Like many, our team was sad and upset to learn of the death of PhD student Eric Njue on January 25th, struck and killed by a motorist. Eric was an international student from Kenya, studying special education. And while none of us knew him personally, we know that he was also a friend and a relative, a person who loved and was loved. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. Eric's death is a painful reminder that even as bike-friendly as Eugene is, we still live in a city and larger society built for the automobile, with its striking mixture of convenience and dangerous impact. 

Eric's death shines a light on infrastructure, how we craft our "built environment" and how it in turn impacts the movement of our days and years. As noted city planner Jan Gehl said, “First we shape the cities — then they shape us.” 

Transportation is a key element of city planning but so are public spaces, community engagement, and the often invisible or ignored infrastructure of utilities like electricity, heat, sewage, as well things like internet and waste. Wherever you are, take a moment to look around you. What infrastructure exists but you cannot see it? What infrastructure can you see but never really pay attention to? Who or what is served and supported in the current model? Who or what is not? What alternatives would you wish into being? Becoming aware of what is can often serve as the first step to asking "what could be?" 

The Get Inspired section features an interview or profile with a UO staff, faculty, student, or alum making a difference on campus and beyond. 

Q: How long have you worked at UO, and what’s your favorite thing about working here?

 

I started working at UO in 2015, returning 20 years after being a student. I love our campus — there’s something beautiful growing in every season but especially spring. I also appreciate the diverse interests and research specialties our community brings, and of course our amazing students, who make me feel optimistic about the future.

 

Q: At a high level, please describe the Sustainable City Year Program, and then what do you focus on specifically as Director?

 

The Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) connects UO courses with partner cities to work on community-identified priorities. By engaging across a variety of disciplines during these yearlong partnerships, the program helps communities address complex challenges while advancing their goals. At the same time, students gain hands-on experience tackling real-world issues, allowing them to have meaningful impact and be better prepared when they enter workforce.

 

As Director, I focus on aligning community needs with campus expertise and building strong partnerships with cities while connecting faculty and students to support impactful projects. Sometimes it feels like I’m herding cats but I thoroughly enjoy it.

Rainier and Megan, Canadian Rockies

The SCYP Team: Marsha Gravesen, Megan Banks, and Marc Schlossberg. Not pictured: Lindsey Hayward

Q: Long-term programs like these, particularly when partnering with local communities and a complex institution like the UO, comes with challenges. What keeps you motivated?

 

What keeps me motivated is seeing the impact of SCYP — helping make Oregon a better place to live while graduating students who develop a deep appreciation for our cities, small and large. The creativity and innovation of our students, combined with the passion and expertise of our faculty, continually inspire me. I know that the work we do through SCYP strengthens communities across the state in meaningful ways

 

Q: What’s one attainable dream you have as the Director of the Sustainable City Year Program?

 

To partner with all of Oregon’s 241 cities and then start all over again. That might be a stretch but we’re thinking big.

 

Q: Okay, enough about work. What’s a fun fact (or two or three) about you?

 

I grew up in coastal San Diego but feel like I belong in the PNW where the outdoor opportunities and natural beauty are endless. As a runner, it may have been inevitable that I would land in TrackTown USA. One of my favorite adventures was trekking in Patagonia with my daughter — I’m convinced it’s the most beautiful place in the world. Rain or shine, you can find me hiking with my Dutch Shepherd Rainier, who is happiest when there’s a trail involved. At home, I enjoy working in my yard, which is equal parts enjoyment, challenge, and on-going experiment.

 

Rick Tabor has been at the University of Oregon for 18 years. He’s an associate director with Utilities and Energy and given his vast experience, few people in the unit would be comfortable needling him.

Except maybe his counterpart, Paul Langley, also an associate director with the unit — but with 23 years at the UO.

Tabor was pondering a name for his electrical crew recently when Langley offered some tongue-in-cheek suggestions: “Team Butterfly? Team Buttercup?” Then he winked at a writer: “We sometimes have a little fun.”

Tabor just rolled his eyes. “You’re gonna get payback,” he said, grinning.

