Meet our Oregon Design Ducks
The Oregon Design Ducks (ODD) flock at the College of Design is made up of promising students, award-winning faculty, and passionate staff.
The following profile is just one way our ODD flock is standing out and making its mark on the world.
School of Architecture & Environment
Yash Akhouri
Bachelor of Architecture
As a student and designer, Yash Akhouri has had the privilege of being born in Renukoot, India, raised in Johannesburg, South Africa and to live in three different countries along the way. Growing up in vastly different cultures has given him a unique perspective on the world, allowing him to grow passionate about learning about diverse cultures, people, and their vernacular. Ecological and vernacular design have also captured his interest, and he is constantly seeking ways to incorporate sustainable practices into his work.
Akhouri believes that by adopting these practices, we can create a better world for our people and future generations.
Honour Colby
Bachelor of Architecture
Honour Colby is currently working towards a bachelor's degree in architecture, and another bachelors in Romance Languages. She currently works with the communications team as a Student Ambassador for the College of Design.
Here's what she had to say about her experiences at in College of Design and in the architecture program, her educational journey, and her GEO Study Abroad trip to Italy!
Alison Hicks
Bachelor of Interior Architecture
Alison Hicks was recently selected as a 2023 Metropolis Future100 winner – meaning she is one of Metropolis' top interior architecture undergraduate students in the US and Canada!
Her passion for "loving others through design," is evident in her latest project – a concept to provide a hub that would provide farm workers in the Central Valley of California and their families a hub that includes housing, and an advocacy and resource center.
Read about Hicks' journey from joining the UO IArch program to her upcoming graduation this June!
History of Art and Architecture
Alexis Garcia
Master of Art History, Criticism, and Conservation
Alexis Garcia is working towards a master's degree after already earning her bachelor's degree in Art History at the UO.
She is one of the 2021-22 recipients of the Gloria Tovar Lee Scholarship in Art History – an award earned by only the most promising students in the program. Garcia was selected to present her research at the highly prestigious Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) Annual Meeting. Last summer, she was able to attend the American School of Classical Studies Summer Seminar in Greece.
Now, she's working to recover the voices of Ancient Greece's enslaved population.
School of Planning, Public Policy and Management
Sadie Mae Palmatier
Master of Community and Regional Planning
Sadie Mae Palmatier is the 2021-2022 National Institute for Transportation and Community's Outstanding Student of the Year. She was selected to present her research at the highly prestigious Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington, DC. She currently serves as is the project manager for the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement.
She is currently working to find solutions for lowering the housing costs through transportation policy.
School of Art + Design
Trent Nesbitt
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Product Design
Trent Nesbitt is currently in his third and final year at UO's Eugene campus, before transitioning to UO Portland for his final year of study. He is extremely passionate about his work in product design and takes pride in his ability to find solutions for any design problem that may need solving. This year, he has worked with a team to design and fabricate an architecture exhibition on the world stage at the 2023 ECC Venice Biennale.
The college and A+D had an opportunity to speak with Trent Nesbitt and learn about his experiences at the UO, the Product Design program, transpecies design, and more!
Kiera Patterson
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Product Design
Kiera Patterson works with the College of Design communications team from University of Oregon Portland's White Stag Block as a Student Ambassador.
We spoke with Patterson about the studying Product Design at the UO, the processes that go into this field of study, her transition to UO Portland's campus, her work towards creating accessible tools to those with arthritis, and more!