The product of ongoing consultation throughout this academic year with the Faculty Advisory Council, the University Senate, the Council of Deans and the president’s staff, the reorganization is intended to place the university’s administrative structure more in line with its peer institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Pac-10. Chancellor Joseph Cox also has signed off on the planned changes.

"These changes provide appropriate titles and recognition for those who have significant responsibility for administration of the university," says President Dave Frohnmayer. "This new structure more accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities these individuals already have."

John Moseley, whose title will become senior vice president and provost, says timing of the reorganization is based on the opportunity presented by having nearly all of the people already in place to fill the re-titled positions.

"We are fortunate to have administrators on board who fit naturally into their new titles," he says, noting that only relatively minor changes in assignments are envisioned. "In particular, the new vice presidential titles for Lorraine Davis and Rich Linton reflect the level of responsibility both have held for some time in their positions."

Other advantages, Moseley says, are that these changes will improve the functionality and efficiency of the university’s administrative structure while making it easier to recruit for UO positions in the future because administrative titles and responsibilities will be more similar to those nearly everywhere else.

The provost says that costs associated with the reorganization "are not zero but they will be very nearly that. There will be no net gain of new positions, although we’ll probably see some FTE adjustments. I expect that changes will be dealt with in existing budgets."

One principal change involves re-establishment of a vice presidential position overseeing Student Affairs. In addition, research programs and the Graduate School will again be headed by a vice president, and the senior vice provost for academic affairs position will be elevated to a vice presidency.

"The Student Affairs post, to be filled in coming months, will recombine various parts of this key component of the university’s service and support of students under one vice president who will report to the provost," Moseley says. "Students have requested this change often since we split Student Affairs into two groups several years ago."

Effective this month, administrators reporting to Moseley will include:

• Davis, vice president for academic affairs.

• Linton, vice president for research and graduate studies.

• The soon-to-be-named vice president for student affairs, with Jim Buch, associate vice president for enrollment management, and Anne Leavitt, associate vice president for student affairs, reporting to this vice president. (The Erb Memorial Union, Student Life, University Counseling Center, University Health Center and University Housing will continue to report to Leavitt.)

• Frances Dyke, associate vice president for budget and finance.

• Joanne Hugi, associate vice president for information services.

• The Council of Deans.

Administrators reporting to Vice President Dan Williams, Administration, will include:

• Jan Oliver, associate vice president for institutional affairs.

• Sherri McDowell, director of Business Affairs.

• George Hecht, director of Campus Operations.

• Linda King, director of Human Resources.

• Bill Moos, director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

• Christopher Ramey, director of University Planning.

• Thomas Fitzpatrick, director of Public Safety.

Reporting to Allan Price, who begins work July 16 as vice president for university advancement, with a portfolio essentially identical to outgoing Vice President Duncan McDonald, will be:

• Kathryn Owen, associate vice president for development.

• Daniel Rodriguez, associate vice president for alumni affairs.

• Michael Redding, associate vice president for governmental affairs.

• Communications, KWAX, Merchandise Marketing and Licensing, Oregon Quarterly, Outreach Projects, Personnel and Resource Management, and University Publications will continue to report to Price.

"Individual administrators may do some internal restructuring within the divisions for which they’re responsible but that is up to them," Moseley says. "If they choose to make changes, I’m sure it will be done without much fanfare."

• You can uncover an immediate 75 percent energy savings by simply turning off office equipment when you leave for the day. Savings are substantial, immediate and don’t cost a dime. While office equipment that’s left on 24-hours-a-day is easily overlooked as a major category of energy use, recent studies show that these devices account for five to seven percent of all energy used in commercial buildings, putting this category in third place behind lighting and cooling. Individually, most electronic devices use only a small amount of energy. However, with a computer on every desk along with printers, copiers, faxes and scanners, it all adds up to an energy load that is hard to ignore.

The gift, which establishes the Robert and Beverly Lewis Neurosciences Center, initially will provide matching funds and other startup costs for a facility in Straub Hall to house a new functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) machine—a major tool for the brain research envisioned in the initiative.

Also funded by the gift will be an endowed chair, an endowed professorship and support for additional staff, graduate students, equipment and research costs.

"Thanks to the Lewises’ generosity, we will soon have a highly visible focal point for this trailblazing interdisciplinary initiative," says President Dave Frohnmayer. "In the long run, the Lewis gift will provide major, ongoing support for research that could lead to major discoveries about the human brain."

The university also has obtained support from the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, state bonding authority and the UO Foundation to purchase the fMRI machine and related equipment and to remodel Straub Hall to create a new neuroimaging research facility.

"However, there has always been uncertainty about our ability to maintain, upgrade and expand this enterprise because of uncertainty in funding," says Helen Neville, Psychology, a prominent researcher in cognitive neuroscience. "This gift will ensure that brain imaging is a reality on the UO campus. It will enable us to have comprehensive training programs in human brain imaging and to build interfaces between the very strong programs of neuroscience, cognitive science and genetics research on our campus."

