Alumni Support
Undergraduate research is considered a high-impact practice for good reason. It brings students in contact with some of the hallmarks of a liberal arts education, introduces them to the enthralling world of research and discovery, and allows them to work side-by-side with the outstanding university faculty.
Many of the more than 195,000 UO alumni continue to conduct research in the academic, public, and private sectors while maintaining close connections to the faculty and departments that they worked with here in Eugene. Even more are utilizing the highly transferable knowledge and skills developed through research experiences in their professional and personal lives.
That’s the beauty of undergraduate research and creative scholarship – whether a student intends to go to graduate school or enter the workforce after graduation, the skills gained through conducting research make them more experienced, marketable, and employable.
There are many ways in which alumni can contribute to undergraduate research.
Examples of Alumni Support
The Peter O’Day Fellowship in Biological Sciences
The O’Day Fellowship supports undergraduate and graduate student pairs conducting summer research in the biological sciences. Each student receives $5,000 and funds may be used to offset any expenses associated with such research, including living expenses and supplies/materials costs. Awarded to four pairs of students each summer, this support provides immersive, intensive and rewarding opportunities for highly motivated students to perform authentic research in the University of Oregon’s many and diverse research laboratories.
Funding for this fellowship was provided by an anonymous donor. The award is named after retired UO Department of Biology faculty member Peter O’Day in recognition of his dedication to undergraduate student engagement in research.