Order of the O Alumni Spotlight: Kaarin Knudson
As part of our Order of the O Alumni Spotlight feature, meet Kaarin Knudson, architect, educator, author, civic leader and UO student-athlete alumna.
Knudson was a Track and Cross-Country athlete from 1994 – 1999, two-time Academic All-American, NCAA Woman of the Year – State of Oregon, 7-time NCAA Qualifier, Cross-Country PAC-10 Champion and Becky L. Sisley award recipient.
Knudson graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Fine Arts in 1999. In 2007, she earned a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Oregon. Knudson founded her design consulting firm, Better Housing Together in 2017, teaches a graduate workshop in urban design at the University of Oregon, and her first book, The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook, was published this April.
In May 2024, she was elected to be the next Mayor of Eugene and will take office in January 2025. Learn more about Kaarin Knudson’s experience at Oregon and how she thrived as a student-athlete and her journey to civic leadership.
Major(s) – B.A. Journalism and Fine Arts (1999), Master’s in Architecture (2007)
Sport and Position: Track, Indoor Track, Cross Country
Years Competed at Oregon: Fall 1994 - Spring 1999
Current Location: Eugene, Ore.
Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
Current Professional Title: Self-Employed (Better Practice Design Workshop) | Mayor-Elect, City of Eugene (Mayoral service begins January 2025)
KAARIN KNUDSON Q&A
Why did you choose the University of Oregon?
I’m from a family of teachers, and they were always really excited about my athletics accomplishments. But in my grandfather’s words, “school comes first.” So when I chose UO, it was for the journalism program and to run at Oregon. I think I knew Oregon was the place for me right after coming for the Prefontaine Classic as a high school kid — I’d never seen anything like the love Eugene has for running, and I got a glimpse of the McKenzie River Trail. After that first visit, I stopped replying to letters from some really great schools. I was a multiple state champion in track and cross-country, but I came to UO with more support from academics than athletics.
What is one of your favorite memories while attending University of Oregon?
My favorite athletics memories are of Hayward Magic. It’s such a special history to be a part of — how the crowd lifts you up is beyond words. This isn’t unique to track or sports, but anytime you see a community deeply invested in something positive and shared, it’s just an incredible thing.
When I was running at Oregon, we still ran a lot of dual meets and invitationals. There was one meet during my junior year where I’d already won the 800m or 1500m, but I also got to anchor the 4x400. I was fast enough to be on the relay, but almost never ran the anchor leg — that was pure sprinter territory, and I was a middle distance runner. But things were starting to click that season, and Hayward went wild when I chased down Washington’s anchor leg on the homestretch. It was probably my favorite win at Hayward and foreshadowed my first All-American honors in the 800m a few weeks later. I never ran a great cross-country season, but I’m also so proud to have been part of our PAC-10 Championship team. I still love cross country.
Tell us a little about what you’re doing now:
A different kind of running! In May 2024, I ran for Mayor of Eugene and received almost 75% of the vote. I will take office in January 2025 and start a new chapter in public service. I don’t know if TrackTown has ever had a Mayor who is a runner, so I hope we plan a lot of 5K fundraisers. Professionally, I’ve been an architect, urban designer, and educator for the past 20 years and my first book was just published, The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook. My husband and I have two amazing daughters, and Eugene is home.
How has your education and experience as a student-athlete at the University of Oregon influenced or helped you in your life and career?
I’ve always enjoyed doing at least two things at a time, and being a student-athlete just reinforced that duality. So much of what we practice as student-athletes translates directly to other areas of life — goal setting, consistency, focus, resilience, teamwork, accountability. As a college graduate, there were doors that opened because of the combined academic and athletic accomplishments on my resume, but I could walk through those doors because I was prepared by the work. And then you just keep doing the work and opening doors. I feel like Oregon always allowed me the opportunity to chart my own course. I was also lucky to have some support at key moments — I had a small post-graduate scholarship from the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, which prompted my return to get my master’s degree in architecture.
What is one professional highlight/project either currently or in the past? How did you go about making it a reality?
Being elected as Eugene’s next Mayor is a current event and a humbling experience. Making that decision to step into public service was a big one for me and our family, and I’m grateful to all the people who supported my campaign and who are committed to working on Eugene’s future. Some of my old teammates have reached out in these past several months to offer support — folks I haven’t been in touch with for 25 years — and that just says a lot about the community at Oregon.
Logistically, running a campaign feels a lot like a year-long architectural project or a marathon training plan. You have phases, milestones, and a deadline — and then you just work to put together the team and the resources to meet or exceed as many goals as possible. Personally, the decision to step into public service is driven out of my values and my love for Eugene. We have serious challenges to address, but we also have remarkable people and resources here, like the University. And that’s one reason among many to feel optimistic about the future we’re building in Eugene.
What advice do you have for current student-athletes?
Focus and enjoy. Take advantage of every opportunity, with school and with athletics. Finish that second major or minor. Get to know your professors and find things you love outside of sport. But mostly, just enjoy this stretch of life and the opportunities. Set healthy boundaries with social media and keep some things for yourself. Enjoy being interesting and brilliant just for you.
What is the best thing about being a Duck?
Other Ducks are the best thing about being a Duck. I love our community, and I am so grateful for the friendships and memories from my time in school here. I saw one of my dearest teammates, Melody Fairchild, at the Nike Outdoor Nationals a few weeks ago (she coaches now in Boulder), and some of my best friends are teammates who I met as a freshman. We’ve been friends for most of our lives and that’s hard to outdo.
