She had previously received a BA from Michigan State University in 1948, having majored in languages and literature and minored in textiles and clothing.
[4] Eicher was part of the faculty of Michigan State University's Department of Human and Environmental Design beginning in the late 1960s and continuing until 1977.
[4] That year she became head of the Department of Textiles and Clothing at the University of Minnesota;[5] she held that position until 1983.
From 1983 until the end of 1987 she was the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel's head, also at the University of Minnesota.
[11] She is the editor-in-chief of the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion, first published in print in 2010.