Natural Sciences

COMPUTER SCIENCES, EARTH SCIENCES - Three University of Oregon faculty members will take their research abroad for the 2026-2027 academic year, serving as cultural and academic ambassadors for the United States, after receiving Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards. Since 1950, the UO has produced 320 Fulbright scholars and 286 Fulbright students, while welcoming 198 international scholars and 109 international students.

COMPUTER SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCES — Brittany Erickson, associate professor of computer science and earth sciences, and Reza Rejaie, professor of computer science, were awarded Fulbrights to conduct research and act as cultural ambassadors while abroad in Iceland and Finland, respectively.

PHYSICS - A research team led by College of Arts and Sciences physicist Stephanie Majewski received a $662,000 phase one grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Genesis Mission, a national initiative to bring together universities, DOE national labs, and industry together to integrate artificial intelligence into science, energy, and national security. Majewski will collaborate with collaborators at Brown University and Brookhaven National Laboratory to use AI to save time and computing costs for experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s most famous particle accelerator.

PHYSICS - In June, Professor Brian Smith’s team was awarded a two-year, $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a prototype quantum network on the UO campus. “We have our work cut out for us, but our research will transform communications, sensors and computers,” said Smith, director of the Oregon Center for Optical, Molecular and Quantum Science.

EARTH SCIENCES - On June 25-26, more than 140 earthquake scientists, emergency managers, Tribal representatives, engineers, utility operators, and community leaders gathered at the University of Oregon’s Portland campus to tackle a common question that spreads across their fields: How can science better support decisions before, during, and after the next major Cascadia earthquake?

EARTH SCIENCES, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - In recent years, wildfires have increasingly affected Oregon and much of western North America. Due to many factors including climate change and land management practices, wildfires are intensifying and becoming more common both within and beyond our region. At the University of Oregon, researchers across disciplines are turning wildfire science into practical tools, strategies, and partnerships that help communities prepare, respond and adapt.

EARTH SCIENCES - Hilly and mountainous landscapes have a much greater ability to store carbon in the soil than previously thought, according to a new study co-led by College of Arts and Sciences researchers. “There was a misconception that mountainous areas would not hold much carbon because they’re so rapidly eroding and there’s not much soil,” said Josh Roering, an earth scientist at the UO.