Richard Linton, research vice provost and Graduate School dean, says the Straub Hall remodeling project will start this summer and is expected to be completed by early 2002.

"The Lewis gift was essential in enabling the project to progress on schedule," Linton says.

Bob Lewis says he and his wife made the gift to demonstrate their love for the university, where the couple met in the late 1940s, and to support research that could improve peoples’ lives through new treatments for disabilities, diseases and injuries affecting the nervous system.

The Lewises also have gained great satisfaction from providing major support for a regional cancer care center and other health care institutions in southern California.

Honored with the UO Pioneer Award in 2000, the Lewises own a beer distributorship in Pomona and Lancaster, Calif. They have become well-known in the thoroughbred horse racing world for their ownership of two Triple Crown contenders, Silver Charm and Charismatic, as well as the all-time career money-winning filly, Serena’s Song.

The new fMRI facility will permit imaging of brain function and brain tissue that will allow scientists to better correlate the brain’s anatomy with human thought and behavior. Their studies will lay the groundwork for investigating brain functions such as learning, remembering, paying attention and experiencing emotions. The results of this research could lead to wide-ranging applications from new ways of teaching children languages to new, more effective treatments for stroke victims.

The UO "Brain, Biology, Machine" initiative brings together top scientists in the rapidly growing fields of cognitive neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, computational science, and optics and materials science to share facilities, ideas and research projects.

According to Linton, future plans include a new building to house more faculty, expansion of molecular biology research facilities, creation of a small-animal fMRI facility to study effects of gene transplantation on brain function and behavior, and establishment of a "neuroinfomatics center" with computer resources to analyze the data from the expanded research efforts.

Linton says the excitement generated by the initiative, added to the university’s strengths in the sciences, already is attracting interest from promising new faculty prospects. He anticipates new hires this year in fields including biochemistry, molecular biology and psychology that will add further momentum to the research initiative.

In addition, Staton promised $2 million to fund 20 scholarships per year at Lane Community College.

The gifts are from the Robert W. and Bernice Ingalls Staton Foundation. Staton, who now lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and her late husband both grew up in Eugene and attended the University of Oregon. Robert Staton, an insurance executive who died in 1981, graduated from the UO in 1934.

"The Staton family’s generosity will change the lives of hundreds of Oregon students and their families," says President Dave Frohnmayer. "These are students who would not be able to even attend college without significant financial aid. This is an extraordinary gift and we are most grateful."

Letters have already gone out to the UO Staton scholarship recipients for next year. In each class, freshman through senior, five students have been awarded $10,000 scholarships and 20 have been awarded $4,000 scholarships. The awards, for in-state students only, are renewable for up to four years. The scholarships give preference to students majoring in Music, Education or Architecture and Allied Arts.

"I want to help students who absolutely could not go to school without aid," says Staton. "I attended Oregon for only two years because of financial hardship."

The gift is one of the two largest donations ever made to the LCC Foundation. Fifteen students pursuing two-year degrees have received $5,000 vocational scholarships for next year, and five students who plan to transfer to the UO after two years have received $5,000 collegiate transfer scholarships.

Staton says she wants to support LCC scholarships because "professional, technical education is important to the betterment of both the individual and the community."

Bernice Staton formed the family foundation with her children—Anne StatonVoilleque of Idaho Falls; Richard Christopher Staton of Kingston, R.I.; and Robert Dennis Staton of Fargo, N.D.

"We are all just thrilled and overwhelmed that Mother wanted to do this," says Voilleque. "It’s a wonderful legacy for her and my dad."

"Colleges teach students not to take things at face value. That’s a fine thing to learn, but taken too far, this can turn into cynicism," the former UO law professor says. "There is value in the kind of authority that helps you embrace the basic values of your community. A true authority is someone who has been right so frequently in the past that their counsel cannot be safely ignored."

Approximately 3,900 students who have completed their work toward a degree during the 2000-2001 academic year are eligible to participate in the spring ceremonies, which begin, rain or shine, at 12:30 p.m. at McArthur Court. No tickets are required, and doors will open at 10:30 a.m.

Any overflow crowds will be able to view the ceremony on closed-circuit television nearby in the EMU Ballroom.

For those unable to attend the ceremony in person, Oregon Public Broadcasting for the first time in many years will televise UO commencement live from 12:30–2:30 p.m. June 16. Check local listings for cable or broadcast channels.

Videotapes of commencement also will be available about one week after the ceremony for $25 each if picked up in person or $26.50 if shipped. To order in advance, call 6-3048. Orders also will be taken on June 16 at Mac Court.

