A collage of three photos showing a PhD student receiving a teaching award, a group photo of all phd students and faculty all wearing black shirts, and a photo of the PhD alumni award winner

A Joyful PhD Celebration

The 2025 UO Business PhD Program Spring Celebration brought together students, alumni, and faculty for an afternoon of connection, recognition, and academic pride.

The celebration began with a virtual alumni social hosted by Andrew Edelblum, PhD ’22, followed by our annual awards ceremony honoring the outstanding contributions of our doctoral community and what host and program director Ryan Rahinel, PhD ’14, described as “a lifestyle of scholarship.” Highlights included:

  • Recognizing this year’s PhD graduates
  • Honoring excellence in teaching
  • Showcasing standout student research
  • Presenting the PhD Alumni Career Achievement Award to Eric Sorensen, PhD ’77

“It’s just been amazing when I think back because I’ve been able to do what I was passionate about,” said honoree Sorensen, PhD ’77, and CEO of PanAgora Asset Management in Boston, while addressing attendees at the celebration. “You’re all researchers. I visited with some of you earlier today about dissertation topics, and you could tell there was a real passion for research. I appreciate that I spent those years in academia doing something I really like— research—then I went to Wall Street using the same body of knowledge, but a different audience. Then I went to the industrial management business—and it’s the same material. I’ve been able to cultivate and mentor a lot of people. My management style is pretty much to delegate, not to disappear. To try to empower people—and it’s worked for me.” 

A heartfelt thank-you to Robin and Roger Best, PhD ’75, for their incredible support through the Robin and Roger Best Fund for Doctoral Research and Teaching. Their $1 million endowment empowers PhD students through research funding, publication and conference incentives, and annual awards for teaching excellence—and makes celebrations like this possible.

“This is our 23rd year celebrating PhDs,” said Roger Best, an emeritus professor of marketing and cofounder of our Master of Science in Sports Product Management program. “This has got to be the biggest, most joyful group I’ve ever seen.” 

“Being an alumnus for me was a game changer,” he said. “I know for myself, for the departed Chuck Lillis, PhD ’72, and for Eric, earning our PhDs took us a certain level of opportunity, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I know the more than 300 graduates of the program feel the same way.”

Congratulations to all our honorees, and thank you to everyone who joined us in recognizing the next generation of business scholars.

—Lundquist Communications