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CORVALLIS - The Department of Apparel, Interiors, Housing and Merchandising at Oregon State University is hosting a daylong career fair for its students that is free and open to the general public.

The symposium, "Finding Your Niche," will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the CH2M-HILL Alumni Center.

Representatives from a number of companies will discuss trends in their fields. Companies represented include B2 & Co., Bath and Body Works, Cristina Marie Design Group, Dacor Appliances, Hanna Andersson, Industrial Design & Construction, Insage Bridal Designs, Jantzen, JC Penney Co., Levi Strauss, Macy's West, Mervyn's, Neil Kelly Designers/Remodelers, Nike, Nordstrom, Norm Thompson Outfitters, Pahlisch Homes, PDX Fashion Incubator, Powell Construction, Smith/CFI, Suntel Home & Design, Talbots, Target, Tufenkian Carpets & Rugs, WAS, West Hills Development, and Wolf Gordon.

Keynote speaker is Gary Hansen, president and CEO of Pacific Trail. His talk will begin at 9 a.m. Hansen, who has worked at Pacific Trail for 24 years, is an OSU history graduate who joined Pacific Trail in 1975 as a customer service representative. He now oversees the sales and merchandising of Pacific Trail, Black Dot, Dockers, Moonstore and Roffe brands, and the design and marketing services activities for all London Fog Industries brands.

From 10 to 11 a.m., concurrent sessions will be held: "Merchandising Management and Apparel Design: Niche Building 101" and "Interior Design and Housing Studies: Building Your Own Niche."

Sessions from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. include: "Merchandising Management - Test Driving Your Career: Internships," "Apparel Design: Recent Grads," and "Interior Design and Housing Studies: Expanding the Niche."

Interior design, housing studies, and merchandising management representatives will discuss their experiences in sessions from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. There will also be a session on apparel design called "Promoting Portland Fashion Designers: The PDX Fashion Incubator."