Kirsten Ring Murray is no stranger to mentorship—she played a key role in designing the internship program at Olson Kundig, where she is an owner and principal. She recently joined the CMDI advisory board to find other ways to support students. Photo courtesy Kirsten Ring Murray.

According to Kirsten Ring Murray, design is all about change. Like when she first started at Olson Kundig and realized an internship program could benefit the company and its new hires.

“When I first came into practice, one of the first things I noticed was that there wasn’t a very easy transition after school,” said Murray (EnvDes’86). “My supervisors were supportive of my dream to start an internship program, and I had a significant role in shaping it.” 

Now, she’s an owner and principal of the Seattle-based architecture and design firm; under her guidance, Olson Kundig has grown to more than 350 employees and maintains an international book of work that’s generated significant acclaim.

More recently, she became a member of the college’s advisory board—a position she took on because she likes to join projects at the early stages. In both settings, she said, she gets to mentor “the smart young people who want to change things.”

But meaningful change can’t happen in isolation. As a student, she learned to value collaboration, and she has since sought to create opportunities for interdisciplinary connections through mentorship.

“Kirsten is really good at bringing everybody together to find the strongest design and make a project special,” said Cameron Shampine, an associate at Olson Kundig.

Shampine (EnvDes’13) joined the firm early in his architecture career, starting as an intern in the very program Murray created. Now, he has come full circle as one of its coordinators.

His growth at the firm, Shampine said, would not have been possible without the culture of leadership Murray has cultivated. He said her dedication to including various voices and perspectives reflects the interdisciplinary structure of environmental design at CMDI.

“The degree set me up well since it can fuse so many different paths,” he said. “You’re constantly evolving in this field because design is an adventure you’re going on with your clients.”

Murray said one of the great values of environmental design—and CMDI as a whole—is the commitment to finding connections, in terms of both network and practice.

“Having interdisciplinary relationships enriches our work. Every day, I get involved in branding, messaging, storytelling, research and history,” Murray said.

“I have really tried to strengthen the connections between what you learn and what you practice in the real world. That’s why it’s important for us practitioners to work alongside the academics.”