Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships Impact Fund
Removing Financial Barriers for Underserved Top Undergraduate Scholars
Established Winter of 2023, the Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships (URDS) Impact Fund is a joint effort from the UO Advancement and the URDS teams. Kevin Hatfield, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships, explained the purpose of the fund:
“This 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, and BIPOC students. We especially want to support undergraduate research fellowships, distinguished scholarships, finalist interview travel, academic conference travel, and access to Phi Beta Kappa.”
The initial DuckFunder to establish the fund was successful, beating the goal due to a matching gift from Lundquist alums Todd and Sue Ringoen. In this video, Hatfield discusses how the fund was immediately used to pay for travel, fees, and research.
“Continued donor support of the Impact Fund is critical to our core mission of advancing equitable access to the full benefits and opportunities of a liberal arts and sciences research university for traditionally underserved students.”
–Kevin
Hatfield
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Impact Fund Recipients
The URDS Impact Fund was used immediately to help students in the scholarship application process or who were fundraising to create a conference that would help tribal/indigenous youth in Oregon. The stories of students who have benefited from the URDS Impact Fund are listed below.
Abdirahim Mohamoud, ’25 (political science)
2023 Truman Scholar finalist
Transfer and first-generation student Abdirahim Mohamoud not only wants to create a more inclusive legal environment; he has already done it. He not only wants to challenge systems of injustice; he has already done it. In the future, he wants to attend law school and come back home to Tigard, Oregon, to use his skills to help marginalized communities.
As part of his nomination letter for Mohamoud to the Truman Selection Committee, Kevin Hatfield, AVP for Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships, writes:
“As a high school student during the early Black Lives Matter social justice movement in 2020 Abdirahim developed a restorative hate speech and bias incident policy that was adopted and implemented by his local school district and became a model for districts across the state of Oregon through his work with the state legislature.”
Mohamoud spent a summer abroad in Amman, Jordan, researching “political, military, economic and social aspects of issues of interest to Jordan and the Arab world, related to the security of the region” to inform his co-organization of a professional conference in Abu Dhabi. He also is a fluent Somali speaker who taught English to Somali and Sudanese youth and adult as part of the English Language Program of Sawiyan, a non-profit organization providing re-settlement advocacy for marginalized refugees and impoverished Jordanians.
While it seems Mohamoud has an endless supply of energy and passion, what he does not have an endless supply of is financial support. Thankfully, the URDS Impact Fund paid for his cost of travel to Seattle for the finalist interviews.
“As a high school student during the early Black Lives Matter social justice movement in 2020 Abdirahim developed a restorative hate speech and bias incident policy that was adopted and implemented by his local school district and became a model for districts across the state of Oregon through his work with the state legislature.”
–Kevin Hatfield
Nayantara Arora, BS ’24 (neuroscience)
2024 Rhodes Scholar
2023 Phi Beta Kappa Key Scholar
In the spring of 2023, Nayantara Arora, a Clark Honors College senior majoring in neuroscience and minoring in chemistry and global health, was awarded the Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholarship for 2023. The URDS Impact Fund paid Arora’s Phi Beta Kappa membership fees.
“If my membership fee for Phi Beta Kappa had not been covered [by the URDS Impact Fund], I am not sure that I would have joined the Society, and thus wouldn’t have reaped the benefits of being part of that community. I think that being part of Phi Beta Kappa as a Public Service scholar has also been a way for me to leverage my experiences for the Rhodes Scholarship.”
In the fall of 2023, Arora became the first Duck in over 16 years to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford. Through the URDS Impact Fund, donors covered the travel costs for the Rhodes Scholars’ final interviews conducted in Seattle, Washington.
"When I found out that I was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, I was thrilled beyond words but
immediately worried and anxious about hotel and travel arrangements. We were notified of our
finalist status in the middle of midterms, and it felt overwhelming to have to shop around for
affordable accommodation and transportation amidst exams and interview preparation. The
URDS Impact Fund and the hard work of ODS Program Coordinator Jacy Bartlett greatly alleviated this burden and allowed me to be relaxed about the logistical aspect of preparation leading up to an interview. It felt like a godsend. I feel confident that because my logistics were taken care of, I was in a great mindset going into the Rhodes Scholarship interview, and that directly contributes to my selection as a Rhodes Scholar.”
