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Popular Herbicide Could Be Impacting Infant Health

One of the most widely used herbicides in the United States—and across the world—could be harming infant health, according to PhD candidate Emmett Reynier and economics assistant professor Edward Rubin. 

In agricultural counties with increased exposure to glyphosate have shown to lower birthweights and gestations. The College of Arts and Sciences economists published this research in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A research fellowship with the US Environmental Protection Agency supported the research. 

Glyphosate is used to kill plants that aren’t genetically modified to withstand the herbicide, such as weeds. Since the introduction of genetically modified crops, the annual use of glyphosate has increased by about 750%, according to the US Geological Survey. 

“What this means is that, for whatever reason, if an infant is expected to be at the very low birthweight end of the scale, then glyphosate exposure could affect you more,” Rubin said. “It’s like being sick and then getting hit with another illness. You’re more vulnerable.”

Read More About the Study

News from CAS

BIOLOGY, PHYSICS - A new study published in the journal mBio shows how one kind of bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, triggers those painful contractions by activating the immune system. The research also finds a more general explanation for how the gut rids itself of unwanted intruders, which could also help scientists better understand chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. The research was led by Julia Ngo, a now-graduated doctoral student in Karen Guillemin and Raghu Parthasarathy’s labs.
ECONOMICS - Increased exposure to glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States and much of the world, harms infant health in agricultural counties, according to a new study by two University of Oregon economists Emmett Reynier and Edward Rubin. The two published the findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
PHYSICS - Professor Tien-Tien Yu is one of nearly 400 scientists and engineers awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the US government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

All news »

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Your Gift Changes Lives

Gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences can help our students make the most of their college careers. To do this, CAS needs your support. Your contributions help us ensure that teaching, research, advising, mentoring, and support services are fully available to every student. Thank you!

Give to CAS

a collage of photos of people featured in the CAS Connection January 2025 issue

What’s Happening in CAS?

CAS goes to Hollywood! Peek behind the scenes with students who worked as interns on the set of an upcoming movie, and binge-watch hit shows and films featuring CAS faculty and alumni. Plus, hear from an alum who attended the world's biggest climate conference—and more!

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Undergraduate Studies

Wherever your academic goals eventually take you at the UO, all Ducks begin their journey with foundational courses in CAS. More than 60 percent of students go on to pursue a major in a CAS department or program. With more than 50 departments and programs, there’s an intellectual home for almost any interest, talent, or career aspiration.

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Graduate Studies

The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 30 master's programs and more than 20 doctoral programs across a diverse range of disciplines. Both as contributors to research teams and through their own scholarship and teaching, our CAS graduate students are indispensable to the vitality of the UO academic mission.

Student Support Services

We provide our students with a variety of resources to help you thrive inside and outside the classroom. Through Tykeson Advising, we provide comprehensive academic and career advising from the start of your journey at the University of Oregon. Learn about career preparation and get assistance in selecting the very best classes. Connect with labs, libraries, IT and tutoring. Find your community on campus.

World-Class Faculty

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The College of Arts and Sciences faculty members are a driving force of the high-output, high-impact research activity that has earned the UO membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Our world-class faculty members are inspiring teachers.

Among them are five members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, four members of the National Academy of Sciences. They are committed to helping students discover their academic passion. Every day, they work to expand students’ intellectual horizons, preparing them for life after college with real-world knowledge and skills.

 

 

Spotlight on CAS Academics

Choose Your Path

The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 50 majors and nearly 70 minors across multiple departments and programs in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. We also offer 36 master’s programs and 25 doctoral programs.

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Meet our Dean

In the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), we are committed to excellence in research and teaching, student success, and diversity, equity, and belonging. 

A liberal arts education—one that offers a breadth of intellectual approaches and perspectives and depth in a major discipline—is the foundation to a purposeful life as a life-long learner, engaged citizen, and leader. The skills you will learn here—from written and verbal communication to analytical and quantitative reasoning, to compassion and understanding—are those that employers seek and will open the door to a wealth of opportunities. 

You will find more than 50 majors and a multitude of minors within CAS, and seemingly endless opportunities for personal exploration and discovery. Whether you are an incoming first-year student, a grad student or a transfer student, you can map an exciting future and be part of a fun, warm, engaged liberal arts community here. Come join us. And go Ducks! 

More from Dean Chris Poulsen

The College of Arts and Sciences includes:

50+
undergraduate degree programs
30+
masters programs
25
PhD programs
10,000+
Undergraduate students in CAS Majors
825
faculty members
1,295
masters and PhD students in CAS

Happening at CAS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

UO College of Arts & Sciences (@uocas) • Instagram photos and videos

Jan 29
Intro to GitHub Portfolios for Job Seekers (Career Readiness Workshop) 4:00 p.m.

