Inside Oregon Spring 2019

INSIDE

SPRING 2019

OREGON

NEWS FOR AND ABOUT THE PEOPLE SUPPORTING THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

THE INNOVATION ISSUE

Claudia Monroy-Benitez, architecture major from Portland, Oregon Diversity Excellence and PathwayOregon Scholar BUILDING A DREAM

Claudia Monroy-Benitez doesn’t remember when her love of drawing began. But she vividly remembers that day when her fifth-grade teacher complimented her sketch of a building.

“She asked me what I want to be when I grow up, and I said I want to draw houses,” recalls Monroy-Benitez. “She said ‘Oh, you want to be an architect?’

I had no idea what that meant. But I always came back to that moment.”

Her focus became clearer at Roosevelt High School, where she was senior class president and an honor student.

A mentorship program gave her opportunities to work with Portland architects.

Monroy-Benitez learned about the UO’s reputation for architecture and sustainability, but finances were an obstacle. Fortunately, scholarships made it possible for her to become a Duck.

SKY SCRAPER

What’s a degree? “It’s a door to possibilities,” says the first-generation college student. “It means I can help my family move forward.”

Thanks to scholarships, MonroyBenitez also spent a summer studying architecture and art in Rome. “My mom was super-proud,” she says.

After graduation, she hopes to become (surprise) an architect—and a champion for affordable housing and sustainable urban planning. Until then, she’s studying, researching summer internships, and paying it forward as a PathwayOregon peer mentor.

DO YOU WANT TO HELP MORE HARD WORKING STUDENTS ACCOMPLISH THEIR DREAMS? Contact Jen Parker: 541-346-8018, jeparker@uoregon.edu

Photo by Julia Wagner

“If we work really hard, we can accomplish our dreams— I’ve always believed that.”

INSIDE

OREGON

SPRING 2019

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Philanthropy Files News about donors, gift announcements, and stories about the difference donors make.

Sound Investment Phyllis, BEd ’56 (elementary education), and Andrew Berwick, BBA ’55, have pledged $5 million to establish an endowed deanship at the School of Music and Dance.

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Small Fish, Big Discoveries Thanks to Mary and Tim Boyle, BS ’71 (journalism), the UO’s world-leading aquatic animal care facility is swimming along.

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Innovation Report Seven exciting examples of how the UO is leading the way, thanks to donors.

Model Student PathwayOregon and Summit Scholar Laura Queen wraps up a college career exploring astronomy, physics, computer coding, and more.

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Ten Ways to Give Highlighting opportunities for donors to help the UO and transform lives.

Cover: UO product design majors Sawyer Hagen and Eleanor Strand review designs for a helmet that Hagen hopes will appeal to males in their 20s—a demographic he’s targeting because of bicycle fatality statistics.

Photo by Charlie Litchfield​.

Inside Oregon is published by University Communications

giving.uoregon.edu twitter: UOGiving Editor Ed Dorsch, BA ’94, MA ’99

Writers Jess Brown Alex Cipolle, MA ’11 Ed Dorsch George Evano Steve Fyffe Melody Ward Leslie, BA ’79 Laurie Notaro Lewis Taylor

T 541-346-3016 F 541-346-2574 E giving@uoregon.edu

Mailing Address 1720 E. 13th Ave. Suite 312 Eugene, Oregon 97403-2253

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

YOU ARE FUELING OUR INNOVATION

$3 BILLION

Innovation is in the University of Oregon’s DNA. From the inspiration to use zebrafish as a model for genetic study to Bill Bowerman’s development of Nike running shoes, history illustrates the UO’s inventive spirit.

As you read the stories in this issue, I hope you will see that innovation—on campus, through research, and in the lives of our students—would simply not be possible without your support.

Recent successes show this trait of Ducks is becoming more pronounced.

In fact, the exceptional generosity of Ducks like you is in itself innovative—a fundraising partnership of unprecedented magnitude that is improving access, achieving higher levels of excellence in our programs, and creating an unmatched academic experience in service of the state, our students, and our community.

Last year, the UO filed twice as many patents as the year before and the rate of reported research innovations— inventions, copyrighted works, biological materials, software, and related trademarks—increased by 50 percent.

We predict even more breakthroughs as the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, only a year away from its opening, helps us recruit new faculty members and initiate research activities, teaching, collaborations, and entrepreneurship.

The only thing left to say is thank you— and Go Ducks!

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• Student support: $351.4 million • Capital construction and improvements: $445.8 million • Faculty and program support: $1.258 billion

Many associate innovation with scientific research and discovery—and certainly, our science faculty and students make amazing strides every day—however innovation at the UO also encompasses creative expression and thinking across academic disciplines and even in our operations.

One shining example is PathwayOregon, which combines financial assistance with academic guidance to ensure student success. Celebrating its 10th year, this access and undergraduate support program has helped thousands of students reach their academic goals and prepare for successful, prosperous lives.

$2.055 BILLION

Michael H. Schill President and Professor of Law

LEADING THE WAY 2019 PIONEER AWARD RECIPIENTS

This spring—as we’ve done since 1979—the University of Oregon honored rare individuals who have been true agents of progress. Ducks of all stripes gathered at the Portland Art

Leona, BS ’51 (music), and Robert DeArmond, BBA ’52

Connie Ballmer, BS ’84 (journalism)

Sandra McDonough, BA ’76 (German, journalism)

A 1951 UO music graduate from Tillamook, Leona DeArmond (1929–2017) studied voice and sang in the university choir. She and her husband, Bob, met as undergraduates.

A graduate of Medford High School, where UO track legend Bill Bowerman was his football coach, retired lumber products company executive Robert DeArmond served as a UO Foundation trustee for a decade.

