Called the driving force behind software at Intel Corporation for twenty-plus years, Renée James "86 (College of Arts and Sciences), MBA '92, entered the national spotlight this May when she was elected president of the Intel Corporation.

Just a few weeks later, Fortune Magazine published its 2013 tally of the fifty most powerful women in business. A newcomer to the list, James joined such well-known names as Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, and Meg Whitman.

This fall, the double Duck returned to the University of Oregon campus to serve as a new member of the College of Arts and Sciences board of advisors and to meet with representatives from other colleges and departments.

James's itinerary included a stop at the Lillis Business Complex. Prior to her individual session with Dean Kees de Kluyver, James met with a small group led by John Hull, the college's assistant dean for centers and executive director of the Business Innovation Institute.

Hull gave James an overview of the Lundquist College's centers of excellence and outlined the school's commitment to pairing hands-on, experiential learning with rigorous, classroom-based instruction.

James shared her perspective on how the UO is seen from the outside and encouraged university leadership to consider areas of academic excellence to highlight the profile of the school overall.

For the three current MBA students who attended the meeting, the experience was one to remember. This was especially true for James Ball, MBA '14, and Nathaniel Rotta, MBA '14, who both had recently accepted positions at Intel.

“As a future Intel employee, it was a tremendous opportunity for me to meet the company's president in a small group setting—and to know that she's also a Duck. The alumni network at Oregon is what really sets this program apart," said Ball, who starts at Intel as a financial analyst next August.

Read an in-depth profile of James in Cascade Magazine and learn more about her new role at Intel.