The URDS Impact Fund plays an instrumental role in advancing the mission of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS), The fund advances the core mission of ensuring equitable access to the full benefits and transformative opportunities of a liberal arts and sciences research university with a priority for supporting:
- Distinguished Scholarships finalists’ travel to national interviews
- Undergraduate research and creative work fellowships
- Academic conference travel
- Access to Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the United States.
“This scholarship lifted the weight of financial barriers, turning what felt like a distant dream into a reachable reality of visiting a United Nations headquarters. It has opened the door to engage with the very individuals I aspire to become, knowing that limitations no longer define the path ahead, but by boundless possibility and purpose.”
–Sophia Barghouti, Class of 2027
Undergraduate students from all schools, colleges, and majors at the University of Oregon are eligible to benefit from the URDS Impact Fund. The fund addresses the significant equity gaps in access, experience, and outcomes that persist in higher education for traditionally underserved students including:
- Students with high financial need
- Students who are the first in their families to attend college
- Transfer students
- Non-traditional students
“I am motivated by a deep-seated calling to improve the world around me. I have done it in high school, I have done it in college, I will do it in law school, and I will continue it for the rest of my life. Upon completing my graduate studies, I envision a position where I can actively contribute to shaping policy, creating a more inclusive legal environment, and challenging systems of injustice.”
–Abdirahim Mohamoud, Class of 2025
How you can help
The URDS Impact Fund was established in 2023 through gifts by donors like 1984 Lundquist College of Business alumni Todd and Sue Ringoen, who made a $10,000 matching gift to successfully meet our initial goal. With generous philanthropic support since the fund’s inception, we have provided 16 students with research funding, honor society fees, and travel costs. And we need continual assistance from donors like you to help remove financial barriers from our students so they can focus on bettering themselves and their communities.
“Continued donor support of the URDS Impact Fund is critical to our core mission of advancing equitable access to the full benefits and opportunities of a liberal arts and sciences research university for traditionally underserved students.”
–Kevin Hatfield
