What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
Design and Construction Special Projects Team
What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
I am a Project Manager (PM) and my responsibilities include working with the campus users, our in-house design team, Facilities Services, and contractors to develop and create awesome spaces on campus. These projects include everything from high-tech classrooms and multi-media learning environments to recreational areas, faculty offices, restrooms, and maintenance (of existing spaces). Ultimately, my job is about making spaces that will improve the student and faculty experience.
What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
After I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Washington, I was a lead carpenter and designer for a design-build company which specialized in high-end homes in Seattle. After 7 years I was feeling burnt out at the same time my wife saw an ad for the Peace Corps; we applied and were accepted! We were stationed in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country in the former Soviet Union. My wife taught English at the university and I was a community developer for a non-government organization. We enjoyed living abroad and after Peace Corps we decided we wanted to continue to travel the world. This led us to work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was a completely different experience going from one of the poorest countries in the world to working in the second richest one.
Just outside Dubai, I worked as an airport planner/project coordinator for three years, master planning the operations, business, and safety of the airport. During our three years in the UAE, we were able to travel extensively to nearby Africa, Asia and Europe, and I got into kitesurfing. When we returned to the States I was fortunate to continue my project management career in Hood River, Oregon, which also happened to be a mecca for kitesurfing. However, I ended up doing more long-distance backpacking than kitesurfing. After 5 years in Hood River, we moved down here to Eugene. But before moving I decided to thru-hike the entire 2,650 mile-long Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Mexico to Canada. I interviewed for my job at UO while I was on the trail! I had to walk 40 miles to make it to a café that had wireless internet for my Skype interview.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
While working abroad in the Middle East and Central Asia, the main obstacle was working in a multicultural, multilingual business environment. I had to learn to read body language since I did not always know what they were saying; I also had to be acutely aware of the business customs in various cultures. The biggest challenges wherever I go are always about adapting, integrating, finding win-win solutions for everyone, and eventually developing a high performance team.
How has working at UO enabled your professional goals and interests?
Working at the UO has improved my abilities in project and institutional management. I work in a fast-paced environment where I must integrate aesthetics with planning, creative problem-solving, and finances. When faced with challenges, I love collaborating with others on campus to find a creative solution. I am very grateful I work with talented and supportive teammates and campus colleagues.
What do you like about your current position?
Working at the UO has given me access to so many interesting resources, lectures, performances, athletics, and events. I was invited to participate in the Intertwined storytelling event, where I worked with a story coach to develop a story I shared about my PCT backpacking adventure. I like taking classes at the Craft Center (I learned to sew a backpack) and the Rec Center (F45 –keeps me in shape for the trail). I enjoy staying connected with the UO community. This year I attended the commencement, MLK awards, the graduation parade, DEMA dance performance, a lecture on coffee and water architecture, and the game where the UO women’s basketball team upset #4 Mississippi State. These events help remind me of the importance of my job and what it’s ultimately about.
What advice would you have for others; what secrets would you share for someone thinking of applying to the UO?
- Advice: If you are going to work at the UO, it’s important to keep in mind that it takes time to learn the dynamics and interconnectedness of all the people and their roles, the layers, processes, and culture.
- Secret: A lot of faculty have a considerable amount of Star Wars memorabilia in their offices.
Share a little about yourself personally:
- Family: Meg, married 13 years. Our cat, Chauncey.
- Favorite food: I love food that brings back great memories. If I’m near the PCT in Cascade Locks after a high-calorie burning hike, I like to reminisce about my adventure by ordering the “Hiker Trash Special”. It’s an off-menu special for PCT-ers that is a double-bacon cheeseburger with pizza slices for the buns! Ugh!
- Best TV shows or movies you’ve seen: Lately, it’s been Stranger Things, Mr. Robot, and La-La Land.
- Hiking trail name: Blis – I had a lot of blisters on the PCT but stayed positive.
- How do you want to be remembered? As someone with no regrets.
- If you could have the answer to any question, what would it be? I sometimes wonder “What is my cat thinking and saying?"
(September 2019)