POLITICAL SCIENCE - The replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer may not shift the ideological balance of the court all that much, but President Joe Biden’s nomination for the seat still holds a lot of significance, according to UO experts.

HISTORY, COMPUTER SCIENCE, RELIGIOUS STUDIES - Open Oregon Educational Resources has awarded four grants, totaling more than $101,000, to University of Oregon faculty members who proposed innovative ideas for textbook and resource solutions.

ANTHROPOLOGY, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY - Four UO faculty members have been named as 2021 fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, joining 564 other newly elected members whose work has distinguished them in the science community and beyond.

GEOGRAPHY - Three UO geography students have formed a new group to develop networking opportunities and spur discussion with professionals in the field.

INDIGENOUS, RACE & ETHNIC STUDIES, GEOGRAPHY - Laura Pulido, professor of Indigenous, Race and Ethnic studies and geography, has been awarded two prestigious awards for her work in the field of geography.

SOCIOLOGY - Shortly after AK Ikwuakor launched a fashion company in 2020—and just as he was preparing to leave to conduct an international motivational speaking tour—all US flights were grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ikwuakor, BS ’07 (sociology), a serial entrepreneur and three-time All-American Ducks hurdler, found himself grounded in more ways than one.

ECONOMICS - There’s been a lot of talk about problems with the supply chain during the pandemic, but the factors for its logjam were in place well before COVID-19 hit, according to UO economist Keaton Miller.

ANTHROPOLOGY - On the football field, the University of Oregon and the University of Oklahoma are competing in the Alamo Bowl December 29. But in the research field, anthropologists from both schools are teaming up.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, BIOLOGY - While the climate crisis is a global issue that cannot be solved by any one person or entity alone, individuals can still take meaningful actions. At the time of year when we resolve to be better versions of ourselves, UO experts offer some suggestions for resolutions that individuals can adopt to counter climate change and help green up their lives, their communities, and the planet.

GEOGRAPHY - While there’s little doubt in the scientific community about the causes of climate change, questions remain on its effects on the Earth’s landscapes in the coming decades. With the help of two new grants for more than $600,000, UO geography professors Johnny Ryan and Sarah Cooley are working to shine a light on some of those unanswered questions.

SOCIOLOGY - A UO professor has distilled 10 years of research on birth control and women’s experiences surrounding it into a new book that’s already sparking conversations across the country.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - Skylights are an aesthetically pleasing design choice, but they’re also an underappreciated source of sustainable heat energy for buildings, according to a new study from UO researchers.

In Glasgow, Scotland, 20,000 delegates from 196 nations have converged to hear the latest science, negotiate commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions, secure financing for developing nations, and debate progress on fulfilling climate pledges. UO faculty experts in law, geography, planning and politics weigh in.

ECONOMICS - Eric Zou, an assistant professor in the UO economics department, found that companies and in some cases government agencies will do what they can to help their communities’ air pollution levels meet federal standards, which he documented in a paper published earlier this year: “Unwatched Pollution: The Effect of Intermittent Monitoring on Air Quality.”

POLITICAL SCIENCE - This article is republished as it appears in The Conversation, an independent news publisher that works with academics worldwide to disseminate research-based articles and commentary. The University of Oregon partners with The Conversation to bring the expertise and views of its faculty members to a wide audience.