Unparalleled Success
Dr. Lesley Hallick began serving as president of Pacific University on Aug. 1, 2009, following a distinguished 32-year career at Oregon Health & Sciences University.
For the past 13 years, she has led Pacific through a period of unparalleled growth and strength, culminating in navigating the university through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She has been granted president emeritus status.
Never one to welcome personal accolades, Dr. Hallick probably does not want us to mention that she is the first and only Pacific president to be recognized for giving more than $100,000 to the university. Nor does she want us to mention that she is always the first to make a gift in support of a student-led initiative, like the Boxer Food Pantry or the Student Investment Fund, or to emergency student support funds.
Instead, she would much prefer that we focus on the accomplishments of Pacific during her tenure. These are just a few:
• Expansion of academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, health professions, and optometry
• Establishment of the Pacific University College of Business
• Establishment of the university’s first PhD programs
• Expansion of research capacity and support structures
• Recognition of Pacific by the National Science Foundation as the top private research university in the Northwest, three years running
• Development of the Student Multicultural Center, Center for Peace and Spirituality, Center for a Sustainable Society, and Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Return of football and launch of women’s rowing, as well as junior varsity athletics
• Significant investment in infrastructure, including technology, marketing, and student support
• Construction of Cascade Hall residence hall as well as renovation of several other locations
• Expansion of Pacific University clinics and community outreach, including providing more than 12,000 community COVID-19 vaccinations
• Successful completion of the $80 million Lead On Campaign, including the most successful fundraising years in the institution’s history.
In honor of Dr. Hallick’s retirements, donors have contributed nearly $140,000 to a new Lesley Hallick Endowed Scholarship Fund. Make a gift in honor of Dr. Hallick.
This story appears in the Summer 2022 issue of Pacific magazine. For more stories, visit pacificu.edu/magazine.
