Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz. Images from: Danny Martindale

“Young people: They care. They know that this is the world that they're going to grow up in, that they're going to spend the rest of their lives in. But, I think it's more idealistic than that. They actually believe that humanity, human species, has no right to destroy and despoil regardless.” 
― Sir David Attenborough 

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

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

I have been here for 10 years! I love the energy and dynamism of working on a college campus, and it feels meaningful to work in a department that plays a role in creating and maintaining the facilities (indoor and out) that make our campus someplace to be proud of.

Q: At a high level, how would you describe the work that you do as a Senior Interior Designer for Design and Construction? What aspects do you focus on specifically for the campus?

I think the simplest way to put it is that I design spaces that look and feel good, function efficiently, and support the people using them!

Some days that looks like ordering new signs to help with wayfinding, other days it might be drafting floorplans and specifying new finishes and furniture for an office suite, and sometimes it’s consulting on large projects to ensure our campus standards are being followed. I also work closely with my team to develop design standards and best practices that can be implemented consistently across campus, no matter the project scope or size. Ultimately my mission is to design functional, inclusive, and sustainable environments that serve our campus community.

Q: What’s one sustainability dream you have for the college as an Interior Designer?

I have many ideas and dreams, but the one that feels most attainable at the moment is looking at finding ways to recycle more of our construction waste – specifically flooring. I am in discussions with a few flooring manufacturers who have started “take-back” programs that salvage old material as well as the “cut waste” (remnants from when they cut a piece of material to fit in a smaller space – believe it or not, this actually makes up quite a large amount of the overall project waste!), to be recycled and turned back into new flooring material. There are some minimum quantity thresholds we are trying to work through to be able to participate in the program, but it’s something I hope to implement as a standard soon!

Q: What inspires you to stay engaged in this work?

Current data shows that we spend over 90% of our time indoors, so between going to meetings and attending class, studying for a test, eating

Alison and her two boys enjoying a fun morning together at the Saturday Market in Eugene

a meal, collaborating with peers, or having an interview, a lot of life happens inside our buildings! We know that the built environment impacts both mental and physical health, which can manifest in how people perform at work and in school – and whether they even want to show up at all – so I am committed to designing spaces that encourage presence, reduce stress, increase engagement, foster a sense of belonging, and overall improve the occupant’s quality of life.

I strive to filter my work through evidence-based, human-centered design principles such as healthy buildings, biophilia, equitable access to natural light, and neuro-inclusivity.

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

I love doing things outside with my two kiddos – now that the weather is getting nice, we have been spending most Saturday mornings at the market downtown!

Anytime I spend extended time in nature, I try to make a little collage with various items/materials I find, like pieces of wood, moss, rocks, and any other random items I find that add an interesting color or texture.

I’m highly entertained and intrigued by custom license plates, and have a massive collection of the funniest/punniest/cleverest ones I’ve seen over the years.

A recent license plate that made Alison smile.

In May UO came together to celebrate the winners of the UO Sustainability Awards. These annual awards recognize efforts to make a more sustainable world throughout our campus, including researchers and educators, student leaders, frontline and programming staff, and collaborators from the local community. The awards are hosted by the Office of Sustainability and each award is sponsored by a campus department. 

The UO Natural Areas Program recently celebrated its second birthday! Attendees had the opportunity to connect, reflect on accomplishments, and look ahead to future endeavors. On display was a slideshow showcasing projects over the last two years. There were small tables and stands for the program collaborators to display 3D models, posters, and photos. Thanks to everyone’s support and dedication, the Natural Areas Program has (so far) planted 913 plants, removed over 18,000 gallons of invasive species, created 725 new feet of nature trails, and engaged over 1,500 students and volunteers.

The event acknowledged the community's creativity, hard work, and dedication, which have contributed to the program's success over the past two years.

As 5,000 students prepare to leave campus res halls, UO will hold its annual year-end donation drive, Give Before You Go! UO Housing and the Office of Sustainability are partnering with community agencies to collect donations from exiting students, including Goodwill, Sponsors, and St. Vincent De Paul Society of Lane County. The drive typically collects over twenty tons of materials for reuse. There will be donation bins placed in common areas in all the residence halls. Give Before You Go will run June 1-12th, 2026.

