A $500 million donation to the University of Oregon is being used to create a new science and research campus with a focus on research and innovation, according to Around the O, the university’s website.
The half-billion dollar gift comes courtesy of longtime supporters Penny and Phil Knight, an alumnus of the university and co-founder of Nike. It is the biggest lead gift ever given to a public flagship university.
The new campus will have a research staff of 300, 250 graduate students, 150 postdocs and 150 undergraduates, which the university believes will increase research activity by at least 30 percent annually.