebration: a scholarship for Marist fashion students.
The request came from a place Allen knew well. For the past eight years, Susan has taught in Marist University's Fashion Department while serving on the Fashion Advisory Board, sharing lessons drawn from a career she started as a young buyer visiting and working with garment factories in mainland China and concluded 40 years later as a senior executive and CEO regularly attending the great runway shows of New York, Paris, and Milan.
To honor Susan's career and commitment to teaching, Allen established the Susan Davidson Endowed Scholarship, creating a lasting source of support for future generations of Marist fashion students.
"It was important to us that this gift benefit students directly," Allen said. "We wanted to create opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach."
The gift also reflects the couple's longstanding commitment to Marist. In addition to Susan's work with students, Allen serves on the Hudson River Valley Institute Advisory Board. Together, they have dedicated their time, expertise, and resources to supporting the University's mission.
The perspectives they share with students are rooted in decades of international experience. Before settling in the Hudson Valley, both Susan and Allen built careers that took them around the world.
"Susan brings a remarkable depth of global experience to the classroom, but what truly sets her apart is her commitment to students. She challenges them to think beyond the industry as they know it and helps them understand the broader business, cultural, and global forces that shape fashion today.”
–Rebecca Brown, Fashion Department Chair
Susan held various leadership roles in merchandising and product development with companies such as Bloomingdales and Federated Department stores before becoming President of DKNY Jeans, President of KateSpade, CEO of Scoop and CEO of Zac Posen. Allen's career included work in international law and business across Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia, giving him firsthand experience navigating an increasingly global marketplace.
"The students are incredibly career- focused," Susan said. "They're eager to learn and excited to connect what they're studying in the classroom to what happens in the real world."
That drive is one of the reasons the couple chose to support experiential opportunities for students. Throughout their careers, both learned that some of the most important lessons happen beyond textbooks—through professional experiences, industry connections, mentorship, and exposure to new environments.
For Allen, one opportunity stood out in particular: helping students access New York City and the countless learning opportunities it provides.
"Transportation, networking events, industry programs—those costs add up," he said. "We wanted to help students take advantage of experiences that can make a real difference in their professional development."
The gift serves as a tribute to the work Susan has done at Marist. Through her teaching, she has helped students understand not only the fashion industry itself, but the global business, legal, and cultural forces that shape it.