Rich Dana

Rich Dana wearing a green UO polo shirt and Ducks baseball hat
Coordinator of Rock Climbing
Office Phone
Biography

Ask me about…

  • Obscure Himalayan mountaineering history
  • Yosemite climbing
  • Traditional Indian cooking
  • The underrated nature of Oregon backcountry skiing

Bio: Prior to joining the team at the University of Oregon, Rich has worked as a rock and ice climbing guide, a ski instructor, and managed a climbing and backpacking shop.

Rich studied at Boston University and received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He knows first-hand the power of a campus rec center, as he discovered climbing through BU’s rec center climbing wall. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a passion, and eventually a career.

Fun fact: his future spouse gave him his first belay test at the wall when he was a freshman.

His enthusiasm for working with PE and Rec stems from his deep commitment to imparting the wholistic benefits of an active lifestyle, a life lived passionately and achieving flow state to every student he is fortunate enough to work with.

Outside of work, Rich can be found skiing or running slowly uphill, browsing the record shop, or teaching his 7-year-old son crack climbing techniques.

StrengthsQuest Top 5: Focus, Achiever, Significance, Learner, Discipline