Korrin Bishop
Major: Planning, Public Policy and Management
School: College of Design
Class: 2011
Korrin came to the UO with lots of ideas about what she might like to study. She explored mathematics and sociology—she even considered a degree in ancient Greek classics after studying abroad in Greece. That is, until a friend told her about the Planning, Public Policy and Management program. A few intro courses later, she knew she’d found the right fit. Her professors weren’t just talking about theories, they were giving her the tools to apply them—and hopefully to change the world a little. These days, Korrin is working for Abt Associates, a consulting firm that partners with places like the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to create systemic change across the country through federal homelessness prevention programs.
James Beké
Major: Advertising
School: School of Journalism and Communication
Class: 2014
James started as a marketing major. Then he became a sociology major, then cinema studies, then journalism. Finally, he discovered advertising. He did exactly what we encourage UO students to do: explore, figure out who you are, and find what sets your imagination on fire. Eventually, James gathered everything he’s good at and everything he loves—art, video, music, words, and a curiosity about what makes people tick—and ended up in a completely wonderful, totally unexpected place. Today, he’s a creative director who helped create a spot for Beats by Dre that aired during the Super Bowl. He’s making advertising into art, blowing up the internet on behalf of some of the top brands in the world, and feeling pretty good about deciding to explore his options in the J-school at the UO.
Sage Limpp-Wagner
Majors: Geography and German
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Class: 2013
With her double major in geography and German, Sage mapped her own career route—full of unexpected turns that all came together just right. She started with courses in geographic information systems and a part-time job in the UO InfoGraphics Lab, learning to create complex mapping systems that track, predict, and display information like weather patterns and traffic flow. After graduation, she moved on to Google’s GPS emergency response team, where she worked on real-time visualizations of barriers like road accidents. And now, she uses her data and mapping skills to coordinate long-term relief programs for victims of natural disasters at the non-profit All Hands and Hearts.
Matt Keown
Major: Music: Percussion Performance
School: School of Music and Dance
Class: 2013
Matt’s been playing music on anything he could find since he was a kid, a habit he picked up from his father. From marimbas and bongos to glass bottles and even a cactus, he could always find a way to tap out a rhythm. Matt came to the UO to get his BA in music, following in his father’s footsteps. He studied under a professor who’d made an impact on his dad 35 years before, joined the prestigious Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, and even met the woman he’d eventually marry (also a percussionist). After graduation, Matt’s beats have come to a crescendo, leading him to the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, the Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab in California, and yes, Carnegie Hall. These days he’s working on his Doctor of Musical Arts at Yale, where he’s the fourth percussionist in 20 years to have been accepted into the program.
Mary Vertulfo
Major: Art and Technology with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies
Schools: College of Design; College of Arts and Sciences
Class: 2018
Mary wasn’t sure about going to college in her hometown of Eugene, but after taking a UO class in high school, she was sold. She entered the UO leaning toward international studies. In the Clark Honors Introductory Program, Mary’s class was led by an art major. Curious about art and encouraged to dip her toes in the water, Mary took Drawing I. She loved it, and found that art students had a passion similar to her cohort in international studies. Mary pursued her bachelor of fine arts, organized student art shows, and helped launch the first-ever UO Zine Fest. A week after graduation, Mary moved to Colorado to join Legwork Studio on a three-month contract—time to make sure it was a good fit for everyone. Two months in, after working on projects for big names like Domino’s and Pandora, they asked her to stay as a full-time designer and animator.
Diara Melendez
Major: Business Administration with a minor in Spanish
Schools: Lundquist College of Business; College of Arts and Sciences
Class: 2013
Diara first came to Oregon by way of Nevada, by way of Chile, to study physics. Whip-smart, with a can-do attitude and deep scholarship support, her path seemed pretty much set. But like many of our students, she found a new passion when she arrived. She switched her major to global management at the Lundquist College of Business and immediately dove right in. First order of business: study abroad in Spain. Next, get noticed. She became active in several organizations on campus, including Lundquist’s CEO Network, an organization for business students of color. Soon, she was being recruited by several corporations, and eventually landed a job at one before she’d even graduated. Today, Diara is thriving as a Relationship Manager at KeyBank.
Kieran Maher
Major: Business Administration: Marketing and Sports Business
School: Lundquist College of Business
Class: 2015
As a business student, Kieran found his focus by connecting with amazing professors, collaborating with peers, and joining the Warsaw Sports Business Club. He took what he was learning in the classroom and gained real-world experience while still in college. Since then, pretty much every job he’s had has been tied to the University of Oregon, thanks in part to learning the value of networking, putting himself in the right places surrounded by the best people. He’s worked in corporate partnerships for TrackTown USA, the nonprofit that organizes major track and field events including the US Olympic Trials and the World Championships, and he’s currently coordinating campaigns for big players like Nike. Kieran often meets other Ducks in the industry—they’re easy to spot when they’re sporting the “O.”
Jon Colligan
Major: Chemistry
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Class: 2011
Do you ever wonder how your mint gum gets so minty? Or how each new tube of toothpaste tastes and smells exactly like the one that just ran out? Jon Colligan does. Jon provided specifications for the minty-freshness in gums, toothpastes, and hard candies for household names like Colgate and Wrigley. As a chemist for Callisons, Jon blended mint oils to match the consistent standards that companies and their consumers depend on. Though he’s moved on from mixing flavors, he can still identify each of the 30 types of mint in the US by smell alone. Today, he continues to use his chemistry background as a civilian contractor doing chemical screening for the US Navy—just minus the taste test.
Ashleigh Fischer
Major: Architecture
School: College of Design
Class: 2014
Ashleigh had a bachelor’s in architecture with an engineering minor, and a passion for sustainability and competitive running. What better place to get her master’s than the lush green UO campus, surrounded by miles of running trails and home to one of the best architecture programs anywhere? She embraced every opportunity. She participated in a Passive House monitoring study and learned to hack a house to gauge everything from air quality to energy efficiency. She jumped at chances to research and get published. And she got involved with the Energy Studies in Buildings Lab that provides students with opportunities to consult with working professionals at firms throughout the Pacific Northwest—including ZGF Architecture. The connections she built at the firm during her lab led to a job there specializing in sustainable design integration.
Grant Gurewitz
Major: Public Relations with a minor in Geography
Schools: School of Journalism and Communication; College of Arts and Sciences
Class: 2013
Grant started his UO college career as a pre-business major intending to make the leap to sports business marketing. It wasn’t long, though, before he began rethinking everything—thanks, in large part, to the time he spent with other new students in his First-Year Interest Group (FIG). He lived, learned, and exchanged ideas with them, and they exposed him to options he’d never considered. One discovery led to another and the next thing he knew he was majoring in public relations and minoring in geography. It might sound like an odd combination, until you hear where he’s ended up today: Grant manages industry communities and events in Zillow’s marketing department. He’s telling the story of a company that specializes in merging vast amounts of real estate and demographic data with a navigable geographic digital environment.