Collaboration is key in the world of design and merchandising, and for Oregon State design students who want to make connections in the industry, the OSU Alumni Association and the College of Business, offer them a valuable and unique networking opportunity in the Portland area.
More than a decade ago, OSU alumni from the College of Business created the OSU Innovation & Design Network with the help of the Alumni Association and the support of former chair of the Department of Design and Human Environment Leslie Burns. The network brings together OSU alums and professionals in the Portland area with aspiring student designers to offer mentoring, support and the potential to land jobs in the field when they graduate.
Brigitte Cluver, senior instructor of design at OSU, is the department’s professional development coordinator for apparel design and product and merchandising management. She said that the network’s biggest event of the year is Industry Connect at the OSU Portland Center. It is a collaboration between alumni council members, industry volunteers, the OSU Alumni Association and the College of Business. Any juniors or seniors with design and merchandising aspirations are encouraged to attend, and if there’s room, they open it up to some lower-division students as well.
The half-day event begins with a panel of professionals that present about industry issues, and then after lunch, students are paired one-on-one with professionals for around 30 minutes, and then switch to another mentor and spend another half an hour with them.
Because there are so many different kinds of jobs in the industry, Cluver said it’s important for students to understand the variety of positions they might secure when they graduate. While Portland is known for its outdoor and athletic apparel, there are plenty of other kinds of work as well, and mentors might also have connections in other parts of the country.
“Each student gets to talk to a few professionals in the field that they’re studying, and we really encourage students to follow up with the connections that they make,” Cluver said. “It’s up to the student what they want to take from it.”
Cluver said these kinds of exchanges are key for students looking to work in the world of design.
“In some fields there are career fairs that students can go to where a company is hiring for the summer for graduates. Unfortunately, in merchandising and apparel and interior design, that’s not the case,” she said. “It’s all about building your network up so when there are jobs available, you are on top-of-mind for someone, or you have someone to reach out to and get advice. We want our students to make those connections and grow their network so when they’re searching for jobs, they have more people to reach out to.”
Cluver is always looking for more industry professionals who want to connect with students.
“We have a really enthusiastic group of alumni who want to give back,” Cluver said. “I’ve been at OSU for 20 years, and it’s exciting when the alumni attending the connect event tell me ‘I remember when I did this as a student.’ They saw value it in and now they’re back doing the same thing for these students.”
The network has been growing through the years as design and merchandising alumni invite other friends in the industry to partner and work with OSU students, as well as to support each other. On Oct. 23, the OSU Innovation & Design Network is hosting an industry social in partnership with the OSU Alumni Association in Portland to address recent shifts across the design industry. Alums and other professionals in product, apparel, interior, graphic design and merchandising fields will be in attendance.
The next Industry Connect will be held at the OSU Portland Center on Jan. 31, 2026. For more information, contact Cluver at [email protected]
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