For students: Housing and the Office of Sustainability encourage you to begin sorting materials early. Getting a head start is a great way to make time for considering and sorting donatable materials correctly. (Plus a great break from finals studying!)

Level up your game night without breaking the bank.   Quest for the perfect table to play upon at the UO Surplus store! 

instagram.com/uo_surplus

Start treasure hunting today!

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

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

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History holds artifacts like these sandals. At roughly 10,000 years old, they're the oldest known  shoes in the world.

Thousands of years ago, in Central Oregon’s high desert, Indigenous communities left evidence of their textile-making prowess. The story of the deep past is told in part through artifacts — such as cordage, bone needles and animal skins — unearthed over decades and curated in museums, including the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Now, archaeologists have used advanced dating techniques to determine the age of these artifacts. What they discovered sheds new light on the complex crafting skills humans had developed as far back as the end of the last Ice Age. Some of the items are over 12,000 years old, including the oldest known piece of sewn hide.

The discovery, published in February in the journal Science Advances, underscores the importance of museum collections to our understanding of humans in the deep past. The UO museum contributed many objects analyzed in the study.

Cascadia Wildlands and other conservation groups documented recently cut, old growth trees.

A federal judge halted the Blue and Gold timber project near the Douglas and Lane county border after Eugene-based conservation groups documented stumps from trees they say should have been protected in an old-growth forest.

Oregon U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai filed an opinion late Thursday, May 14, finding that the BLM did not meet its obligations under at least two environmental laws.

The long-controversial Blue and Gold project, in Douglas County within 5 miles of Sutherlin, covers over 3,000 acres in the southern Oregon Coast Range.

Since 2024, when BLM finalized plans, conservation groups have been engaged in a lawsuit challenging the legality of the harvest.

Kasubhai not only ordered the project to come to an immediate halt, but he also is requiring the BLM to restart its review process, an effort that had been underway for years.

An engineer sits atop a wind turbine, looking out at the sunset and other large windmills. Adobe Stock.

In 2025, sources of renewable energy provided more electricity than coal amidst a global surge (pun intended) in solar, wind, and other renewables projects. According to Climate Trunk* "solar leapt 30% from 2024, producing almost 2,800 TWh globally – about as much electricity as the EU consumes in a year. This allowed clean power to meet all new electricity demands growth– even amid surging demand from data centres – nudging fossil generation into a slight decline." The growth stems from the rapid decline in cost for both renewable infrastructure builds and batteries, making renewable energy now officially the cheapest energy. 

In New Mexico, the US's largest onshore wind project has just begun generating electricity. The 3.5 gigawatt SunZia Wind project will provide power not only to New Mexico but also to Arizona and California. According to Politico, "SunZia will be able to generate enough electricity to supply 3 million people in California and Arizona. It is particularly important to California’s clean energy and climate goals because it is likely to generate most at night, when the state tends to burn the most natural gas and its significant solar resource is offline." The project launches even amidst headwinds (again, pun intended) from the current US federal administration in opposition to renewable energy. 

*Climate Trunk is a newer publication that combines bespoke graphics with news and data to cut through the noise and share climate facts, with heart and inspiration.

BRING Planet Improvement Center challenges the community to transform old materials into something new. Their customers have always been reimagining discarded building materials. Now participants in the Community Challenge can attend BRING's Materials Selection Day and use Challenge Cash to gather supplies. From there, the challenge is to create something new to enhance your home, business, garden or more. Design what inspires you and fabricate something functional or fun!

The 2026 BRING Community Challenge is coming soon!

-Share your the interest and stay tuned for details.

-In school? Check out the BRING Student Challenge. 

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, June 26, from 11:10-12:10 pm. Meet at the Unthank Welcome Center. 

A perfectly normal day in the park. 

Written, directed, designed and animated by AJ Jefferies
Music and sound design by Megalithic Sound

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