It’s possible the ribbing owes in part to the fact that Tabor is an old Army man and Langley served in the Navy. But camaraderie is also a hallmark of Utilities and Energy, which shoulders the responsibility of keeping the lights on at the UO 365 days a year.

This responsibility is never greater than during an extremely stressful day of testing each summer. That’s when Tabor, Langley and more than 20 people inside and outside the unit sync up like a symphony, ensuring UO resilience in an emergency and epitomizing the university’s spirit of teamwork.

The Knight Library has been rethinking how it uses office space now that hybrid work and virtual meetings are part of everyday life. One of the biggest challenges was not having enough private, enclosed offices. With limited space and changing staff needs, the Library started looking into a "hoteling: set-up: flexible, reservable workspaces that anyone can book when they need a quiet spot to get things done.

We asked Evey Lennon, Associate Vice Provost and University Librarian for Central Services, and Amy Lake, Director of Operations, to share more about the program. They were happy to share their insights. 

What challenges led you to explore a hoteling model for library staff office space?

We were running up against a common problem: not enough private office space. That became especially clear during and after the pandemic, when people needed quiet, enclosed spaces for Zoom meetings and to support hybrid work. We also needed somewhere to host short-term guests, like job candidates, who might be on campus for interviews. Hoteling felt like a way to meet all of those needs with our limited resources.

How does the reservation process work for staff wanting to use spaces? What kinds of spaces are available and for whom?

Reservations are managed through LibCal, a scheduling platform Libraries uses for most of our spaces. Offices are reservable on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff can reserve an office for a full day, for example, if they usually work remotely but need to be on campus, or just for a few hours for a meeting.

We currently have three private offices set up with dual monitors, docking stations, standard peripherals, sit-stand desks, and a small separate table that works well for meetings of two to three people. The spaces are available to all Libraries personnel.

How have staff responded to the hoteling model?

Overall, staff have really appreciated the flexibility. Knowing there is a private, well-equipped space available makes it much easier for people who work remotely most of the time to come into the office when they need to. At the same time, employees with assigned cubicle spaces can access the benefits of a private office when it matters most, such as for focused work or video conferences.

Were there any unexpected challenges or benefits with the program? If another academic department wanted to start a similar program, what advice would you give them?

One of the biggest lessons learned is how important it is to get the technology and ergonomics right from the start. People are much more likely to use the spaces if they feel comfortable and can plug in and get to work immediately. Gathering input from potential users early on really helped ensure the design met actual needs. It’s also important to use a scheduling system that lets you track utilization so you can see what’s working and adjust over time. Equitable access matters too. First-come, first-served works well for our level of demand, but that may not be true everywhere. Finally, it helps to plan ahead in the budget for periodic technology and furniture refreshes so the spaces stay functional and inviting.

Did you miss the latest Broadway musical at the Hult Center? Never fear, front row seats await you at UO Surplus! Come visit, and perhaps you'll catch a live performance from our star performer. Check out Instagram for a sneak preview!

instagram.com/uo_surplus

Start treasure hunting today! (Harmonies welcome.)

547 Q St store - Mon–Wed, 10 AM–5:20 PM

Faculty/staff hours at Romania warehouse - Fridays 10am-1pm and by appointment

Data on UO's waste and recycling efforts from the past two fiscal years shows a noteworthy decline in the amount of materials "diverted," which is to say, waste that was recycled or reused as opposed to thrown away in the landfill. UO has recently lost the option of sending our waste to a more efficient processing facility after Lane County ended their contract with the company, which is the main reason for the change. In fiscal year 2024 UO's diversion rate was over 60%. In fiscal year 2025 it was just over 50%. 

While this is disheartening information, there is improvement on the horizon. Lane County will soon open the new CleanLane Resource Recovery Facility, which will be "the most technologically advanced waste processing facility in the country," according to the county, and will result in less landfilled materials throughout the area. It will also be interesting to see what the results of the Recycling Modernization and Recovery Act will have on our (and others') diversion rates after this first year of implementation.

