Brett Hathaway Harris
University Ombudsperson

Brett Hathaway Harris joined the University of Oregon in 2016. Previously she served as the ombudsperson at the University of Mississippi. Brett holds a JD from the University of Idaho College of Law with a degree emphasis in Native American aw and a BA in American studies from Idaho State University. She completed mediation training through the Northwest Institute for Dispute Resolution and was a court-approved mediator and court mediation director in Idaho. She worked at various law offices in Idaho and had a private dispute resolution practice focusing on family and workplace dispute resolution before her work as an ombuds.

Keegan Cary
Ombuds Case Assistant

Keegan Cary joined the Ombuds Program in 2020. Keegan holds a BA in history from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Currently, Keegan is pursuing her master's of science in conflict and dispute resolution and nonprofit management at the University of Oregon. She has training in basic mediation, collaborative governance, and domestic relations mediation.

Previous Employees

Becky Couch (previously ombuds program administrator) retired from the University of Oregon at the end of December 2020 after twenty-three years with the university. Throughout her career, Becky worked extensively providing administrative services at senior levels, including working previously in the Office of the President and the Office of Government and Community Relations before joining the ombuds team in 2014. Her contributions to the Ombuds Program were fundamental to the growth and success of ombuds services. Becky was known as a steady and caring person in both providing assistance to ombuds visitors and in our office environment and she will be missed greatly. Becky hopes to stay in contact with colleagues from across campus; her campus email remains active and she can be reached at couchgo@uoregon.edu. 

Jennifer Hudson (previously associate ombuds) concluded her employment at the end of June 2020. Jenn was with the ombuds program since shortly after it was established in 2014. She was a valuable resource to the campus community during her time here, providing training, consultation, and dispute resolution services. Her achievements were impressive and we will greatly miss her and the wonderful contributions she made to the university. Jenn’s cases have been transitioned to our university ombudsperson and future inquiries for training and services related to student dispute resolution can be directed to the general ombuds email ombuds@uoregon.edu.