Carter Ause

This is a polaroid photo taken of me in my Grandparent’s home in Northeast Portland. Their home, a modest 1920’s English Cottage-style home, has been a bedrock part of my upbringing and has taught me the value of preserving historic architecture and expanding the livability of cities for working class families.

MS Historic Preservation

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

Previous Degree: BA, History and University Honors College from Portland State University, Portland, OR

I’m From: Portland, OR

Why I Came to the UO and How I Chose My Major
I chose the University of Oregon for its exceptional commitment to the humanities, as well as its emerging efforts in sustainability. In addition, I am a third-generation Duck and am proud to continue the tradition in my family. The College of Design will allow me to gain more specialized skills so that I may pursue a career in Historic Preservation in the years to come.

One book changed everything for me and set me on my path to study histroric preservation: “Classic Houses of Portland” by William J. Hawkins III and William F. Willingham

I am intrigued by the personal experiences of both Jim Buckley and Chad Randl. Their experiences in historic preservation abroad are of particular interest to me. I hope to gain new insights into fields of historic preservation that I may otherwise have been unaware of.

Unique Qualities I Bring to My Studies
I bring an interdisciplinary, culturally and socioeconomically broad range of educational, customer service and manufacturing job experiences to my studies. As an undergraduate student at the Portland State University Honors College, I completed an extensive thesis on Eco-Gentrification in Portland’s Albina District, which has since been published online. With these perspectives, I hope to broaden the field of historic preservation beyond the confines of academia and engineering.

Extracurricular Activities I Want to Pursue
I am hoping to take part in volunteer opportunities with The Urban League of Portland, and hope to give back to the local Black community. I am hoping this will enhance my community organizing experience in tandem with the development of my studies. In addition, I am working independently on short documentary videos on various historic architectural period styles and hope to get involved with local video producing networks in order to help expose the wider public to the importance of preserving historic architecture.

After Graduation
My greatest dream would be gaining a job as an Architectural Historian, which might possibly enable me to travel the world in search of wondrous creations of the architectural past. Perhaps Southern Spain? Venice? Cusco? Tangier? Who knows… the possibilites seem limitless.

Your Gift
This scholarship has been a life raft which I could have only imagined in my wildest dreams. As a student who has lived through the recession of 2008 with great familial financial hardship, I never imagined I would be given such an amazing professional and academic opportunity. This scholarship will assist me on my journey to work as an architectural historian and bring community-focused expertise into the field of cultural resource management planning.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I cannot begin to tell you how much this opportunity means to me.