On Jun. 17, 2016, the University of Oregon (UO) announced that Cheryl and Allyn Ford had made a $7 million gift that kick-started renovations of Pacific Hall, the UO’s original science building. Cheryl Ramberg Ford was a UO undergraduate, and one of her most influential experiences was performing research with the mentorship of faculty members.

Opened in 1952, Pacific Hall supported cutting edge research in the natural sciences and provided a top-notch facility for the science of the time. As more recent buildings and labs have been designed to facilitate interdisciplinary approaches, Pacific Hall has been repurposed for other fields.

The number of science majors at the UO has grown by 72 percent since 2000. The spike, coupled with an increased university focus on enhancing research excellence, has created high demand for modern lab space, more faculty members and new undergraduate research opportunities. In turn, mentored undergraduate experiences can inspire new generations of young scientists to pursue careers at the edge of discovery.

Complete plans for Pacific Hall include the restoration of the south wing to its original scientific functions while facilitating cross-collaborations. The Ford’s lead gift will fund renovation of science labs — the foundation, and most important part, of this extensive construction project.

The first phase recaptures most of the space in the basement, first and second floors of the building’s south wing for use as modern laboratory space. When complete, it will house 14 new laboratories, staffed by teams of scientists, faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students and undergraduate researchers from a range of fields.

Cheryl Ford has served on the UO Foundation Board of Trustees, completing her term June 17. She has served as president of the UO Alumni Association Board of Directors and currently serves on the board of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Allyn Ford is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon and previously served on the Oregon University System board.

The Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford Alumni Center is named in recognition of the couple. In addition to the Ford Alumni Center, their philanthropic contributions have supported programs campuswide including athletics, the art museum and more than 750 scholarships to the UO funded by the Ford Family Foundation.