Elevating Excellence
Great people power great universities.
Oregon’s ambitions depend on exceptional people. Together, we’ll attract, support, and retain the faculty, coaches, and emerging leaders who inspire students and move the university forward.
Attract and keep top faculty
Exceptional faculty elevate everyone around them. They ask ambitious questions and inspire students to reach higher. They create the momentum that moves an entire university forward.
Endowed chairs and professorships are a magnet for top talent. The more of these positions that Oregon can offer, the more academic star power we can attract—and keep. Endowments give faculty the resources and recognition to mentor students while pursuing their boldest ideas.
Great faculty also have a ripple effect. They attract research support, draw ambitious students, and strengthen Oregon’s reputation in every field. Invest in Oregon’s people, and their influence will reach far beyond campus.
Faculty chairs provide essential professional recognition and help fund our research. They free funds for hiring more faculty members, and they give our younger faculty members something to strive for.”
Geri Richmond
Presidential Chair in Science and professor of chemistry; former U.S. Undersecretary for Science and Innovation
Power professors to change lives and fuel discovery
Great faculty do more than teach. They spark curiosity. They open minds to new ways of thinking. They build experiences that bring students into the world and reveal possible futures. They inspire and challenge, transforming the classroom into a discovery zone that empowers Ducks to reach further, think deeper, and fly higher.
Mentorship and discovery go hand in hand at Oregon. Faculty invite students into their labs and studios, encouraging them to ask their own questions and contribute to meaningful scholarship. These experiences build confidence and expand horizons. They turn potential into purpose.
This kind of mentorship is intentional. It requires investment in exceptional faculty, graduate fellows, and the environments that make close collaboration possible. Together, these investments fuel discovery while ensuring more Ducks graduate with the guidance, experience, and inspiration to shape what’s next.
It’s obvious these students had to sacrifice a lot, and their families have had to sacrifice a lot for them to be here. So, I try to make it worth their while.”
Professor Brendan Bohannan, James F. and Shirley J. Rippey Chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Keep Oregon athletes in the lead
Great athletic programs do much more than build championship teams. They prepare student-athletes to compete with integrity, lead with confidence, and represent Oregon long after the final whistle.
Creating this kind of student-athlete experience requires continued investment in the people, programs, and places that make excellence possible. Philanthropic support helps Oregon recruit and retain exceptional student-athletes, attract and support outstanding coaches and staff, maintain best-in-class facilities, and provide the resources that every team needs to compete at the highest level.
Championships aren’t built in a single season: They’re built through a long-term commitment to excellence. By investing in Oregon Athletics, you’ll help ensure that future Ducks compete at the highest level while developing confidence, resilience, and leadership they’ll carry with them throughout their lives.
Donor support truly makes an impact not just as a player, but also as a student. It helps us pursue a career outside of sports once we’re done and gives us the resources to explore our passions.
Sofia Bell
BBA '25 (business administration), MBA and MSF '27
A Nobel Laureate and Oregon’s quantum push
David Wineland, Philip H. Knight Distinguished Research Chair, raises Oregon's stakes in quantum science, while students learn from an expert in the field.
The power to see what’s possible
When Professor Annelise Heinz recognized in Kit Hungerford a passion for archival research, she created an independent study to help her student explore an entirely new career path. It changed the way Kit saw her future.
More than the game
For Oregon basketball player Sofia Bell, being a Duck means more than competing on the court. Donor support has allowed her to pursue an ambitious academic path, while also benefiting from transformational internships and international experiences.
Priority funds
Support the people who make Oregon exceptional. These featured funds help attract and retain outstanding faculty and staff, advance groundbreaking research, and strengthen excellence across the university.
Invest in the people who make Oregon great
Your gift helps exceptional people inspire students, advance discovery, and deepen the excellence that defines Oregon.