Connie Ballmer, a member of the UO Board of Trustees, is the cofounder of Ballmer Group, which supports efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty.

A native of Oregon, Ballmer entered a career in public relations and marketing for the technology sector after graduating from the UO.

Sandra McDonough is president and CEO of Oregon Business and Industry, Oregon’s largest statewide business organization. Prior to this, she was a reporter for the Oregonian and Seattle Times, and served as president and CEO of the Portland Business Alliance for 14 years. She was president of the UO Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2015 to 2016.

Museum on May 16 to recognize our four 2019 Pioneer Award recipients.

The annual Pioneer Award is presented to individuals who have been outstanding pioneers in business, philanthropy, communications, politics, and the arts. Proceeds from the event benefit the Pioneer Award Presidential Scholarship

Cole Conklin got interested in computer coding in high school, where he also lettered in three sports.

And when he got to the UO, he discovered ways to apply technology that can make businesses better— in part through his internship with US Bank’s riskmanagement division.

Endowment. These merit based scholarships are awarded to some of Oregon’s brightest, most promising students.

Cole Conklin, senior, business administration and computer and information science majors

“I wouldn’t be at the UO at all without scholarship support. Thank you for this generous award.”

John Herman Pioneer Award Presidential Scholar 5

Philanthropy Files

DONORS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

CLASS OF 1968 PULLS OFF RECORD

Image courtesy of Anatomage

Last fall, a generous group of Ducks celebrated their 50th reunion with panel discussions, a campus tour, and a football tailgate gathering. To cap it off, they’ve beaten a fundraising record to help future generations of undergraduates. The Class of 1968 Scholarship Fund currently exceeds $223,000— the most that a UO class has ever raised for an endowed scholarship. They still hope to reach their goal of $300,000, and the fund will support a general UO scholarship in perpetuity.

PICTURE OF HEALTH Thanks to donors Linda and Samuel Blackwell, BS ’78 (health education: community health), MS ’82 (physical education), UO students are now studying anatomy via a virtual dissection table. The high-tech tool offers accurate three-dimensional views of digitized remains, a reference database that includes more than a thousand diseased states, and quiz games.

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DREAM COME TRUE

Photo by Julia Wagner

Thanks to an anonymous donor, UO graduate students and members of the faculty and staff have a new, modern facility where they can explore digital scholarship and teaching. Located in the Knight Library, the Digital Research, Education, and Media (DREAM) Lab opened this winter.

GIVING GIVING A TRY

DEDICATION TO EDUCATION

As an annual philanthropy intern, UO sophomore Catherine Le is learning first hand about higher education fundraising.

She’s also learning how donors help create rewarding experiences for her and other students.

Mel Mead, BS ’50 (history), MEd ’60 (secondary education), has spent most of his life helping Oregon students, most recently as a UO donor. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, he attended the university on the GI Bill, then taught high school and began a decades-long career helping schools use media technology.

“It opened my eyes to the funding aspect of the university, and made me realize that I definitely want to donate in the future,” says the business administration major. “It also made me realize how important it is that we have donors, because the university wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for those who contributed when it was founded.”

Without her Summit Scholarship and Mary Corrigan and Richard Solari Scholarship for middle income Oregon high school students, Le says she would not have attended the UO. She’s on track to finish her degree debt-free—an accomplishment that 56 percent of Duck graduates currently achieve. Then it’s on to a master’s degree and, she hopes, a career as a financial advisor.

“I want to help people lead better lives,” she says. “Something as simple as budgeting could help many people become more financially stable and independent.”

His late wife, Carol Lavona O’Brien Mead, BS ’48 (education), MEd ’58 (education), was a middle school teacher. The two met at Gerlinger Hall on campus, and have given generously to the UO over the years.

“I figure we owe the university just about everything positive that’s happened in our lives,” he says. “How could I not give back?”

To learn more about Mel and Carol, visit giving.uoregon.edu/mead

The DREAM Lab features two collaboration rooms, flexible work areas, and a 32-seat workshop space.

High-tech amenities include large video screens, high-speed internet, video conferencing, and plenty of outlets—a deliberate approach that emphasizes connecting people.

Available to all disciplines, the lab was designed to create a scholarly living room for the entire campus—a place where you might work with other faculty members, librarians, or instructional designers to explore digital tools for scholarship, research, and teaching. The space could be used for workshops, training sessions, or student experiences that couldn’t happen in the classroom.

It’s already being put to good use.

For example, the UO’s Latin American Studies Program is planning a virtual international editorial board with the journal Periphērica in which participants will walk from screen to screen to interact with “visitors” from different countries in real time. A class from the Lundquist College of Business used the space for a virtual poster session, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art helped build a virtual gallery.

The best ideas are yet to come. Designed for collaboration and flexibility, the lab is limited only by the imaginations of UO teachers, researchers, and curriculum creators.

Learn more at library.uoregon.edu/ collaborations-innovations/dream-lab 7

Photo by Ryan Nicholson

SOUND INVESTMENT PHYLLIS AND ANDREW BERWICK CONTINUE A LONG TRADITION OF GIVING TO THE UO AND THE ARTS, PLEDGING $5 MILLION TO ESTABLISH AN ENDOWED DEANSHIP AT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DANCE

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“Music always made me feel more complete as a person, and still does,” says alumna Phyllis Berwick. “It really came as a gift to us, and now we’re giving back.”

