The Office of the Provost recognizes two department heads each year with a new Outstanding Department Head award. Awardees each receive $5,000 payable at their discretion as either a stipend or to their Academic Support Account (ASA). 

The criteria for the award are aligned with the definition of leadership behaviors we value at UO, as described at the top of the page, and therefore the nomination form requests examples of the nominee’s exemplar behaviors in Leadership, People Support and following Policy & Procedures. Deans are invited to nominate one department head from each school or college or division, as appropriate for their infrastructure.

Previous Recipients

2023-2024:

• Sara Hodges, Professor, Department Head, Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Michael Pangburn, Ehrman V. Giustina Professor, Department Head, Operations and Business Analytics, Lundquist College of Business 

2022-2023:

• Gretchen Soderlund, Area Director, Media Studies, School of Journalism and Communication
• Mark Uno, Department Head, Religious Studies, College of Arts and Sciences