Flowers on tree in front of Knight Library

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The UOAA sponsors a number of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs to serve individual communities within the larger alumni body and to ensure that all alumni feel welcome at all of our events.

Ethnicity Statistics

Over half of all alumni have self-reported ethnicity data to the university, but much more data are available for recent alumni, and recent classes are far more diverse than earlier ones. Because of this, alumni with unknown ethnicity are generally from earlier, less diverse classes and are presumed to be primarily White/Non-Hispanic.

Download alumni demographics

Cultural & Identity Groups

The UOAA is committed to supporting all alumni and wants to see lifelong relationships flourish within all groups. One of the key ways this connection takes place is with recognized affinity chapters, where alumni who share an identity or shared cultural background can come together.

Groups support student groups, raise scholarships, mentor students and recent alumni, promote civic and philanthropic involvement, and engage in programming to create a strong alumni network and to continue a commitment to lifelong learning.

Asian Desi Pacific Islander Alumni Network
Black Alumni Network
Native Duck Nation
Patos Alumni Network
UO Pride Alumni Network
Veterans Alumni Network

Why Isn’t There a Group for...?

All affinity and cultural groups are approved by the UOAA board of directors and are managed by alumni volunteers. Many groups grow out of corresponding UO student organizations, though that is not a requirement. If you would like information on how to request a charter for a new alumni group, the UOAA staff would be happy to work with you.

Request information on forming an alumni group.

Board Statements

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Testimonials

Dennis Worden, BA '06
My experience at UO shaped my career in two big ways: I learned about the Mark O. Hatfield (congressional) fellowship at the UO... If not for the UO, I may not have found the opportunity. As an alumnus, I had a built-in network when I arrived in D.C. without knowing anyone. Some of the alumni I met are close friends, colleagues, confidantes, and mentors.
Dennis Worden, BA '06
Director of Global Regulatory Monitoring and Enforcement, Fortune 500 Company

UO Advocates profile
Ricky Almeida, BEd '07
Being multi-racial and from a small town, this was the first time in my life where I got to explore and learn more about myself.
Ricky Almeida, BEd '07
School Counselor

UO Advocates Profile
Marc Anthony Samuel
We're human beings. We come in different shapes, colors, orientations, heights…We breathe. We want to achieve. We want love, or respect, or to have access. And it takes people getting into the writing rooms and positions of power, like production show running, to get those stories and those people seen.
Marc Anthony Samuel, BA (telecommunication and film)
Actor, General Hospital

Representation Matters: Ducks in Entertainment
Emma Kallaway
I’ve been really proud of the way the UO has been trying to recruit more students of color and setting up programs that aren’t driven entirely by cost, instead applying an equity lens. I see the UO spending dollars in providing resources in a way that other institutions have not been able to figure out how to do financially. The UO is providing those scholarships, is providing those wrap around services and is thinking about bringing more diversity to the business school and hiring recruitment faculty. To me, that’s really important.
Emma Kallaway, BS ’10 (business administration)
Government Relations Director, Portland Community College

UO Advocates
Jason Cummings, BA '05 (electronic media production)
Through my experience at the UO, I think the biggest takeaway is the relationships I've cultivated. I was involved in a lot of student unions – the Multicultural Center, the Asian and Pacific American Student Union, and Kultura Pilipinas. I also worked at UO Catering, so I had a broad experience in different areas of campus. I met some of my best friends at the UO, and after 20+ years, I still have strong relationships.
Jason Cummings, BA ’05
National Account Exectutive, Cost Segregation Services Inc.
Joseph Wahl
UO was so critical to who I am today. It was where I discovered who I was, along with my Asian American identity. As a student, I became an advocate for diversity, including advocating for more ethnic studies classes and more professors of color. It was also where I discovered my passion for learning, growing, and developing people and relationships – all skills that have helped me in my professional career and running my own business.
Joesph Wahl, BA ’80
Founder and CEO, Wahl and Associates LLC
Hanin Najjar
We are tearing down the assumption that all women of color are the same, that all women from a specific community are the same, and saying that every single woman is different, every single woman has her own story, and providing space for them to share that.
Hanin Najjar, BA ’21
Co-founder and editor-in-chief of Parachute Media. Photo courtesy of Hanin Najjar

SOJC graduate launches an inclusive media company
Perla Alvarez, BA '17
“I went into Carson [residence hall], the 4th floor specifically, because it was the gender-inclusive floor. In the Carson building, the second floor was dedicated to the Diversity Excellence scholars... that was really cool that even though I was not a diversity scholar, I was interacting with people on that floor. So I would hang out with people on both floors. That’s where I met my first friends at the University of Oregon.”
Perla Alvarez, BA '17
Executive Director of Oregon Voice, Portland, OR

Around the O: Finding Community and Connections at the UO

Event Spotlight: Representation Matters: Ducks in Entertainment

Actors of color and in the LGBTQ community are calling for changes in casting practices, storylines, and depictions of their characters on screen. While decisions about who is represented and how come from the top down, three Ducks are helping lead the way in solving one of Hollywood's most pressing issues.