Sabrina MadisonCannon, Phyllis and Andrew Berwick Dean of the School of Music and Dance Before coming to the UO, Madison-Cannon was the associate dean of academic and faculty affairs and a professor of dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She received her professional training as a scholarship student at the National Academy of Arts and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She was a soloist with the Philadelphia Dance Company, and holds a master of fine arts in dance from the University of Iowa.

“We are thrilled with Sabrina,” donor Phyzz Berwick says. “She’s just so right for that position.”

Phyzz added that she is especially impressed with Madison-Cannon’s “empathy and her wise way of dealing with situations,” and said she hoped the gift would motivate others to contribute to sustaining a vibrant arts scene on campus.

Longtime UO donors and friends Phyllis, BEd ’56 (elementary education), and Andrew Berwick, BBA ’55, (known as Phyzz and Andy among friends) have pledged $5 million to establish an endowed deanship at the School of Music and Dance. Their gift will support a vital leadership role—for the school, as well as the Oregon Bach Festival—in perpetuity.

Phyzz says Andy “just started beaming” when she raised the possibility of creating an endowed deanship at the School of Music and Dance. “He said, ‘Well, of course that’s what we’re going to do,’ so that was the tipping point.”

“When people forget about the arts, they forget about what makes human beings human,” she says. “That’s the whole purpose of giving, to inspire others and because what you get in return is complete joy.”

The gift will provide a flexible resource that will allow the dean to pursue the school’s most important educational goals and support activities of the worldrenowned Oregon Bach Festival, which is part of the school.

“This extraordinary gift from two of our most generous supporters will have a transformational impact on the programs in our school for years to come,” says Sabrina Madison-Cannon, who is now known as the Phyllis and Andrew Berwick Dean of the School of Music and Dance.

“This new funding will provide an unparalleled opportunity to launch ambitious faculty projects, showcase our spectacular student ensembles, and grow our reputation as a worldclass institution for the study and performance of music and dance.”

The Berwicks met and fell in love as undergraduates during the 1950s. Andy graduated with a business degree and went on to build a highly successful

career in real estate development as the founder of Berwick-Pacific Corporation in San Mateo, California. Phyzz earned her degree in early childhood education.

Their shared love of music has been a consistent theme throughout their long tradition of philanthropic giving to the UO. The couple delivered the Oregon Bach Festival its largest single gift in 2014, with a donation of more than $7 million to establish the Berwick Academy as one of the world’s top orchestral training programs for historically informed performance practice.

They have been significant donors to the Oregon Bach Festival since 2005, including a gift of $1.7 million that endowed the festival’s professional chorus.

They made the lead gift for Berwick Hall, giving $6.5 million toward construction of the 10,000 square-foot building, which opened beside the MarAbel B. Frohnmayer Music Building in 2017. It includes a rehearsal and performance space that was designed to acoustically emulate the experience of hearing the works of great composers, such as Bach, Haydn, and Mozart, as they were performed in their day.

Outside the arts, they established the Richard C. Williams Endowed Student Leadership Fund, which supports programs, activities, and scholarships in honor of the first director of the Erb Memorial Union, a mentor to Andy Berwick.

“Andy and Phyzz are two of our most loyal Ducks,” said UO President Michael H. Schill. “Their passion for music and the arts has enriched the campus experience for countless students, our entire community, and music lovers from around the globe. This latest gift is yet another reminder of their incomparable legacy as tireless champions of the arts.”

The university has honored the Berwicks with several of its highest accolades, including the Pioneer Award in 2014 and the Oregon Bach Festival’s Saltzman Award, named for festival cofounder Royce Saltzman.

—Steve Fyffe 9

1960s George Streisinger begins his quest with a few fish tanks in a WWII Quonset hut.

1979 UO biologists throw their hats in with UO psychologists to found the Oregon Institute of Neuroscience.

1981 Nature, one of the world’s leading scientific journals, publishes Streisinger’s magnum opus, which launches the UO as the center of the universe for zebrafish genetics.

1984 T R A G E D Y

SMALL FISH, BIG DISCOVERIES

A heart attack cuts Streisinger’s life short at 56. His UO colleagues take up the torch.

Scientists flock to campus to learn their techniques.

1989 T R I U M P H UO’s zebrafish “alumni” are establishing labs around the world. Streisinger’s impact on human biology already is so monumental that the university names a new science building after him.

1994 E U R E K A Professor Chuck Kimmel’s lab is the first to identify a zebrafish ortholog—genes derived from a shared ancestor—of a human disease.

Thanks to Mary and Tim Boyle, class of ‘72 (journalism), the UO’s world-leading aquatic animal care facility, which maintains 59,000 zebrafish and supports 12 world-leading labs—is swimming along.

We can thank Tim’s aunt, geneticist Hildegard Lamfrom, for inspiring a $10 million gift to secure the UO’s position as a wellspring of biomedical discovery.

Lamfrom, a member of two Nobel Prize–winning labs, was one of the 20th century’s most influential and accomplished pioneers of molecular biology. Intrigued by the collaborative spirit she noticed at the UO, she joined our Institute of Molecular Biology in the 1970s.

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Lucky for us, she told her nephew Tim all about George Streisinger’s quest to solve human health mysteries using zebrafish—a species then common in home aquariums, but not used for genetics research. Many consider Streisinger the founding father of zebrafish genetics, a key to the ongoing biomedical boom.

The Boyles’ gift has accelerated Streisinger’s vision to a new level and helped create the state’s only Genomics and Cell Characterization Core Facility (GC3F), which fuels collaborations with OHSU and others.

MID-1990S Z E B R A F I S H C E N T R A L Professor Monte Westerfield writes a bible on zebrafish care that remains the gold standard. Researchers all over the world begin connecting with the UO through ZFIN and ZIRC, two NIH research centers based on campus. Westerfield, who established them with help from UO colleagues, directs both.

