Message from the CHC Dean

CHC accomplishments and aspirations

Western stone stair leading up to Chapman Hall's wooden door set in the red brick.

As the calendar year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on how much CHC students accomplish in their time here. Many enthusiastically tackle the work that comes with having a difficult major. Some compete at the highest level for distinguished scholarships – Nayantara Arora (Neuroscience) won a Rhodes Scholarship last year and this year Oliver Loreto (Biochemistry, Data Science, and Biology) and Charles Petrik (Global Studies and Geography) traveled to Seattle to compete as Rhodes finalists. From starting book groups to participating in club sports and studying abroad, our students take advantage of the rich opportunities available to them at UO. I am daily delighted to have the privilege to see all the transformational growth that happens across our students’ time with us.

This winter, we will be completing a visioning process to help us create a strategic plan that builds on President Karl Scholz’s Oregon Rising. From timely graduation to career preparation to flourishing and social impact, our faculty, staff, and students are working every day to help our community adapt, grow, and thrive.

Speaking of change and growth, at the end of this month, a member of our team who has laid the groundwork for creating our alumni network – Elin England, director of alumni and community engagement – will be retiring from the college. She has spent the last decade of her 26-year UO career at the Honors College. We are happy for her as she walks into retirement to spend more time with family. And we are pleased to welcome Kirstin Kohn Strickland as our new director of alumni engagement. Kirstin has spent more than 20 years working in community engagement and development positions, most of which have been rooted in higher education. Most notably, she worked at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering as the executive director of alumni relations and at Oregon State University as the director of Strategic Engagement for the College of Engineering. Kirstin will be based in Portland, and I am excited to be working on many alumni and donor-related projects with her.

As 2024 ends, I would like to wish you and yours a brilliant holiday season, with peace and joy for the coming year. I hope you’ll continue to think about us at the Clark Honors College. We have bold plans for 2025.
 

Sincerely,
Carol Stabile
Dean

Read Past Messages

CHC Graduation Celebration 2024

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the CHC welcomed a new president and a new provost to campus, hosted the Board of Trustees to a Chapman Hall reception and held the second-annual CHC Three Minute Thesis Competition. 177 students defended their theses this year!

Support CHC on Giving Tuesday

Reading the thesis memories posted by alumni on CHC Connections and talking to alumni in New York City, Portland, Seattle, and other cities reminds me how transformative an experience the Clark Honors College provides for students. Because increases in college tuition and housing costs, high rates of inflation, and reduced support from state government are making paying for college more difficult, I am even more committed to helping defray the costs for students and their families.

CHC Permanent Dean

Last week, following an extensive national search process, the University of Oregon's Office of the Provost announced my appointment as the permanent dean of the Robert D. Clark Honors College. You can read the full announcement from the Office of the Provost at their website.

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