Planning, Public Policy and Management

Stephen Wright, MS '81 Public Affairs, never expected while a graduate student in the School for Community Service and Public Affairs (later PPPM) that he would become CEO of a $3 billion annual revenue organization.

“Going to UO changed the arc of my life in really powerful and beneficial ways,” says Wright, who retired as administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration in January 2013 after beginning in an entry-level position and working his way up to lead the 3,000-employee federal agency.

Today’s college graduates must be prepared to enter a far more diverse workforce than that of their parents or even those who graduated just 10 years prior. An interdisciplinary two-year pilot program at UO that combines intercultural competency training with professional development is designed to address the increasing need for diversity in the workplace. Registration for this year’s program closes March 15.

Early bird registration ends February 22 for the Sustainable City Year (SCY) conference scheduled April 9-12 in Eugene and Portland. The three-day conference is for university representatives and partners interested in establishing a SCY program at their home institutions.