Any nagging doubts alumna Adrienne Van Veen might have had about finding a job out of college with her art degree were wiped from the easel pretty fast.

Van Veen was asked to fill an opening as the Bookstore's art supply buyer right after graduating. Now, 25 years later, she's still purchasing fine-art materials, design items and crafts supplies for campus units.

Most of Van Veen's purchases go to the art and design departments, but she also buys materials for engineering, geology and others — often obtaining materials for discounted prices to help out the students who use them. "My main goal is to make sure that the students have what they need," she says.

As one might guess, Van Veen spends much of her free time creating artwork — especially painting and working with ceramics. She also enjoys traveling and has visited Mexico and much of Europe, including Holland, Scotland, France, Belgium and northern Italy, where she's been twice. "I could live in Italy for the rest of my life," she says.

The Davis resident has two children, both pursuing art degrees in college, and is married to Zack O'Donnell of Communications Resources. — By Mike Sintetos