OSU PRESIDENT'S DINNER

November 5, 2025

View photos from the 2025 OSU President's Dinner

A capacity crowd of nearly 350 guests celebrated the impact of philanthropy at the 2025 OSU President’s Dinner. The Nov. 5 gathering at the Portland Art Museum honored 24 new members of the Harris Society as well as donors who have crossed the $5 million, $10 million and $25 million thresholds.  

The Harris Society, which honors donors with cumulative gift commitments of $1 million or more, has grown to 570 households and organizations, including 42 who have given $5 million or more. 

Pictured above: Shawn L. Scoville, OSU Foundation president and CEO, against the backdrop of a watercolor painting of Weatherford Hall by artist and OSU alumna Jan Roberts-Dominguez. 

The foundation’s board chair and immediate past chair – Dave Underriner, ’81, and Penny Atkins, ’79 – led the recognition of new Harris Society members. Other speakers included:  Jon DeVaan, ’85, ’11 (Hon. Ph.D.), the co-chair of the $1.75 billion Believe It campaign; students Amina Meselhe, Natalie Donato and Javier Rey-Rosa; Women’s Basketball Head Coach Scott Rueck, ’92; and Naomi Fitter, who described how holding the endowed Kearney Faculty Scholar position in the College of Engineering enhanced her work with assistive robotic technologies. 

A video highlighted OSU’s new research forest near Portland, made possible by a gift from the Trust for Public Land, which was honored for passing the $25 million milestone. 

OSU President Jayathi Murthy (pictured top of page) expressed her gratitude. “Excellence in everything we do is our North Star. To get there, we must think differently, be bolder and aggressively pursue our ambitions with intentionality,” she said. “As I look across this room, I am filled with hope and optimism. Together, we can accomplish so much for our beloved OSU, elevating it to new levels of discovery, opportunity and impact.”

Honoring our new $25+ million donor, Trust for Public Land 

Opening video: Tualatin Mountain Forest

On this special evening, we welcomed new members of the Harris Society, who have made cumulative gift commitments of $1 million or more.

New members of the Harris Society:

We are pleased to recognize Harris Society members who crossed the $5 million and $10 million threshold since October 2024.