There is always something happening in the College of Design. Join us for art exhibits, guest lectures, conferences, research symposia, and more. Most events are free and open to the public. You can join our email list to receive our Upcoming Events weekly announcement and stay in the know about the latest happenings.
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
The University of Oregon Department of Art is pleased to present a lecture and exhibition by alumnus Reza Safavi (MFA ’06).
The exhibition Binging on the Biome will be on view from February 16-26 in the LaVerne Krause Gallery. An exhibition reception will immediately following the lecture.
Binging on the Biome is informed by an interest in the edge zones of ecosystems, transitional regions where distinct environments meet and interact. These liminal spaces are defined by exchange, instability, and heightened activity, operating under conditions of continual negotiation rather than equilibrium. Through light-based works, scanned and printed ice forms, film, fabric, and kinetic systems, the works highlight these areas where environmental systems overlap and remain in flux. Referencing the increasing scarcity of ice, the exhibition considers how regions once defined by inaccessibility are becoming sites of strategic interest and control. The exhibition remains open-ended, resisting resolution while acknowledging the complexities of engagement with fragile systems.
Reza Safavi’s practice is shaped by a hybrid sense of identity. Raised in Canada after the Multiculturalism Act of 1988, he explores cultural juxtapositions through material and digital forms. Living and working in the U.S., he continues this inquiry through research and practice. Reza has been a member of several artists’ groups and, in addition to his solo work, he regularly participates in making of collaborative projects. His artwork has been exhibited and presented regionally nationally and internationally in diverse venues ranging from galleries and museums to public installations and performances. He is Professor of Art at Washington State University and holds an MFA from the University of Oregon (2006) and a BFA from the University of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, Canada.
This lecture and exhibition are made possible by the Laverne Krause Lectures and Exhibitions endowment.
Image caption: Komagataeibacterberg, fabricated from point cloud data from an Arctic iceberg using a custom biomaterial made from oceanic microbes and Kombucha, Archival Pigment Print
6:00–7:30 p.m.
Learn about different career paths in the real estate industry and the foundations of financial analysis from guest speakers, hands-on workshops, and site tours. Join the UO Real Estate Investment Group for our weekly meetings every Wednesday in Lillis 132 from 6:00–7:30 p.m.! Our club is open to all and no application is required.
4:00 p.m.
University of Oregon 2025-26 Visiting Artist Lecture Series Presented by the Department of Art and Center for Art Research
The lecture will be followed by an exhibition reception for Reza Safavi: "Binging on the Biome" in the LaVerne Krause Gallery.
Reza Safavi’s research examines how technology shapes experience. He uses sculpture, video, game engines, light, sound, drawing, performance, analog and digital devices as well as elements of the natural world to create interactive experiences that highlight the interfaces, both macro and micro, among communities, technology, consciousness and the environment. Receiving his MFA from the UO in 2006, Reza is thrilled to return to give a talk on his work and where he has been for the last 20 years.
Reza Safavi’s practice is shaped by a hybrid sense of identity. Raised in Canada after the Multiculturalism Act of 1988, he explores cultural juxtapositions through material and digital forms. Living and working in the U.S., he continues this inquiry through research and practice. Reza has been a member of several artists’ groups and, in addition to his solo work, he regularly participates in making of collaborative projects. His artwork has been exhibited and presented regionally nationally and internationally in diverse venues ranging from galleries and museums to public installations and performances. He is Professor of Art at Washington State University and holds an MFA from the University of Oregon (2006) and a BFA from the University of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, Canada.
This lecture and exhibition are made possible by the LaVerne Krause Lectures and Exhibitions endowment.
5:00–6:00 p.m.
The University of Oregon Department of Art is pleased to present a lecture and exhibition by Reza Safavi (MFA ’06).
The exhibition Binging on the Biome will be on view from February 16-26 in the LaVerne Krause Gallery. An exhibition reception will immediately following the lecture.
Binging on the Biome is informed by an interest in the edge zones of ecosystems, transitional regions where distinct environments meet and interact. These liminal spaces are defined by exchange, instability, and heightened activity, operating under conditions of continual negotiation rather than equilibrium. Through light-based works, scanned and printed ice forms, film, fabric, and kinetic systems, the works highlight these areas where environmental systems overlap and remain in flux. Referencing the increasing scarcity of ice, the exhibition considers how regions once defined by inaccessibility are becoming sites of strategic interest and control. The exhibition remains open-ended, resisting resolution while acknowledging the complexities of engagement with fragile systems.
Reza Safavi’s practice is shaped by a hybrid sense of identity. Raised in Canada after the Multiculturalism Act of 1988, he explores cultural juxtapositions through material and digital forms. Living and working in the U.S., he continues this inquiry through research and practice. Reza has been a member of several artists’ groups and, in addition to his solo work, he regularly participates in making of collaborative projects. His artwork has been exhibited and presented regionally nationally and internationally in diverse venues ranging from galleries and museums to public installations and performances. He is Professor of Art at Washington State University and holds an MFA from the University of Oregon (2006) and a BFA from the University of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, Canada.