2015 C R A C K I N G C O L D C A S E S Westerfield and Professor John Postlethwait direct the zebrafish core of the Model Organism Screening Center for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, an NIH project that gives hope to people suffering from mysterious health problems.

2016 Tim and Mary Boyle spark even more ambitious research projects by endowing the aquatic animal facility and helping equip GC3F in a modern, centralized facility.

WHY ZEBRAFISH

OUT OF ONE, MANY

JOIN OUR QUEST

A freshwater member of the minnow family, zebrafish are ideal for genetic, genomic, and developmental studies because they reproduce fast and their transparent embryos allow scientists to watch cellular and molecular processes in real time.

Today an estimated 1,303 labs worldwide rely on zebrafish for biomedical research.

You can help write the next chapter of UO innovation. Get in touch with Matt Hutter, 541-346-2837 or matth@uoregon.edu.

UO’S ZEBRAFISH RESEARCHERS ARE FIGURING OUT HOW TO

—Melody Ward Leslie, BA ’79

• use beneficial microbes to “spread health” among humans

ALMOST HUMAN

For 82 percent of known human diseases, zebrafish have a gene that evolved from an ancestral gene that they share with us. Gene-editing technology allows scientists to develop fish with human diseases so they can search for treatments, therapies, and cures.

• unlock the ability to regenerate limbs • understand what causes autism, schizophrenia, and scoliosis • test potential treatments for inflammatory diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (two patents pending)

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Good Thinking Donor support helps the UO’s Department of Product Design inspire inventors, artists, researchers, and entrepreneurs

In 2016, adaptive surfer and Paralympian Ann Yoshida (center) came to the UO’s Sports Product Design Program looking for a partner to develop better-performing products for adaptive surfers (surfers with disabilities). UO students developed an award-winning design that is now being manufactured by Reef South Africa.

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UO students Nick Cantrell, Drew McGrath, and Natasha Anand developed an award-winning wetsuit design for adaptive athletes.

At the Department of Product Design, students aren’t just students. They’re also inventors, artists, researchers, and entrepreneurs. Donors help transform their ideas into innovative products—and sometimes business startups.

A few of their most recent bright ideas include a biodegradable plastic, a wetsuit for a Paralympian surfer, and hip, handcrafted ceramics. These are just a few examples (of many) that demonstrate how Duck designers are improving how we live and care for the world—while they’re on campus and after they graduate.

Part of the UO’s College of Design’s School of Art + Design and headed by Kiersten Muenchinger, the Tim and Mary Boyle Chair in Material and Product Studies, the department offers a BFA in Product Design and a master’s degree in Sports Product Design.

“We have one of the highest percentages of students at the university who go to pitch competitions,” Muenchinger says. “We get to do things because of donor funding that we otherwise wouldn’t get to do.”

Muenchinger’s endowed chair, funded by the Boyle family, allows her to take risks, investing in student projects that may not find funding elsewhere. Donor contributions support these endeavors in very direct ways—for example, purchasing materials, traveling, or hiring a photographer.

Students gain in-depth knowledge of materials, generate ideas, develop prototype products, and learn about manufacturing processes while investigating consumer needs and the history and theories of design. Often, they launch startups.

One rising star is Algotek, a company developing bioplastic derived from algae that dissolves in water. UO alumni—David Crinnion, Tanner Stickling, 2018 material and product studies graduates, and environmental studies major Justin Lebuhn, BS ’18—attended pitch competitions as students and received $5,000 from the Michael and Stacy Koehn Endowment. The UO’s RainMaker program contributed a $5,000 grant, and the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship also advanced the startup effort with support and financial

investments. The product is an environmental game-changer, already winning the company accolades in Forbes.

Chic ceramics from Peaches, a studio founded by material and product studies majors Julia Sherman, BA ’18 and Thomas Sprott, BA ’18, are selling like hot cakes. The duo was able to refine their innovative ideas into a business with $5,000 in seed funding from the Koehn Endowment.

In 2016, adaptive surfer and Paralympian Ann Yoshida came to the UO’s Sports Product Design Program looking for a partner to develop betterperforming products for adaptive surfers (surfers with disabilities). UO students Natasha Anand, Drew McGrath, and Nick Cantrell developed an award-winning design that is now being manufactured by Reef South Africa.

The ideas are as diverse as the interests of each student, says Muenchinger. But the ultimate goal behind every new product is improving lives.

— Alex Cipolle, MA ’11

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Image courtesy of PIVOT Architecture

EXPERIENCE HUB ESSENTIALS

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Video and photography production studio with control room and state-of-the-art lighting, sound, and video systems Immersive Media Lab for virtual and augmented reality projects Suite for the Media Center for Science and Technology Social Media Lab Modern podcast studio Dedicated space for Writing Central, the school’s one-to-one writing support program Editing bay Larger, more welcoming space for Student Services More spacious and visible technology checkout room

Students will work alongside faculty members in the Immersive Media Lab to create, consume, and research emerging communication forms including virtual reality, augmented reality, and 360 video.

ALLEN HALL UPGRADE NEW EXPERIENCE HUB WILL PREPARE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION FOR CAREERS USING EMERGING COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES At the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), students learn the power of storytelling from Pulitzer Prize winners, industry influencers, and international research scholars.

They also learn beyond the classroom.

A planned renovation to the first floor of Allen Hall will help them explore emerging technologies and succeed in the evolving media and communication industries.

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For decades, SOJC students have gained practical experience from internships, field work, student-run agencies and publications, and networking and learning trips around the world. The new Experience Hub will build on this vibrant tradition of experiential learning, offering enhanced tools and collaboration spaces to help students connect their education to professional practice and showcase their work.

