2025 IEP Designee – University of Oregon

Collaborating for Economic Growth at the University of Oregon

If you stand on the skybridge that connects the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact to the main University of Oregon campus, you get a clear snapshot of the region in motion. Researchers heading into labs; high school students visiting for the first time; startup teams moving equipment in and out of the Knight Campus; commuters rolling down Franklin Boulevard. It’s a small snapshot, but it captures the much bigger picture: how the UO works alongside the region rather than apart from it.

In October 2025, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) named the UO an Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) Designee in recognition of its strong commitment to economic and community engagement. The designation process asked the university to take a closer look at this collaboration. Much of this work was already underway—research partnerships, hands-on learning, community engagement—but the self-study helped connect the dots, clarifying where the university is building real momentum and where tighter coordination will help the UO do more.

The Knight Campus, for example, is a hub of discovery and innovation with a straightforward vision: to dramatically shorten the timeline between discovery and societal impact through world-class research, training, and entrepreneurship in a nimble scientific enterprise. That aim is visible every day in the labs, classrooms, and startup spaces housed there. Research teams are advancing new technologies. Students are preparing for technical careers. Companies in the Papé Family Innovation Center are developing products, hiring talent, and contributing to Oregon’s growing innovation economy. The activity feels a lot like the bridge view: research, industry, and learning moving together.

Workforce preparation remains a major part of the university’s contribution to Oregon. The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program, for example, places students in high-demand STEM fields across the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health is preparing a new workforce in youth behavioral health, in close collaboration with schools, health systems, and community organizations. These programs respond directly to Oregon’s labor needs while preparing students for strong career paths.

The UO’s economic engagement reaches well beyond campus. Through the Sustainable Cities Year Program, for example, the university partners with communities statewide to tackle challenges such as transportation, climate resilience, housing, and public infrastructure. These partnerships support local priorities while giving students practical experience that often leads to careers in planning, public service, and community development.

The IEP self-study process made it clear that university partners and stakeholders value the UO’s strengths and that they want a more streamlined way to engage with the university. They asked for clearer access points, more coordination, and continued progress in areas like research translation, workforce development, and community-based problem solving. Their input is already shaping the university’s next steps.

The UO is responding by improving internal coordination, aligning the work of units that engage with external partners, and strengthening how the university collects and shares data. These efforts align closely with Oregon Rising, the university’s strategic plan, which emphasizes stronger ties between research and industry, more direct pathways into the workforce, and deeper engagement with communities across the region.

Back on the skybridge, the same view serves as a reminder of what this work is about. The people moving below aren’t separate groups; they’re the partners, employers, students, researchers, and residents shaping the region’s future. The University of Oregon will continue to work alongside them, building and strengthening the connections that help communities flourish.

Author:

Johnmartin Sherman-Lewis, Director of Communications, Government & Community Relations, University of Oregon