UO science departments receive national attention for their work in such areas as computer science, genetics, materials, optics, and neuroscience. Seven UO professors belong to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and six faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. The University of Oregon was elected to membership in the Association of American Universities in 1969. The university has full accreditation from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The sharing of knowledge and the love of learning do not stop at the campus borders.
Public service is important to the university.
Members of the UO faculty share their experience and knowledge in numerous community activities including service in local and state governments. They also serve as professional consultants for businesses, industries, school districts, and government agencies. Students work as interns in a variety of educational programs in the community and volunteer their help in service activities. KWAX programs are rebroadcast on translators in several coastal and central Oregon communities, and it is cybercast overseas on the World Wide Web. The university's 280-acre campus is an arboretum of more than 500 species and more than 3,000 specimens of trees.