Landing an internship or your first junior-level job in computer programming, data analytics, UX design, and other tech-savvy roles requires more than just a resume skill section...
Intro to GitHub Portfolios for Job Seekers (Career Readiness Workshop)
January 29
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Knight Library Dream Lab

Landing an internship or your first junior-level job in computer programming, data analytics, UX design, and other tech-savvy roles requires more than just a resume skill section with buzzwords --you need to “show your work”! 

Join us for an interactive workshop with UO Libraries: Data Services & the UO Career Center to learn how to create a free digital portfolio on GitHub to highlight your coding and career readiness skills for future employers & open-source projects. 

Great for students with ZERO experience who are creating a game plan for how they want to gain experience in the years ahead to students who are getting ready to graduate and create their portfolio today. ALL ARE WELCOME! 

Come curious and bring your laptop (or you can borrow one!) 45-minute workshop followed by 45 minutes to explore the platform and get advice from library and career services staff, and maybe an alumni or two! 

RSVP on Handshake or with the Library to get reminders and extra resources! Accommodation requests? Contact DataServices@uoregon.edu

Jan 30
Winter Career & Internship Expo noon

Why YOU should come to this Expo... You're curious about your future. Explore different career paths and job roles across industries. EXPOse yourself to unique...
Winter Career & Internship Expo
January 30
noon
Erb Memorial Union (EMU) Ballroom

Why YOU should come to this Expo...

You're curious about your future. Explore different career paths and job roles across industries. EXPOse yourself to unique career pathways that can use your career readiness skills and passions to make an impact in the world. You want to make connections. These organizations LOVE to hire Ducks and want to help you find your career fit. You might even meet UO alumni recruiting for them at the expo. Ask a recruiter what career readiness skills you can be building now to make you a top candidate in the present or future (and add them to your Linkedin network for future connections!). You want to find a job, internship, year of service, volunteer opportunity, and more! If you're actively job searching, have your resume ready to hand out and a short and sweet synopsis about yourself and your professional interests ready to go! If you're just exploring options, collect contact info, do some additional research, and do an informational interview to learn more before you apply. You want to build your confidence! Practice asking questions of employers AND sharing about who you are and what you're passionate about.  Every expo you attend and each time you approach a recruiter, you get more and more comfortable presenting yourself in a professional manner.

WHO'S COMING? Find your career fit with over 70+ employers comprised of private industry; public, educational, and non-profit organizations; local government, the federal government, law enforcement, and military--ALL on campus and excited to share more with you about their organization and early career talent opportunities. Open to students from ALL majors, classifications, and identities. Every expo looks a little different so come each term to keep exploring and expanding your career opportunities!

WHAT NEXT? Register for the Expo on Handshake today to learn about all the companies coming, and positions of interest you can be researching. We'll also send you tips and advice for how to make the most of the expo, including Career Readiness Week workshops like our Resume Extravaganza so you can have a great resume to hand to potential employers!

The University Career Center thanks Enterprise Mobility, and Sherwin Williams for sponsoring all of our Winter Career Readiness Week events and workshops, and Techtronic Industries (TTI)  & AlphaSights for sponsoring the Expo!

For a full list of Winter Career Readiness Week (January 24-31) events and workshops, check out http://career.uoregon.edu/events

Jan 30
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: What to Expect During the Book Publishing Process, from Contract to Publication 1:00 p.m.

Join Caitlin Tyler-Richards, Acquisitions Editor University of Washington Press, to learn more about the life cycle of book publishing, and get your questions...
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: What to Expect During the Book Publishing Process, from Contract to Publication
January 30
1:00–2:00 p.m.
This is a virtual event.

Join Caitlin Tyler-Richards, Acquisitions Editor University of Washington Press, to learn more about the life cycle of book publishing, and get your questions answered. 

Register at https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5iFmMhMqWdSQEWG 

Jan 31
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar – Comparing Metalloenzymatic Active Sites to Synthetic Model Complexes: Expanding Views on Supporting Ligands 3:00 p.m.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar Series Professor Jonathan Kuo, Penn State Hosted by ADSE Comparing Metalloenzymatic...
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar – Comparing Metalloenzymatic Active Sites to Synthetic Model Complexes: Expanding Views on Supporting Ligands
January 31
3:00 p.m.
Willamette Hall 110

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar Series

Professor Jonathan Kuo, Penn State Hosted by ADSE

Comparing Metalloenzymatic Active Sites to Synthetic Model Complexes: Expanding Views on Supporting Ligands

Organic ligands alter the electronic structure and properties of the transition metals that they bind to. But what other functions can be programmed into metal/ligand complexes? In this talk, we will discuss how dynamic ligand features “unlock” key steps in (a) aerobic oxygenation and (b) electrophilic olefin activation. These dynamic features replicate dynamics present in enzymatic active sites. Recently, comparisons to enzymatic active sites have drawn us to host-guest-type ligand-metalate complexes – where the supporting ligand is designed to bind polyatomic metal anions [MO4]2– or [MCl4]2– via hydrogen bonding.