March 24, 2008 Thanks to donors, world-class pianos A gift from Jacqueline Giustina brought a Steinway Model D concert grand piano from Hamburg, Germany, to Beall Hall. Fords give $500,000 for art education Cheryl Ramberg Ford '66 and her husband, Allyn, have given $500,000 to help expand youth programs at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Memorial gift for UO student lost at sea Bob Eder and Michele Longo Eder of Newport, Oregon made a $100,000 gift to the University Venture Development Fund in honor of their son Ben. Recent gifts to Campaign Oregon $759 million and counting! The latest additions to Campaign Oregon: Transforming Lives Thanks to donors, world-class pianos A gift from Jacqueline Giustina brought a Steinway Model D concert grand piano from Hamburg, Germany, to Beall Hall. What does a fine piano mean for students? "Everything," says assistant professor of piano Alexandre Dossin. "It allows them to explore the full breadth of sound. A complete range of sonority and contrast," says Dossin. "This instrument is as good, if not better, than what they would play at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, or any major concert venue in the U.S. So when they get their big chance, they will be ready." Another world class piano is arriving soon. The Leona DeArmond Steinway Concert D Grand Piano (also from Hamburg, Germany) was purchased with a gift from Bob DeArmond in honor of his wife, Leona. It was a surprise birthday gift. These gifts will place our music school among a handful in the nation to offer this caliber of concert pianos. Fords give $500,000 for art education Cheryl Ramberg Ford '66 and her husband, Allyn, have given $500,000 to help expand youth programs at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. As a kid growing up in Roseburg, Cheryl loved going to art camps. The longtime museum volunteer wanted to help more children (especially rural kids) enjoy art. "Usually it is necessary to live in or travel to one of the nation's major metropolitan centers in order to experience a museum of the quality of the UO's art museum," she said. "We are fortunate to have a museum of this caliber in western Oregon." The southern Oregon couple’s gift will support courses and outreach programs. The endowment has already helped more than 700 children participate, free of charge. The fund will also support the museum's Arts Bridge program, which places UO arts students in K—12 classrooms and juvenile justice facilities to teach art. It also covers busing for rural students. Memorial gift for UO student lost at sea Bob Eder and Michele Longo Eder of Newport, Oregon, made a $100,000 gift to the University Venture Development Fund in honor of their son Ben. A top student at Reed College, Ben transferred to the UO in fall 2001 as a junior. He intended to major in biochemistry and international studies. But it was not to be. During winter break, Ben died while commercial fishing for Dungeness crab off the Oregon coast. A sudden gale capsized the boat. Ben was lost at sea along with all three of his shipmates. In his honor, Ben's parents gave to the University Venture Development Fund. This new tax credit program helps Oregon’s public universities move their most promising discoveries into the marketplace. The state legislature has authorized $14 million in tax credits worth up to 60 percent of the value of gifts designated for venture development funds at participating universities. The University of Oregon’s share is $3.27 million, with the Eders’ $100,000 gift bringing the total raised so far to $794,000. "We decided to contribute to the University Venture Development Fund at the University of Oregon as a tribute to Ben because he had such a positive experience there," says Michele. "We are involved in sustainable economic development efforts. And Ben had an entrepreneurial flair. We are glad to support efforts to translate research into commerce." Recent Gifts to Campaign Oregon Following are just a few of the many recent contributions from private donors to Campaign Oregon: Transforming Lives for academic purposes: Maureen and Jim Bernard—$25,000 for the Chemistry Achievement Endowment Fund, President's Fund, and Ford Alumni Center. Margie and W. Taylor Fithian—$25,000 pledge to establish the Taylor Fithian Family Northwest Language Institute Assistance Fund. Penny Knight—$100,000 for the Robinson Theater Renovation Fund. Hynix Semiconductor—$34,350 gift-in-kind for three turbomolecular vacuum pumps for the Materials Science Institute. Norine Madden McGrath and William McGrath—$25,000 pledge to establish the Madden-McGrath Family Scholarship in the Robert Donald Clark Honors College. Royal Caribbean International—$50,000 for the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Visitor Center Building Fund. Yost Grube Hall Architecture—$26,000 to create the Yost Grube Hall Scholarship in Architecture. Campaign Impact is written and produced by Development Communications. An archive of past issues is available online, and we invite new subscribers to sign up. To unscubscribe, reply to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.