During Saturday’s ceremony, the university will recognize 14 people for their exemplary service, philanthropic leadership, professional achievement and teaching excellence.

Distinguished Service Awards—Umpqua tribal leader Sue Shaffer, recognized for her work in advancing the well being of the Cow Creek Tribe and Douglas County; Eugene attorney John Jaqua, honored for his leadership in the legal profession and in his support of higher education; and Portland businessman Harold Schnitzer, recognized for his outstanding civic leadership.

The faculty annually selects recipients for this award who, through their knowledge and skills, "have made a significant contribution to the cultural development of Oregon or society as a whole."

Presidential Medal—Former MediaOne Group Chairman Charles Lillis, a UO alumnus, and his wife, Gwen Lillis, for their visionary support and recent leadership gift of $12 million toward expansion of the business college. This gift will dramatically reshape the quality and scope as well as the very nature of business education at this university in the 21st century.

The Presidential Medal honors individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to higher education through their long-standing and extraordinary support. Each medal is a replica of the myrtlewood medallion the UO president wears for ceremonial occasions.

Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching—Lisa Freinkel, English, and David Castillo, Spanish, will be honored for outstanding teaching.

Established in 1957, the Ersted award, consisting of crystal apples and pay raises, rewards exceptional teachers early in their careers. The late A.J. Ersted of Atherton, Calif., created a trust fund to pay for $2,000 annual salary increases that reward excellent teaching.

Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award for Distinguished Teaching—Stephen Durrant, East Asian Languages and Literatures, a scholar of Chinese literature, will be honored for his teaching excellence.

The Herman award, first given in 1995, honors senior faculty members who have achieved outstanding records as teachers. Supported by an Alamo, Calif., business leader who is a 1962 UO alumnus, the award consists of a crystal apple and $2,000-a-year pay raise.

Charles E. Johnson Memorial Award—Sandra Morgen, CSWS director and a tireless champion of freedom of speech and assembly in education, will be honored for demonstrating exceptional service to the university and its community.

The Johnson Award, first given by the UO faculty in 1980, honors a faculty member who has exemplified the principles affirmed by the late UO president for which it is named. Those principles include that freedom of speech and assembly hold a central position among American constitutional and educational precepts; that a university can and must adapt to accelerating social change while maintaining its basic objective; and that, as Thomas Jefferson said, "…here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it might lead, nor to tolerate error so long as reason is left free to combat it."

Graduate Teaching Fellows Awards—Bryan Dubin, Political Science, and John Fiskio-Lasseter, Computer and Information Science, will receive $500 honoraria for the outstanding quality of their classroom teaching and their enthusiasm as instructors. Jeffery Baldwin, Geography, will receive a $150 honorable mention award.

Established in 1979 in cooperation with the UO chapter of Mortar Board, these awards recognize excellence in teaching and academic guidance. This year, 40 graduate students from more than 20 departments or programs were nominated.

At a pre-commencement brunch, the UO Alumni Association will bestow its 2001 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award on Edward Colligan, ’83, founder and senior vice president of Handspring, Inc., a manufacturer of handheld computer products. The 2001 Distinguished Alumnus Award will go to Tom Jernstedt, ’67, ’73 M.S., a senior vice president of the NCAA.

Besides the university-wide exercises, each school or college—including individual Arts and Sciences departments—will hold its own ceremony at various campus locations on June 14–16.

Among spring Commencement’s 3,990 eligible participants are 2,255 candidates for bachelor’s degrees, 110 for certificates, 456 for master’s degrees and 67 for doctoral degrees, as well as 532 fall term and 428 winter term graduates. Another 142 students received law degrees May 20.

Honored April 10 during a campus-wide reception as 2001 Classified Employee Recognition Award winners were Carol Kleinheksel, Humanities Consortium; Mary Ellen Mansfield, Education; Carla McNelly, Romance Languages; Karen Smith, Law; and Linda Walton, Continuation Center. Also receiving accolades as Officer of Administration Recognition Award recipients were Linda Kyhn, Continuation Center; Marla Lowen, Oregon Bach Festival; Fred Tepfer, University Planning; and Mark Turner, Biology.

Lawrence Crumb, Library emeritus, is the author of "Some American Bishops’ Letters to E.B. Pusey" in the December 2000 issue of Anglican and Episcopal History.

Raymond Birn, History, lectured on book censors and censorship in 18th-century France as an invited professor at the College de France in Paris during March and April.

A celebration of life was held May 12 in memory of Mary M. Blakely, American English Institute, whose eight-year battle with breast cancer ended May 7. A UO alumna who earned master’s and doctoral degrees in 1978 and 1984, Blakely had been a teacher and administrator during her AEI tenure from 1990–99. To support establishment of a native plant garden in her memory in Hendricks Park, send tax-deductible contributions to the Oregon Community Foundation, 399 E. 10th, Suite 109, Eugene 97401.