This lecture and exhibition are made possible by the Laverne Krause Lectures and Exhibitions endowment.
Image caption: Komagataeibacterberg, fabricated from point cloud data from an Arctic iceberg using a custom biomaterial made from oceanic microbes and Kombucha, Archival Pigment Print
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Join us for an information session on the Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Galapagos program. We'll discuss the program dates, details, and experiences!
4:00 p.m.
University of Oregon 2025-26 Visiting Artist Lecture Series Presented by the Department of Art and Center for Art Research
“Weights & Measures” conveys multiple meanings. It refers to the burdens our bodies and psyches carry, the passage of time and musical tempos. At its most literal, it evokes systems of value and order. The talk will discuss Khoury’s last three years of work that that have focused on collectivity, intangibility, music, food, athleticism, and death. Through the process of assemblage, casting, printmaking, forging, welding, and hand building forms, Khoury continues to explore what makes something, or someone, worth more or less than another? The athleticism of death, the aestheticism of the everyday, and the cultural imperatives that create the weights we bear. The talk will share the unique processes of casting at the Kohler Factory in Wisconsin two summers in a row, first in foundry and then in pottery.
Sahar Khoury is an artist based in Oakland, California. Khoury makes sculptures that integrate abstraction, personal and political symbols, and an intuitive sensitivity to site. Found or rejected objects that are immediate, abundant, and recurring serve as a script for constructions made of metal, clay, cement, and papier-mâché. Trained as a cultural anthropologist and having never taken any fundamental art classes, Khoury continues to develop an idiosyncratic approach to merging diverse materials, with a primary commitment to spontaneity and interdependence. She received her BA in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz in 1996 and her MFA From UC Berkeley in 2013.
noon
Jordy Coutin, Assistant Professor, PPPM, presents: "A Legal Remedy: The Impact of Martin v. Boise on Shelter Capacity and Use."
The Institute for Policy Research and Engagement is part of the UO School of Planning, Public Policy and Management.
12:30–3:30 p.m.
This symposium brings together scholars from the US, Singapore, and China to examine the evolving pathways of sustainable development in China. Focusing on the intersections of economic transformation, environmental governance, and social equity, it aims to foster critical dialogue on how sustainability is conceptualized, implemented, and contested across different regions and sectors. Through presentations and discussions, participants will reflect on China’s experiences in addressing climate change, urbanization, and development challenges, while situating them within broader global debates on sustainable development.
Event registration is required for participation:https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019b954562f17224bdc7a0231d1f3f2e
Event sponsors:
APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Program, Global Studies Institute, Department of Geography, Department of Global Studies, Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.
noon
Kory Russel, Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture, presenting on: "The Sustainable Sanitary City: Container-based Sanitation, Gray Water Reuse, and the Future of Urban Water Infrastructure".
The Institute for Policy Research and Engagement is part of the UO School of Planning, Public Policy and Management. This is in collaboration with the School of Architecture and Environment.
5:00 p.m.
What is Research? (2026) will explore various natures, purposes, and roles of research across disciplines, fields, and areas. The event will consider frameworks of systematic and creative inquiry, including methods, designs, analyses, discoveries, collaborations, dissemination, ethics, integrity, diversity, media/technologies, and information environments.
This year delves into research in its many forms, including searching, critically investigating, and re-examining existing knowledge, as well as emerging functions and procedures in machine intelligence and computation. It will highlight pluralities of research pathways, examining time-honored approaches and new ways of knowing, precedents, issues, and futures. It considers challenges and possibilities that researchers face in today’s rapidly changing world, and ways to promote ethical, inclusive, and impactful research.
The event celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Program in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon.
noon
Ed Rubin, Assistant Professor, Economics, presenting on "Do Local Emissions Respond to Upwind Abatement? Evidence of Regulatory Rebound from Power-plant Rules and PM2.5 Standards".
The Institute for Policy Research and Engagement is working in collaboration with the Department of Economics and the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management.
9:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
This annual event offers undergraduates from all majors a vibrant, inclusive forum to showcase their research and creative work through a variety of presentation platforms. The event celebrates inquiry and discovery across disciplines, helps students build communication and professional skills, and connects them with peers, faculty, and mentors. Whether attending or presenting, students at any stage in their academic journey will gain confidence, expand their networks, and continue strengthening their pathways to success.
The General Agenda on the website gives an overview of events throughout the day. The searchable schedule will be posted at urds.uoregon.edu/symposium closer the event.
noon
Patrick Hunnicutt, Assistant Professor, PPPM, presents: "Poisoning the Well: Process, Recognition, and Opposition to Environmental Policy in Rural America".
The Institute for Policy Research and Engagement is working in collaboration with the UO School of Planning, Public Policy and Management.
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Join us in celebrating the Class of 2026!
For graduate RSVP requirements and day-of details, email dsgn@uoregon.edu or call 541-346-3405