E-News

Don Upson is quick to give all the credit to his students, but it's no coincidence that year after year his students launch successful startups. The success of Shady Peeps, FloraGenex, Perpetua Power, Innovative Sports Strategies, Sunburst, and dozens more is a testament to Don's teaching, dedication, and mentorship. In recognition of Upson's contributions to advancing the economic vitality of the state, the reputation of the college, and the lives of students, the college has honored Upson as the 2011 Thomas C. Stewart Distinguished Professor. Congratulations Don.

Wondering where the current cohorts of Oregon MBA students hail from? Curious about where and with which companies they've had recent internships? The answer is all over the map--literally! Click the icons on our cool new interactive maps to get the inside scoop on each student and internship.

Cash prizes, plus the opportunity to get real-world feedback from area business leaders—these were the awards teams of entrepreneurship students competed for in the annual graduate Venture Quest this past December. Each team's presentation was followed by a rapid-fire Q&A with contest judges. The winning project? VisiRay, a unique pest-detection technology presented by Walther Buecklers, Andrew Cook, Matt Eskue, and Orit Ofr. Runner-up was ShadyPeeps, a student-launched company that has already sold 3,500 pairs of university-themed sunglasses.

Taking a cue from the success of "I Love My Ducks" on YouTube, our Oregon MBA students took a break from studying to create a viral video of their own. The video "Oregon MBA: Ride Your Bike There" provides an unfiltered perspective from some students about what they feel are unique qualities of our MBA program: active lifestyles, sustainability, entrepreneurial, camaraderie. Sounds kind of like the college's mission statement. It's also a fun video for alumni, reminding them of their college days.

If you've watched Paula Deen on the Food Network cooking up some holiday treats, you may have noticed her tin measuring spoons and cups. Crosby & Taylor (formerly Tin Woodsman) of Eugene makes those items, and recently the firm asked our business students to come up with some ideas for extending its demographic reach. The company acted on the students' recommendation to combine kitchen and Christmas products. The end result was a set of holiday measuring spoons featured by Deen in her November/December 2010 magazine as a great gift idea.