Jennifer Reynolds, associate professor of law and faculty director of the Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center at the UO, has been named interim University of Oregon ombudsperson. Her appointment will run Jan. 15 to May 15 while the university searches for a permanent replacement.

The UO’s Ombuds Program is a safe and confidential place for members of the UO community to discuss concerns, explore options and find resources. As the ombudsperson, Reynolds will serve as independent and neutral confidant who can assist in resolving university-related concerns through informal means. 

Reynolds fills the position vacated by Bruce MacAllister, who left the UO in November to return to his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and pursue ongoing consulting commitments.

Reynolds, a graduate of Harvard Law School, teaches civil procedure, conflicts of law, negotiation and mediation. Her research interests include dispute systems design, problem solving in multiparty scenarios, judicial attitudes toward appropriate dispute resolution, and cultural influences and implications of alternative processes.

She has received the law school’s Orlando J. Hollis Teaching Award and the UO’s Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching. She also has served as the national chair of the ADR Section of the Association of American Law Schools.