What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
I work in the UO Print Services print shop, at Baker Center in downtown Eugene.
What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
I am a Digital Print Technician—which is exactly what it sounds like! I handle the technical aspects of turning an idea someone has for printing into the real thing. I work primarily with our digital color printer, so most of my day-to-day involves making sure that what someone has designed on the computer comes out looking as close as possible to what is on the screen--not always as simple as it sounds!
What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
After graduating from Penn State in 2015 I moved back to my hometown of Philadelphia and started working in a small print shop for a local music publishing company. After a few years I decided it was time to see the rest of America and moved to Eugene after my father relocated to Oregon in his retirement. As luck would have it, UO was looking for a new Print Technician at the same exact time!
What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
Graduating from university with a degree in a field I loved but didn’t want to pursue professionally was a big surprise, and meant that I had to essentially go back to square one. However, once the initial panic wore off, I was able to understand that so much of what I had learned in school would be applicable to any career path I decided to take. What was once a huge burden has continued to provide me with amazing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
What is your work history and education that enabled you to attain your current position?
My education in physics and mathematics taught me how to a diagnose problem and find the solution (or make one up if necessary!). At the previous print shop I worked in, much of our equipment was older and there weren’t too many opportunities for outside assistance. As a result, I had to become intimately familiar with a lot of the ins and outs of the industry and learn that sometimes you have to get creative!
How has working at UO enabled your professional goals and interests?
I have gained a ton of experience in customer service and am always learning more about how to anticipate the needs of our clients ahead of time. I’ve also been able to develop new digital design and editing skills and keep up to date with all of the new and exciting things you can do in the print world.
What do you like about your current position?
I enjoy seeing all of the different materials that student organizations and campus departments have printed, whether it’s magazines or interesting event posters for JSMA and MNCH or reports on some aspect of our community. There’s always something interesting being printed and it's gratifying to know that I am doing my part to help everyone on and off campus stay informed (especially during COVID!).
How do you want to be remembered?
As someone who helped make things a little bit easier for everyone else whenever possible.
(August 2021)