The SOJC’s vision for the Experience Hub was informed by conversations with students, faculty and staff members, industry experts, and distinguished alumni and donors—all who share excitement for this space’s potential to attract future students and prepare them for changing industries.

The $3.2 million project is made possible thanks to a combination of foundation funds, one-time investments, and donor philanthropy. Construction will span the summer of 2019 and be completed for the fall 2019 term.

The Hub will transform the look and feel of the northern half of Allen Hall’s first floor, creating a “go-to” space for research, collaboration, multimedia storytelling, and social media campaigns.

The possibilities are limited only by student imagination. The improvements will make it easier for students to access and experiment with emerging technology and media, such as virtual reality, 360 video, podcasting, and social media analytics, which will be accessible to students 24/7. The Experience Hub will create a home for the SOJC’s Media Center for Science and Technology and Writing Central program, and also offer flexible educational spaces that encourage new ways of collaborating, creating, and learning.

However, this transformation is not only about creating new spaces and adding tools. The real innovation will be led by the students, faculty members, and professional partners who will use the hub in exciting, surprising, and creative ways.

C L A R K H O N O R S C O L L E G E : I N N OVAT I V E T E AC H I N G

Mass Communication The Clark Honors College (CHC) will be offering renowned writing seminars starting next winter, thanks to an alumnus and a prestigious foundation. A generous estate gift from the late Dr. William Rudd, BS ’69 (chemistry), and a grant from the Calderwood Foundation will make the honors college one of two public universities in the Pacific Northwest that offer the intensive Calderwood Seminars.

“DR. RUDD’S GIFT EMBOLDENS THE CHC TO THINK BIG.” —GABE PAQUETTE, CLARK HONORS COLLEGE DEAN

During the small-group sessions, students learn how to communicate academic knowledge to broader audiences. They become familiar with different genres of public writing, including op-eds, features, profiles, and blog posts. Ultimately, they are empowered to communicate their scholarly expertise beyond the university, sharing insight into complex issues—for instance, climate change or global politics.

Dr. Rudd was a CHC student who earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago

in 1973. After moving to Idaho, he joined the Boise Orthopedic Clinic as an orthopedic surgeon and served there for 27 years until his retirement. As an unrestricted gift, Dr. Rudd’s contribution gave the CHC the flexibility to allocate these resources to yield the highest return—continuous improvement of the learning environment.

Establishing Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing demonstrates the CHC’s commitment to experimentation with cutting edge approaches to teaching and learning, says Gabe Paquette, dean of the CHC. In these seminars, students learn to translate complex, specialized knowledge learned in the classroom to other settings.

They also discover the power and applicability of what they’re learning at the UO. “Dr. Rudd’s gift emboldens the CHC to think big,” Paquette says.

“The CHC has long been a widely respected honors college. Dr. Rudd’s generosity inspires us to aim even higher. We can now

aspire to become one of the leading honors colleges in the country and a center of teaching excellence and innovation at the UO.” Developed in 1984 by David Lindauer, a professor of economics at Wellesley College, the Calderwood Seminars are adaptable across all disciplines.

The seminars are now housed in several universities in the US, including Amherst, Georgetown, Smith, Wesleyan, CUNY, and the University of Washington.

“CHC students are among the highest achieving students in the nation,” Paquette adds.

“Dr. Rudd’s gift and the Calderwood grant enable us to provide them with special academic experiences to cultivate and hone their formidable talents. It will be exciting to see our students take full advantage of the amazing opportunities afforded by far-sighted supporters like the late Dr. Rudd.”

—Laurie Notaro

Photo by Lucy Kleiner

Offering small, seminar-style classes, the Clark Honors College is currently ranked one of the top tier public honors colleges in the nation.

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE

UO RESEARCHERS AND FORD FAMILY FOUNDATION DISCOVER HOW EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS CAN PREVENT CHILD ABUSE Could we significantly reduce the complex problem of child sexual abuse by simply increasing awareness?

Yes—as long as it’s done right. That’s what researchers in the UO’s College of Education are confirming, thanks to a research partnership with the Ford Family Foundation.

More than 8,000 residents of rural Oregon and Siskiyou County in Northern California participated in the study, which lasted more than three years.

Researchers from the university’s Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect collaborated with the foundation, which funded the project.

First, researchers invited groups of adults who gather regularly—teachers, church members, and business leaders, for example—to watch an educational video featuring testimonials from abuse survivors. Facilitators led group discussions, with a focus on taking action.

Eighteen months later, researchers surveyed participants and compared their responses with adults who did not participate. The subjects remembered what they had learned—and took steps to prevent child abuse in their communities.

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“What really stuck was the compelling stories—what the survivors experienced and the help they wish they had received,” says Jeffrey Todahl, associate professor and codirector of the center. “However, the program moves quickly from this discouraging problem to solutions, empowering people to take action.

“When you increase awareness, you can start building momentum.

People feel empowered to do something.”

—Jeffrey Todahl “The most effective way to prevent this problem is through active community members who understand how to help children and families. When you increase awareness, you can start building momentum. People feel empowered to do something.”

The project was more than a foundation giving a grant to an important UO research project, says Todahl. It was an unprecedented partnership—so unique that they gave a presentation about it at a national conference.

Research coordinator Simone Schnabler, Associate Professor Jeffrey Todahl, and Phyllis Barkhurst.

Todahl and Barkhurst are codirectors of the UO’s Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect.

“We are very grateful to the Ford Family Foundation for their financial support, and also for their active participation.

