Faculty and staff at the University of Oregon have begun moving into the second building of the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, according to an April 23 announcement. The new facility is located on UO’s main campus in Eugene and expands opportunities for research, instruction, and biotech development.
The opening of Building Two is seen as a significant step in supporting scientific advancement at the university. It provides additional space for faculty research, instructional activities, student makerspace projects, computational work, and laboratories that can be used by biotechnology startups.
Rachel Bedford, Research Associate for Scientific Communication at the Knight Campus Communications Office, said: “We’re really able to recruit people from across the world because of access to facilities and buildings like this. That’s on a faculty level, but that trickles all the way down. We can recruit competitive Ph.D. students that are making really fantastic contributions to their lab and really help elevate the reputation of the University of Oregon.”
The 185,000-square-foot building will help further develop UO’s Bioengineering Department. The department announced its doctoral program in late 2020 and celebrated its first graduate in early 2025. Among recent hires is David Peeler, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering whose research focuses on RNA immunotherapies. Peeler said: “At the science level, this is pretty much a best-case scenario for starting out as a new [principal investigator]. I didn’t have to be the first person to build the department. Basically, I get to walk in and enjoy the second phase, but still have a big role in influencing the direction the department takes.” He added that collaboration among researchers was central to how spaces were designed.
The campus includes two centers where biotech startup companies can lease space while developing their businesses. Terra Hiebert, Lab Manager for the Papé Family Innovation Center—which already has five tenants—said: “The different variety of spaces that are available really helps accommodate startups at a variety of different stages.” She noted these facilities offer alternatives to makeshift or out-of-town lab options.
Funding for construction came from Nike founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny through two donations totaling $1 billion made in 2016 and again in 2021.
