The Olympic Winter and Summer Games are a time of celebration and reflection, as more than 200 countries come together to compete and showcase athletes in a myriad of different sports and traditions. Another important part of the Games are the innovative materials and uniforms used by the athletes. Sports Product Design Professor Susan Sokolowski understands the hard work and time that goes into designing these innovative sporting goods for athletes.
With more than 30 years’ experience designing and creating performance sporting goods, Sokolowski has been recognized by the National Academy of Inventors, Nike, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Sports Illustrated for her achievements in design innovation. Sokolowski holds more than 100 utility and design patents and was featured as one of USA Today’s 2025 Women of the Year. She also founded the popular Sports Product Design Program, which offers a Master of Science degree. With athletes competing in Olympics Winter Games now, the University of Oregon's "OregonNews" reached out to Sokolowski to talk sportswear, the history of the Games, her hope for the future, and more.