From the very beginning, we worked together to find the best ways to conduct our study—and the most useful ways to share our discoveries with communities.

“We brought our expertise to the table, and they brought theirs. For the foundation, preventing child abuse and helping rural communities are major priorities.”

The Ford Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation located in Roseburg, Oregon. It was started

by Hallie and Kenneth Ford, founders of Roseburg Forest Products. The partnership continues as the team begins phase two of the project, an effort to market the training program to even more community members.

—Ed Dorsch, BA ’94, MA ’99

Photo by Charlie Litchfield

Peg Boulay, senior instructor of environmental studies (back row, blue plaid shirt), led students on a oneweek journey across northeastern Oregon to learn about the polarizing issue of wolf management.

VENTURE CAPITAL FOR EDUCATION CAROL AND TOM WILLIAMS SUPPORT LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Imagine learning journalism by trying your hand at reporting. Or studying wildlife management policies during an eight-day camping excursion across northeastern Oregon.

Since 1995, donors Carol and Tom Williams have helped UO faculty members create innovative learning programs and life-transforming opportunities. To date, the Tom and Carol Williams Fund for Undergraduate Education has supported 103 projects and 321 Williams Fellowships.

“We believe it’s vital to engage undergraduate students,” said Tom, who developed a theory during his year as a White House Fellow under President Lyndon Johnson: that private funding can quickly leverage good ideas. Carol was a cofounder of Eugene’s NBC affiliate, KMTR-TV, and a mainstay of many civic groups. Tom served on the airport commission, the YMCA board, and the Eugene City Council.

Last fall, students in an environmental studies course supported by the fund spent a week camping and traveling across northeastern Oregon. They heard firsthand many different perspectives on wolf management.

“This course uses wolves as a timely case study to help students explore how to deal with conflict in constructive, catalyzing ways,” said Peg Boulay, who designed the class.

The Williams Fund also supports the award-winning Catalyst Journalism Project, which combines investigative and solutions journalism. The Sustainable Invention Immersion Week gave students opportunities to

learn from experts in design, business, chemistry, and communications.

Other examples include a course that teaches anthropology with wild foods, a class for nonscience majors to learn biomechanics using smartphones, and an initiative to create vibrant learning communities in residence halls.

Beyond the Classroom The Williams Fund supports innovative teaching initiatives such as the environmental studies course Wolves: Conversations in Conservation and Controversy.

• 15 students • One week • Two vans • 1,338 miles • 10 meetings with 15 ranchers, environmentalists, hunters, tribal members, and agency representatives to learn the intricacies of a complicated issue with no easy answer —Jess Brown

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MOLECULES IN MOTION M . J . M U R D O C K C H A R I TA B L E T R U S T B O O S T S U O R E S E A R C H W I T H A N E W M I C R O S C O P E T H AT S H O W S H O W M O L E C U L E S F U N C T I O N I N C E L L S Thanks to a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, UO researchers will soon acquire a powerful imaging tool that will open countless new doors of discovery. The new instrument enables live-cell imaging in multiple dimensions.

“The spinning disk confocal microscope allows us see molecules in motion at the cellular level, which in turn will show us how molecules are functioning in the cell,” says Brad Nolen, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute of Molecular Biology.

Creating images of living cells is complicated, says Nolen. But the microscope essentially makes it easier to create movies of living cells instead of still photos—movies that are very clear, and 3-D. “We are so grateful to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for their contribution.

This is going to have a significant impact on the science we can do here.”

The new instrument is the latest in a long line of contributions from the foundation, which has generously supported research and discovery at Oregon to the tune of nearly $10 million, says David Conover, vice president for research and innovation.

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“In labs, research centers, and core facilities across campus, you can see the enormous impact of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s many contributions,” Conover says. “They have boosted our research capacity in incalculable ways, and we are forever grateful to them for their continued support of the UO’s research mission.”

Founded in 1975 at the bequest of Melvin J. Murdock, the trust set out to enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest. For the region’s universities, this translated into generous investments in research infrastructure, education, and cultural programs.

At the UO, the trust’s support has enabled such diverse research as functional MRI studies elucidating the link between brain activity and behavior, genomic analysis to identify molecular signatures of cells, and fabrication of thin-film devices with applications in energy, communications, and health.

The most recent grant will accelerate life science research at the UO. “The microscope will enable students and faculty members to develop innovative methodologies in their pursuit of such fundamental questions as how proteins and other biomolecules drive biological function in healthy and diseased cells,” says Moses Lee, senior director for scientific research and enrichment programs of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

The new instrument will be housed in the UO’s Genomics and Cell Characterization Core Facility (GC3F), a space renovated in 2017 thanks to a generous gift from Mary and Tim Boyle.

See related story on page 10.

—Lewis Taylor

The spinning disk confocal microscope shows moving molecules at the cellular level, like the time-lapse images of a growing zebrafish fin shown at the top of this page.

Sensible Startup THANKS TO UO DONORS AND THE M. J. MURDOCK CHARITABLE TRUST, A TEAM OF UO RESEARCHERS IS DEVELOPING A NEW SENSOR THAT COULD IMPROVE LIVES AND INDUSTRY Sola dosis facit venenum—only the dose makes the poison. That wisdom, attributed to Swiss physician, alchemist, and astronomer Paracelsus (1493–1541), is still relevant today.

Take hydrogen sulfide (H2S). A few whiffs of this colorless, flammable gas that smells like rotten eggs can be lethal. However, our cells actually produce a miniscule amount. By accurately measuring this H2S in our bodies, doctors can find clues about our health. And H2S may even help inhibit aging.

