Daily Emerald: Former UO Star Athlete and Professor Runs for Mayor of Eugene
Before Kaarin Knudson, 47, could ever dream of becoming Eugene’s next mayor, she was already busy in Eugene, racking up awards both on and off the track at the University of Oregon. The UO track star won awards including 1999 Oregon NCAA Woman of the Year, a Two-time Academic All-American and All-American Runner. In the classroom, Knudson graduated at the top of her class with degrees in journalism and design.
After graduating from UO, Knudson worked jobs in San Francisco and Portland. But when the time came for the mother of two to choose a place to earn her master's degree and begin a family, Knudson decided that she wanted to move back to Eugene, citing her “wonderful experience” during her undergraduate years at UO.
Upon Knudson finishing her master’s degree in architecture from UO in 2007, Knudson returned to the university in spring 2008 to teach design studio classes to architecture students — something Knudson still does nearly 16 years later.
“I'm very fortunate to have had wonderful relationships with faculty and students on campus — I love the energy that goes with teaching [and] the type of creative inquiry when thinking about design and city building,” Knudson said. “I love seeing my students go out into the world and succeed in that exploration.”