Graduate Profiles: A design degree, and then the next big adventure

Meet Liz Zarro, Class of 2015

High school: Kihei Public Charter High School, Kihei, Hawai’i

Major/degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Product Design, Robert D. Clark Honors College.

My favorite memories: Grabbing a coffee at the Hearth, reading on the quad and napping in the Honors College lounge (the most comfortable couches on campus).

Favorite professor or instructor: I have had too many great professors! Kiersten Muenchinger, director of the Product Design Program, has been vital to my design degree. Kiersten has helped me develop my design voice, and has aided my design process from before I was even accepted into the program. Trygve Faste has also been an essential influencer in my development as a designer, and without him I wouldn’t have the drawing skills I have today. Jason Germany was also an important professor of mine, from my first Solidworks tutorial to hiring me as a UO CNC Shop Tech. I owe a lot to these three professors, and I’m really grateful to have had them as instructors!

What I did for fun: Eugene is a great place to have fun. I loved longboarding through the Alton Baker park trail and to my job at the Autzen Stadium Duck Store. I loved running through Hendricks Park, hiking Mount Pisgah with friends and jumping into the Willamette River on a mid-summer day.

What’s next: I will be hanging out with my family after graduation for a few days, before returning to Portland. Then I will be seeking my next big adventure!