“My group specializes in research related to hydrogen sulfide and reactive sulfur species,” says Pluth. “One big challenge is that there aren’t great devices for measuring sulfide in complex environments. I think that’s something that the field really needs, and it has a lot of applications.”

Johnson, who is director of the UO’s Materials Science Institute, also brings relevant experience to the table. As one of the cofounders of SupraSensor Technologies, he helped launch a successful business that sells nitrate sensors used in agriculture.

“Having a probe you can stick into a sample—soil, water, tissue—that will give you an accurate and reliable reading of different reactive sulfur species could be really important,” says Johnson.

“There are some instruments out there, but they have limitations.”

Their new sensor could benefit biomedical research as well as agriculture, environmental remediation,

and oil and gas industries. However, they don’t yet know which market application makes the most sense—a deliberate strategy.

As the research team works on the science, an interdisciplinary ecosystem of UO programs is helping them with the business side. Lens of the Market, a national training program hosted by the UO, is leading their market research effort.

Ultimately, their goal is to launch a successful startup. This April—thanks to a University Venture Development Fund grant and the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust—they welcomed to campus Tobias Sherbow, BS ’12 (chemistry), a postdoctoral research scholar who will lead the effort. Someday, he may also be leading a new Oregon business.

Your gift to the University Venture Development Fund puts innovation to work for Oregon—and may give you back a tax credit. To learn more, contact Jesse Visser, 541-346-6084, visser@uoregon.edu.

—Ed Dorsch, BA ’94, MA ’99 UO research team members developing a new sensor that could improve lives and industry: (front row, left to right) Ian Torrence, Grace Kuhl, Tobias Sherbow, Mike Haley, Patrick Fajardo; (back row) Darren Johnson, Allison VanCleve, Jeremy Bard, Sean Fontenot, Mike Pluth.

Photo by Dusty Whitaker

Dosage matters, and two UO faculty members are researching new ways to precisely measure H2S and related compounds. Darren Johnson, the Bradshaw and Holzapfel Research

Professor in Transformational Science and Mathematics, and Mike Pluth, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, are leading the initiative to build a better sensor.

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Model Student For her honors thesis, PathwayOregon and Summit Scholar Laura Queen is using computer modeling to predict the impact of climate change on the Columbia River Many undergraduates face difficulties choosing a major. But few relish every new subject with the kid-in-a-candy-store delight of Clark Honors College senior Laura Queen.

Photo by Chris Larsen

Fortunately, the mathematics and computer science major has zeroed in on a thesis topic—and a life goal—that combines (almost) all her academic interests. After graduating this June, she hopes to work on computer models that predict the impact of climate change and advocate for science-based solutions to global warming.

“Deciding what to study has been hard,” says Queen. “I’ve always been interested in all the different STEM fields (and also literature and history). Climate modeling is so fun because it puts many things together. You don’t have to be a chemist, biologist, or computer coder to be a climate modeler. But you have to have your fingertips on all of those different subjects.”

Queen, who received PathwayOregon and Summit scholarships, has explored many academic diversions along the road to commencement.

During her sophomore year, she took her first computer coding class—an experience that began with frustration and ended in sisterhood.

“In this big lecture course, there were hardly any women. It seemed as if there were implicit requirements that I didn’t have. It’s the only class where I thought ‘I cannot do this.’”

So she went home and Skyped her older sister, a computer science major. It didn’t take long to realize that she simply needed to learn the lingo.

“After that one conversation, I excelled,” she says. “What I realized is that we are losing a lot of

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bright minds to imposter syndrome—the common misconception that you don’t belong here, that the only reason you’ve made it this far is luck.

Those feelings are heightened when you are underrepresented.”

After she became a confident coder, Queen paid it forward by leading weekly study sessions for the course through the UO’s Class Encore program, which offers study groups led by students

“ I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS.” who know the material. It was the first session ever offered for that computer course, so Queen had to create the curriculum from scratch.

“Not everyone has a big sister they can call,” she says. “I wanted to be that big sister.”

Next there was astronomy. During the summer after her sophomore year, Queen gave a lecture to more than 100 UO seniors about the imminent solar eclipse as part of the UO’s Science Literacy Program. She also volunteered at the UO’s Pine Mountain Observatory in Bend, giving night-sky tours and helping faculty members with primary research.

Photo by Chris Larsen

Then she discovered climate modeling at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University, thanks to an Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scholarship provides tuition support and a paid summer internship.

UO senior Laura Queen presented her research on climate change and the Columbia Basin at the 2018 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Working at the same lab where scientists have led much of the world’s research on climate-change models since 1955, Queen used the Columbia River as a case study for testing computer modeling.

She presented her research at the 2018 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in Washington, DC—a big academic deal for an undergraduate.

For her thesis, Queen is continuing her research of the Columbia River. Instead of the global climate model she used during her internship, she’s shifted to hydrologic models—different tools for asking the same questions.

“The hydrologic model is regional,” says Queen.

“That means it can capture the physics and the topography of the Pacific Northwest much better.

With the model we used at Princeton, you’re running the entire globe just to look at one region.

In a mountainous river basin like the Columbia

River, the low resolution in the global model does not capture it.” However, both models are important, she says.

“It’s kind of like the theory of a butterfly flapping its wings on the other side of the planet and having an effect on us,” she says. “The river interacts with the world, and the world interacts with the river.

This work is fun for me, but it’s also so important.

This is the biggest global issue humanity is facing.

“I’m so grateful to be here, particularly now that I’m putting all of my energy into the climate science and my senior thesis. This research is important, and I’m focusing on the Pacific Northwest. I feel like it’s giving back to where I was raised. I would like to say thank you for the scholarships.”

