Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships Impact Fund
Removing Financial Barriers for Underserved Top Undergraduate Scholars
Founded in the winter of 2023, the Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships (URDS) Impact Fund is a collaborative initiative by UO Advancement and URDS teams. 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
All undergraduate students at the University of Oregon are eligible to apply.
funds raised in 2025
student recipients since 2023
first-generation students
“The philanthropy of the donors to the URDS Impact fund has leveled the playing field for University of Oregon distinguished scholarships finalists by enabling them to travel to their national interviews without the barrier or concern of travel costs.
The cohort of students receiving Impact Fund support in its first three years includes: six Rhodes finalists and a Rhodes Scholar; three Truman finalists and a Truman Scholar; a Gates Cambridge finalist; and the first UO students to win a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship and a Future Leaders in Law Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School respectively.”–Kevin Hatfield, assistant vice provost for Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships
Meet the 2025–26 URDS Scholars
Sophia Barghouti, class of 2027
College of Arts & Sciences
Major(s): Political Science
Minor(s): Arabic, Middle Eastern & North African Studies
Get to know Sophia
Sophia is the first UO student to win admission to the Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute at Harvard Kennedy School. She was also the University of Oregon Truman nominee in 2025.
“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
Violet Ashley, class of 2027
College of SOJC & Arts and Science
Major(s): Journalism, philosophy
Minor: Global service
Get to know Violet
Violet was selected to represent the university at the Young Diplomats Forum in Brussels, Belgium, sponsored by the Global Diplomatic Forum. Violet was one of six UO students selected to attend the Oxford Consortium of Human Rights, “Human Rights, Activism and Community Action” workshop at Sonoma State University in January 2025. Violet is engaging in a first-of-its-kind graduate-level course focused on the rise of hostage diplomacy to create projects advocating for members of the hostage community, and connecting with negotiators, former hostages, NGOs, journalists, and legislators.
“The most valuable skill I gained from attending the Young Diplomats Forum was how to understand European Union institutions as both a global citizen and an aspiring diplomat. The conference provided a unique opportunity to speak with EU officials and diplomats who make this one-of-a-kind government run. I now feel confident engaging with this sphere of international cooperation."–Violet Ashley
Beatrice Kahn, class of 2026
Major(s): History, English
Get to know Beatrice
Beatrice is a Stamps Scholar and Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics Scholars Program Fellow. She won a Humanities Undergraduate Research Fellowship (HURF) for her project, “’Like a Prisoner’: The Carceral State and Confinement in Jean Rhys’ After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie.” She was named a 2025-2026 Future Leaders in Law Fellow with Harvard Law School and performed her residency in summer 2025 at Harvard Law (Cambridge, Mass) and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (New York City).
Beatrice was also named a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact and attended the Annual Convening of the Newman Civic Fellows in Chicago (October 16-18, 2025). Beatrice was a University of Oregon Truman Nominee in 2025. Beatrice earned an induction to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. She serves as the Policy and Reentry Intern for the University of Oregon Prison Education Program and serves on the steering committee of the Carnegie Global Oregon Ethics Program.
“The experiences I've had at the University of Oregon and through these extracurricular opportunities with Harvard and the Newman Civic Fellowship have expanded my horizons beyond the university, allowing me to represent the university at the national level. It's truly been an honor to be in that position and bring the Oregon way perspective to the East Coast.”–Beatrice Kahn
Valerie Owusu-Hienno, class of 2026
Major(s): Neuroscience --Clark Honors College
Minor(s): Biology, chemistry, global health
Get to know Valerie
Valerie aspires to be a physician, researcher, and global health advocate, and was selected as a 2025 District 14 (Seattle) national finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, the oldest international fellowship in the world. Valerie is a UO Presidential Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and a Goldwater Scholar.
“I am incredibly proud to be joining a group of ambitious students nationally who have been nominated as well. Having this achievement to my name will help people understand the kind of person I am – specifically, my dedication to my goals of improving global health equity — before they even meet me.”–Valerie Owusu-Hienno
Amelia Kotamarti, class of 2026
Majors: biochemistry, biology -- Clark Honors College
Minors: global health, music, and science communication
Get to know Amelia
Amelia earned an invitation to interview for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship in Boston, MA in January 2025 seeking admission to the master of philosophy in medical science at the Department of Medicine. She has earned recognition through multiple scholarships and fellowships for her research in the Harms’ Lab with the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon, as well as her work in Carsten Schultz’s Lab at Oregon Health and Science University, in the School of Medicine, Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry.
“Thanks to the URDS Impact Fund, I was able to travel to Boston and an in-person interview for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. This experience allowed me to meaningfully connect with the interview panel, as well as other candidates, expanding my network and building my confidence, even though I did not receive the scholarship. The support from URDS, as well as the Impact Fund, has strengthened my application portfolio and interview skills, leaving me well-prepared to apply for PhD programs this fall.”
-Amelia Kotamarti
Join us in empowering the next generation of scholars!
Your investment can help us reach even more students and ensure that financial constraints do not hinder their academic and professional growth. Together, we can foster a community of scholars who are prepared to lead and innovate.
