Learn more about Julum and his journey from his own Rhodes Scholar experience to his return to the UO by watching the video.
Leveling the playing field
Jeff Julum, BA ’86 (Russian), uses his passion and experience to help the next generation of distinguished scholars succeed at the UO
Andy Nelson, UO Videographer and Julie Campbell-Holmes, UO Associate Director of Advancement Communications
In the fall of 2023, Lucy Roberts, Colleen Uzoekwe, and Nayantara Arora traveled to Seattle for the Rhodes Scholar final interviews. Soon after, Arora was chosen as the University of Oregon's first Rhodes Scholar in seventeen years, and the first woman Rhodes Scholar at the UO.
While students receive assistance from the UO’s Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS), this year the finalists also received mentoring from Jeff Julum, a former Rhodes Scholar who previously served as a senior scholarship advisor at West Point, helping the top twenty academic cadets compete for the Rhodes, Marshall, and other prestigious scholarships. Julum made several trips from Salem to the Eugene campus to work with students, preparing them for the questions and experiences they would encounter in Seattle.
“ODS was created only four years ago, so we are still establishing our program and promoting our services. We have an active and generous network of alumni who have helped us prepare students through mock interviews and with their donations to our URDS Impact Fund. What Jeff brings us is specific knowledge and best practices from his successful work in distinguished scholarship programs that we can adapt for students at the University of Oregon.”
—Kevin Hatfield, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships.
For his hours of dedication and investment, Julum was presented with the Distinguished Scholars Alumni Award in April, 2024. The following May, Julum was hired as a part-time Distinguished Scholarships consultant.
“Our students are as academically strong and as engaged in the community in terms of service, advocacy, and leadership as students at any institution in the United States," Hatfield says. "Jeff has helped students see themselves in places and spaces that they might not normally see themselves in. He will continue to help our students build the confidence they need to believe that they can be a distinguished scholar.”