Looking Forward, Giving Back

It has been an eventful year and month for the University of Oregon. We will miss outgoing UO President Richard Lariviere, but we are energized by the appointment of Interim President Robert M. Berdahl. And we are invigorated by the newfound unanimity to move the University of Oregon in a new direction to the benefit of all Oregonians.

Indeed, serving the greater good and giving back are core values of the UO and the Lundquist College of Business. As we enter the holiday season, I am reminded of and astounded by the generosity and dedication of our faculty and students. Here a just a few examples from the past month and a half:

Undergraduate business student Phuong Vo was named Volunteer of the Month by the Register-Guard in October for her work coordinating the United Way of Lane County's Summer Reading Spots project, recruiting and training volunteers to read to more than 1,200 disadvantaged kids, promoting reading events, securing books and raffle donations, and arranging for special guests, such as track athlete Ashton Eaton.
Twenty students in our Leadership in Action course finished up fall term reporting on the work they did for four nonprofits, including St. Vincent de Paul, ShelterCare, Lane Coalition for Healthy and Active Youth, and The Assistance League of Oregon. As business student Kristen Kirkpatrick noted, "It is the most meaningful class I have taken in college by far. I have always been involved in charity, I've always volunteered, and my family has always donated. But this class has shown me that I can apply my business education to give something real and lasting--to give an organization tools they can use to improve people's lives."
More than 72 faculty and staff the Lundquist College of Business pledged at total of $37,560 to local charities as part of the annual statewide Charitable Fund Drive. That was more than any other group on the UO campus and more than the entirety of Portland State University.
MBA students led the University of Oregon's contributions to Movember, a yearly international men's health awareness campaign. Our MBAs helped the University of Oregon raise nearly $20,000 for prostate research. That was among the most in the MBA category of Movember nationwide, putting us in elite company and earning a special video note of appreciation from one of the campaign's cofounders.
Seventeen honors business students are spending this winter holiday break in Guatemala building houses with Habitat for Humanity. They are there now and are blogging about their experiences.

There are many, many more illustrations from the past year, and it is nice to be reminded how those supporting business education at the University of Oregon are not only preparing our youth to be tomorrow's leaders, they are also exemplars and inspirations to our students and faculty.

On behalf of the Lundquist College of Business, I thank you for your dedication and commitment to business education at the University of Oregon. Your investments are making an even greater impact than you may have been aware. We are all truly grateful.

Wishing you all the best for a joyous holiday and successful New Year.

Cordially,