“When I found out that I was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, I was thrilled beyond words but
immediately worried and anxious about hotel and travel arrangements. We were notified of our
finalist status in the middle of midterms, and it felt overwhelming to have to shop around for
affordable accommodation and transportation amidst exams and interview preparation. The
URDS Impact Fund and the hard work of ODS Program Coordinator Jacy Bartlett greatly alleviated this burden and allowed me to be relaxed about the logistical aspect of preparation leading up to an interview. It felt like a godsend. I feel confident that because my logistics were taken care of, I was in a great mindset going into the Rhodes Scholarship interview, and that directly contributes to my selection as a Rhodes Scholar.”
–Nayantora Arora
Lucy Roberts, ’23 (spatial data science and technology) ’25 (geography)
2023 Rhodes Scholar finalist
Lucy Roberts is no stranger to accomplishment. She was an Oxford Consortium for Human Rights Fellow, a First-Year Research Experience Fellow, and a graduate of the Clarks Honor College. She has countless accomplishments in research, data visualization, and storytelling. When she found out that she was a Rhodes Scholar finalist, she was thrilled, and terrified. But one thing she did not have to worry about? The finalist interviews in Seattle.
“When I was waiting to find out if I was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, I was terrified. There were so many uncertainties in my life at that point-- what was I going to do in the next year? What would the committee think of my application? How on earth do I prepare for this potentially life-altering opportunity?
In the many conversations I had with the Office of Distinguished Scholarships during that time, one concern that they were able to alleviate was finances. We only have a few days between when we were notified of our selection and when we embarked for Seattle…the cost of hotels and travel would have been prohibitive to my ability to attend. However, the generous contribution of donors to the Impact Fund helped give me the security I needed to pursue this opportunity and see what could come of it.”
“When I was waiting to find out if I was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, I was terrified. There were so many uncertainties in my life at that point-- what was I going to do in the next year? What would the committee think of my application? How on earth do I prepare for this potentially life-altering opportunity?
In the many conversations I had with the Office of Distinguished Scholarships during that time, one concern that they were able to alleviate was finances. We only have a few days between when we were notified of our selection and when we embarked for Seattle…the cost of hotels and travel would have been prohibitive to my ability to attend. However, the generous contribution of donors to the Impact Fund helped give me the security I needed to pursue this opportunity and see what could come of it.”
–Lucy Roberts
Colleen Uzoeke, ’24 (human physiology)
2023 Rhodes Scholar finalist
Colleen Uzoeke is a track and field team heptathlete with PAC 12, a National All American, and a Diversity Excellence Scholar -- to name only a few achievements. Despite all this, she shares that her most rewarding experience so far has been to work in the cadaver lab during the human anatomy and physiology core sequence because “the work is so valuable and so sacred, something that should always be treated with care.” She spent last summer researching in the Center of Policy Research and Emergency Medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University. Her desire is to “further the advancements made in medicine in order to increase access to healthcare, health literacy, and outreach to underserved communities.”
She was proud of becoming a Rhodes Scholar finalist but concerned about the overall cost of traveling. But donors giving to the Impact Fund provided these fees and lessoned her concerns:
“The Impact Fund gave me the opportunity to be able to travel to Seattle and fully focus only on the pressure of the interviews and not on the finances of the trip. Without the funds, I wouldn’t have been able to travel or to pay for food during the trip. I am very grateful for everything donors have contributed to help all of us.”
“The Impact Fund gave me the opportunity to be able to travel to Seattle and fully focus only on the pressure of the interviews and not on the finances of the trip. Without the funds, I wouldn’t have been able to travel or to pay for food during the trip. I am very grateful for everything donors have contributed to help all of us.”
–Colleen Uzoeke
Luda Isakharov, ’24
Political Science, Global Studies, Russian
2023 Truman Scholar
UO Student Body President Luda Isakharov wasn’t intimidated by the hard work needed to complete the application materials for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. She had worked hard her entire life. In her three years at the University of Oregon, she served in student government as a senator, executive cabinet secretary, and recently as student body president. What did intimidate her were the fees associated with traveling for the Truman Scholar finalist interview in Seattle.
“The time span between the announcement of becoming a finalist and the actual interview was very short, and I had very little time to figure out my finances and how to make it work. If I had to invest hundreds of dollars of my family’s money, I don’t think I would have gone [to Seattle] because it would have been a burden on my family. Prior to being able to go to Seattle, I thought my chances of becoming a Truman Scholar were very low.”
When she was selected to be a Truman Scholar she said, “This scholarship is the product of all the people who supported and uplifted me through the last few years at the UO.”
This includes the donors who gave to the URDS Impact Fund.