In the meantime, there are actions we all can take to decrease UO's waste. Think before purchasing. If items are needed, can you source them from UO Surplus, BAO, or the ROSE Room? Educate yourself about and strictly follow campus recycling guidelines. Take advantage of the reusable dishware and silverware on offer in campus dining facilities or bring your own bowl, mug, and utensils. Planning events? Budget so that you can request reusables and always ask about Leftover Textover. 

These data include only limited information from construction and demolition diversion, which will come in over the next three years as projects wrap up.

According to the Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association, Oregon’s electric vehicle landscape is developing in a mixed way, with charging infrastructure expanding quickly even as sales of new EVs flatten. A new IONNA high‑power charging site near Creswell is will soon be open, and recent additions include a 12‑stall Tesla Supercharger on Oakmont Way in Eugene, an Electrify America station on West 11th, and a 16‑stall NACS installation under construction at the Albany WinCo.

Meanwhile, the federally funded NEVI program is finally advancing after delays, with chargers on I‑205 and I‑5 expected in the first half of 2026, and ODOT now seeking bids for charger stations along major routes. Long‑term plans call for a DC fast charger every 50 miles, which would greatly improve access, especially in eastern Oregon.

Image from City of Eugene Current Projects

Check out the great updates in the City of Eugene’s latest Transportation newsletter, with stories on everything from the Autzen canoe canal bridge closure to River Road paving and bus stop improvements, plus a look at how our bike share program is breaking records. There’s also an important letter from the Transportation Planning team reflecting on recent traffic safety concerns and our community’s ongoing Vision Zero efforts. Give it a read and subscribe to stay in the loop! 

Also check out Cascadia Mobility's 2025-26 Programs Report, which celebrates a standout year for active transportation. The report also acknowledges the challenges ahead, including the need for safer streets as traffic and density rise, and calls on all of us to keep pushing toward the community we envision.

University of Oregon Assistant Research Professor James Johnston said he was taught that when a large fire burned a moist, Western Cascade forest to the ground, and the area didn’t burn for hundreds of years afterward, that’s what created a complex, old-growth landscape.

Instead, his study found that ancient tree stumps in the Mount Hood and Willamette National Forests had burn scars from multiple fires over their long lives. It’s the first time tree-ring scars have been used to document fire records in the region.

Johnston said forests are complex because of, not in spite of, lower-severity wildfires, which don’t kill many of the trees.

“This is really exciting research,” he told KLCC. “It was a bit like a scavenger hunt, excavating these giant, old-growth stumps with chainsaws. But it was also very frustrating, because I think that this research poses more questions than it answers.”

This past February, UO's Natural Areas Steward Emily Hamblen, working with Friends of Trees and WREN, hosted the first two of four tree‑planting events on the Willamette River Natural Area (WRNA). Over two Saturdays, a combined total of over 120 volunteers planted two hundred trees. The volunteers were so voracious that they also took on the additional challenge of removing invasive English ivy from some of the area's largest and oldest trees.

The team of Assistant Stewards, led by Carson, as well the Student Sustainability Center’s Restoration Coordinator Amelia served as event leads, highlighting the professional development and leadership opportunities in our natural areas programs.

The effort is funded by a grant from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife won last year in partnership with the City of Eugene and others. Ultimately, the initiative will result in the largest tree planting in UO history. 

Many of the volunteers were students, but a strong turnout from community members, faculty, and staff made the event truly intergenerational. Families came with toddlers, teens, and everyone in between. It will be inspiring to watch these new trees grow in the years ahead.

Photos taken by student photographer Matthew. 

The Office of Sustainability offers monthly walking tours of sustainability features and practices at the Eugene campus. Tours occur monthly, and attendees learn about infrastructure, academic programs, and student groups, among other topics. The next tour will be Friday, March 27 from 11:10-12:10 pm. Meet at the Unthank Welcome Center. 

Image: Reuters (via https://news.uoregon.edu/)

An artist's concept of a tidal disruption event that happens when a star passes fatally close to a supermassive black hole, which reacts by launching a relativistic jet, in other words, a black hole continuing to belch years after chewing up a star!

Have a UO or Eugene/Springfield-related delight or a story idea to share? Send to sstoeckl@uoregon.edu.