Ruth Beyer was recently selected to receive an Alumni Fellow Award. She was nominated by the University Honors College in recognition of her outstanding service to the UHC and to OSU. Ruth serves on the UHC Board of Regents and has chaired the Board since 2007. She advocates for the UHC whenever an opportunity comes up, as they frequently do given Ruth's connections with OSU. In addition to her contributions to the UHC, Ruth is also a Trustee of the OSU Foundation. The Foundation manages charitable gifts to the University, including all the scholarship funds available to the UHC. The Trustees guide the investment and expenditure of these funds, which are now around $600 million. Ruth has also donated generously to the OSU Foundation, establishing leadership gifts in the Capital Campaign, supporting the UHC scholarship fund and creating an Eminent Professorship for the college. Ruth is a co-founder of the OSU Foundation Women's Giving Circle. Ruth graduated from OSU in 1977, earning a degree (magna cum laude) in Political Science and participating in the Honors Program. She went on to Law School at the University of Notre Dame where she earned her J.D. (cum laude) in 1980.

 In addition to her contributions to OSU, Ruth has also excelled in her professional career. Upon earning her J.D., she returned to Oregon and joined Stoel Rives, Oregon's largest law firm. Ruth was subsequently named a Partner in the firm and was invited to assume the position of Managing Partner for Oregon operations for a ten-year period from 1995-2005. She also served two four-year terms as a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Ruth is a member of the corporate practice group where she specializes in manufacturing and forest products industries on an international scale. As an illustration of Ruth's corporate legal expertise one need only point out that she was counsel to the sale of the Rose Garden and the sale of six wood product mills owned by Georgia Pacific. She has represented clients in any number of other major sales, acquisitions, and mergers across the country and internationally. In recognition of her professional activities and acumen, Ruth was selected for inclusion in the prestigious volumes, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2004-06), was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), was selected as a 2006 Oregon Super Lawyer, and was identified by the Portland Business Journal in March 2007 as a leading Portland M&A lawyer.

Ruth does not limit her civic service to OSU. Her contributions range from being Chair of the Board of Trustees for Marylhurst University, to chairing the Circle of Hope Society, member of the Board of Directors of Morrison Child and Family Services (2006 - present) and serving on the Advisory Committee of Clackamas Women's Services. As part of her work with the Multnomah Bar Foundation, Ruth helped establish a child-care facility within the Multnomah County Courthouse.

Ruth was at OSU October 29-31 to receive her award and celebrate with Alumni Fellow Awardees from other colleges. A reception Thursday evening welcomed the awardees to campus. On Friday, Ruth spent time with students in the University Honors College. Honors students Shayna Rogers, Nate Atkinson, and Jill Ferris hosted Ruth during the day. Ruth attended a class and was the guest at the monthly Dean and Friends Hour. At a Friday evening dinner, Ruth and the other awardees received their awards. The awardees participated in the Homecoming Parade Saturday morning and were guests of OSU President Ed Ray at the Homecoming Football game Saturday afternoon.