“The time span between the announcement of becoming a finalist and the actual interview was very short, and I had very little time to figure out my finances and how to make it work. If I had to invest hundreds of dollars of my family’s money, I don’t think I would have gone [to Seattle] because it would have been a burden on my family. Prior to being able to go to Seattle, I thought my chances of becoming a Truman Scholar were very low.”
–Luda Isakharov
Kavi Shrestha, ’24 (global studies, political science)
2023 Truman Scholar finalist
Former UO Student Body Vice President Kavi Shrestha, also a Wayne Morse Scholar, is passionate about advocacy and global health equity. Last year, he spent the summer completing a global health internship with Child Family Health International in Mexico. While living with a host family in Oaxaca, he studied community-based aspects of the Mexican health system. His goal is “to reimagine health systems to become more comprehensive, addressing root causes of illness and social determinants of health— creating opportunities for individuals to lead happy and healthy lives.”
Shrestha was thrilled to be chosen as a Truman Scholar finalist. But the stress of trying to figure out how to coordinate all the travel and expenses for the final interviews in Seattle was not so thrilling. Until he found out that donors and the URDS Impact Fund would cover all those costs.
"Given the quick turnaround between being made aware I was a Truman finalist and the need to arrange flights for the interview, the Impact Fund was instrumental in allowing me to focus on interview preparation instead of stressing about travel expenditures and logistics. I am sincerely grateful to those who made the fund possible, as it truly eased my stress and made me more comfortable going into my interview."
“Given the quick turnaround between being made aware I was a Truman finalist and the need to arrange flights for the interview, the Impact Fund was instrumental in allowing me to focus on interview preparation instead of stressing about travel expenditures and logistics. I am sincerely grateful to those who made the fund possible, as it truly eased my stress and made me more comfortable going into my interview.”
–Kavi Shrestha
Ashia Grae Wolf Wilson, ’24 (environmental studies)
Research & Teaching: Protecting Tribal Waters & Tribal Youth
Ashia Grae Wolf Wilson has conducted research at the University of Oregon Special Collections and the National Archives in Seattle, Washington. She was a winner of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship award in 2021 and graduated high school at age sixteen with a full-ride scholarship to the UO from the Ford Family Foundation.
As an organizer for Klamath Riverkeeper, Ashia developed an upper-Klamath Basin educational tour, a curriculum for youth advocates, and helped co-organize public events. Wilson is also the program director for the Rios to Rivers planning exchange program, and founded a Kayak Club in Chiloquin, Oregon.
With the aid she received from the URDS Impact Fund, Wilson planned and hosted "Paddle Tribal Waters," a three-day conference meant to gather tribal/indigenous youth and develop their river stewardship knowledge and skills by providing opportunities to get on the water (kayaking, rafting) with intentional conversations focusing on a variety of topics from Outdoor Education to Native and Indigenous Studies, Environmental Sciences, Natives Outdoors, and Water Law/Policy.
Yazzie Chee, ’23 (law, crime, and society)
Longitudinal Study: The Experience of Native and Indigenous students at the University of Oregon
Yazzie Chee - recently named Mr. Indigenous UO by the Native American Student Union - is no stranger to overcoming challenges to find a caring community. Lacking parental and family support as a youth, he finally found a mentor when he attended Lane Community College (LCC). Former LCC Native American Student Program Coordinator Lori Tapahonso was intentional about her efforts to help this homeless teen find his Native American roots. Together they explored his Navajo heritage and Chee learned more about his family and himself. Chee names Tapahonso as a key influencer in his life and in his decision to attend the UO.
So, in 2021 Chee transferred to the University of Oregon after being awarded a Ford Family Foundation scholarship that helped pay for his tuition and expenses. He also joined DucksRISE, a UO program that helped him find an internship at a law firm.
In his role as Mr. Indigenous UO, he helps other people who want to reconnect with their culture. This passion for belonging is what drove him to create an original research project, one in which his oral interview-based research will provide a baseline for Native and Indigenous students’ experiences at the UO. The URDS Impact Fund provided Chee with funds so he could focus on his research.
“When Kevin Hatfield approached me and said that the [URDS Impact Fund] was going to provide funds for me and this project, I felt seen and validated. It was a message to me to do this research and keep it going, that it would be used to improve the UO experience for Native and Indigenous students. I’m grateful to the donors who invest in us, those who also see the value of this work.”
“When Kevin Hatfield approached me and said that the [URDS Impact Fund] was going to provide funds for me and this project, I felt seen and validated. It was a message to me to do this research and keep it going, that it would be used to improve the UO experience for Native and Indigenous students. I’m grateful to the donors who invest in us, those who also see the value of this work.”
–Yazzie Chee