Oregon Quarterly christens its new website and transition to an all-digital format with a spring issue celebrating Duck ideas that are changing the world.

With a fresh, clean look complementing in-depth stories and vivid photography, the reimagined university magazine will reach more readers where they’re reading — on smartphones and other mobile devices — while providing more of the stories the UO community wants.

The inaugural issue showcases the ingenuity of Ducks past and present who are shaping society, and there is no better example than Bill Bowerman. OQ traces inspirations of the legendary track-and-field coach that are realized today in Eugene’s status as “TrackTown USA,” the success of Nike, and advances in performance research through the Bowerman Sports Science Center.

Speaking of science, consider the tiny zebrafish and biologist George Streisinger’s idea for a model organism: Today zebrafish are used for research in labs the world over. In a new OQ video, researchers describe the UO’s place in zebrafish research and the importance of these small vertebrates today for understanding concerns such as spine development.

The College of Education had a great idea, decades ago, to help kids be better readers. They developed a simple, effective literacy test and today DIBELS — Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills — is used in every state to assess millions of elementary and middle school students annually.

Also in the new OQ: incoming president John Karl Scholz on the power of ideas; the College of Arts and Sciences’ Stacy Alaimo and blue humanities; alumna Itzel Chávez Gómez, whose ideas are assisting Latinas in college; idea-pitching tips from Lundquist College of Business entrepreneurial expert Jeff Sorensen; a biological breakthrough in gene editing; and profiles of alumni business owners and their moment of inspiration.

UO faculty and all staff members will receive the Oregon Quarterly issue by email; anyone can opt-in through the Oregon Quarterly subscription form.