After graduating, Queen plans to take time off before graduate school and a career in climate science. That could mean an internship with New Zealand’s equivalent of the NOAA. Or maybe a stint in software engineering. Knowing Laura, either choice—or both—will lead to success.

—Ed Dorsch, BA ’94, MA ’99

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Ten Ways To Give 1

REVITALIZE ENDANGERED LANGUAGES

The Northwest Indian Language Institute partners with communities to revitalize indigenous languages.

Your gift to the institute helps us document Native American languages, train teachers, and develop language curriculum. Supporting the active use of these languages benefits the communities we serve and helps the university recruit and retain indigenous students.

Contact John Manotti, 541-346-1677, jmanotti@uoregon.edu

2

CREATE A BETTER TOMORROW

It’s not science fiction—the next generation of researchers will shape the future of society and our environment.

Your gift to the UO’s biology department helps students pursue careers in microbiology, neuroscience, cancer biology, ecology, cellular and molecular biology, and more.

Contact the College of Arts and Sciences, 541-346-3950

3

KEEP THEM TUNED UP

First-rate musical instruments are crucial for students rehearsing, performing, and researching music.

However, all this hard work naturally leads to wear and tear on the required tools of their discipline. Your gift to the School of Music and Dance helps us clean, maintain, and (when necessary) rebuild or replace instruments.

Contact Michelle Glenn, 541-346-5687, glennm@uoregon.edu

4

CLEAR A PATH

PathwayOregon gives lower-income Oregonians the opportunity of a lifetime, offering them access to the UO as well as the support they need to succeed once they’re here.

Your investment in PathwayOregon backs an innovative scholarship and support program with proven success.

Contact Jen Parker, 541-346-8018, jeparker@uoregon.edu

The Antarctic blackfin icefish has no scales, transparent blood, and the ability to thrive in saltwater that’s close to freezing. UO biology professor John Postlethwait is researching its genome to discover more about the genetics behind anemia and osteoporosis.

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PathwayOregon and Diversity Excellence Scholar Kennedy Gregory

Photo by Michael Bragg

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BOOST A LEARNING LABORATORY

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is more than a teaching museum. It’s a learning laboratory for UO students.

Every year the museum offers internships, employment, academic tours, research support, and world-class exhibitions for thousands of students.

The museum also collaborates with academic departments across campus to create exciting learning opportunities throughout the year. Your gift helps make it all happen.

Malik Lovette, BA ’18 (art), a participant in the museum’s Art of the Athlete program, mentors a young artist in a workshop for children with special needs. The workshops are provided under a contract with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and give UO students opportunities to work in a classroom setting.

Contact Esther Harclerode, 541-346-7476, estherh@uoregon.edu

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Today’s students feel intense pressures—to graduate on time, to take the right courses, and to investigate future job prospects. In short, they need personalized advice. The College of Arts and Sciences has a studentfriendly solution—Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall, where college and career guidance comes together. It’s designed from the ground up to assist students with a comprehensive suite of advising services. Construction continues, it opens this fall, and naming opportunities are still available.

LEVERAGE YOUR PHILANTHROPY

A gift for graduate studies helps more than the promising students seeking advanced UO degrees. Outstanding graduate students improve the college experience for undergraduates, and they help faculty members accomplish their teaching and research goals.

Contact Deidre Sandvick, 541-346-2049, deidres@uoregon.edu

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BE THEIR CHAMPION

Your gift to the Duck Athletic Fund supports student-athletes as they compete for championships and build a foundation for future success.

An investment in student-athlete scholarships provides educational opportunities in the classroom, on the field, and in the community, that last a lifetime.

Contact the Duck Athletic Fund, 541-346-5433, daf@uoregon.edu, goducks.com/DuckAthleticFund

The Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism gave Ben Lonergan the opportunity to intern as a photojournalist—and to gain a higher perspective for a story about urban forestry.

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LAUNCH A CAREER

Some things you must learn by doing.

At the School of Journalism and Communication, that’s especially true. Nearly 80 percent of our undergraduates participate in handson learning opportunities, including student-run agencies and publications, faculty-led trips and projects, media production, and more. Your gift supports experiential learning, helping students gain practical experience, build portfolio content, and move from classrooms to careers.

Contact Lauren Wilcox, 541-346-3678, lmwilcox@uoregon.edu

BUILD STUDENT SUCCESS

Contact the College of Arts and Sciences, 541-346-3950

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HELP ALL STUDENTS

What’s something all majors have in common? They all use the library. These resources are vital for every student and faculty member—in many different ways.

Your gift to UO Libraries accelerates the teaching, learning, and research happening across our campus.

Contact Deidre Sandvick, 541-346-2049, deidres@uoregon.edu 23

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UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT 1720 E 13th Ave Ste 312 Eugene OR 97403-2253

S E R V I C E

R E Q U E S T E D

THANKS TO YOU LUIS SEVILLA

“ MY SCHOLARSHIPS MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME. THEY MADE MY DREAMS POSSIBLE.” —LUIS SEVILLA

PathwayOregon and Diversity Excellence Scholar First-Generation College Student Year: Senior Major: Advertising Minor: Business administration Hometown: White City, Oregon Dream job: Producer or brand strategist for an advertising agency

DREAM

MADE TRUE

Investing in the future: “I want to thank everyone who gives to scholarships, because it makes going to the university possible for people like me. A college degree was my goal since high school, but the support made it viable. And it was motivating once I got here, because— despite all the obstacles—I knew people were investing in my education.”

An equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act This publication will be made available in accessible formats upon request. ©2019 University of Oregon MC022119

Photo by Julia Wagner

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