Mapping with A Cause
Mason Leavitt works as a geographic information system analyst for the Eugene-based environmental justice nonprofit Beyond Toxics. Every year in spring, he and his team get calls from the community about pesticide spraying. Wanting to create a database of spraying to inform the Eugene community, he went to the InfoGraphics Lab, based in the College of Arts and Sciences, for help.
Leavitt graduated with a bachelor's degree in geography and is a current graduate student in the program, so he knows how impactful the InfoGraphics Lab is, which is led by Erik Steiner. InfoGraphics Lab and Beyond Toxics collaborated on a dynamic map that not only provides a public service but also served as a training ground for students learning how to communicate complex data through mapmaking and atlas design.
“The goal in this situation is to take what is very often hidden and make it visible,” Steiner said. “It’s really about translating research into publicly available content.” Since 1988, the InfoGraphics Lab has partnered with faculty researchers and outside organizations to visualize information using tools at the forefront of technology.
Ducks Give is May 14. And We Need Your Help!
Ducks Give is the University of Oregon’s annual 24-hour fundraiser. On Thursday, May 14, your gifts — no matter how small — can support programs that benefit undergraduate and graduate students, including experiential learning and scholarships that are making a real impact to prepare them for careers after college.
Join Ducks from around the world to support current and future students. Let’s rise together on May 14!
Congratulations, Graduating Ducks!
The College of Arts and Sciences’ departments will hold commencement ceremonies on Monday, June 15, 2026.
News from CAS
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We Love Our Supporters
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!
What’s Happening in CAS?
Why is storytelling so important for College of Arts and Sciences students, whether they're pursuing creative writing or neuroscience? With the advent of AI and constant technological innovation, it's more important than ever to bring humans together. Find out more how the craft of storytelling is preparing students for an ever-changing world.
Also in the April CAS Connection issue, an economist weighs in on why the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz leads to high prices around the world; alum, filmmaker and Olympic runner Alexi Pappas shares her perspective on ambition and failure; and a chemist shares research on how we can make labs more accessible for students — and more.
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.
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
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.
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!
The College of Arts and Sciences includes:
Happening at CAS
2:00–4:00 p.m.
In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court. Her chief adversary is her former employer, Arthur Roeder, an idealistic man who cannot bring himself to believe that the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation, but with her own family and friends, who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire. Written with warmth and humor, Radium Girls is a fast-moving, highly theatrical ensemble piece for 9 to 10 actors, who play more than 30 parts—friends, co-workers, lovers, relatives, attorneys, scientists, consumer advocates, and myriad interested bystanders. Called a “powerful” and “engrossing” drama by critics, Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science. Produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois. Originally produced by Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and developed with a commissioning grant from The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science and Technology Project.
by D. W. Gregory Directed by Willow Jade Norton Zolan
5:00–7:30 p.m.
Meet director Shiori Ito in person on the UO campus! https://www.shioriito.com/en/films
- Woman who sparked Japan’s #MeToo movement
- Peabody Award winner
- Oscar-nominated filmmaker
This event will feature a screening of the widely acclaimed memoir documentary film, Black Box Diaries, followed by an in-person conversation with director Shiori Ito.
Ito is the first Japanese documentary filmmaker to be nominated for an Academy Award. The film chronicles Ito’s investigation and pursuit for justice following a sexual assault she suffered in 2015 as a young journalist. It follows her attempt to prosecute the high-profile offender, a senior figure in the Japanese media. Her challenge to Japan’s patriarchal, judicial, political, and media systems has made this a landmark case of gender-based violence in Japan.
Content warning: This film contains accounts of sexual violence. We encourage viewers to practice self care and take breaks from the film as needed.
The event is sponsored by:
- Yoko McClain Lecture Series in Japanese Studies
- Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures
- Oregon Humanities Center Endowment for Public Outreach in the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities
- Center for Asian and Pacific Studies
5:00–6:45 p.m.
Do you want to use your critical thinking skills to make an impact on safety, security, and justice? Investigative careers span a range of roles within public and private agencies, from legal advocacy to data-driven crime analysis and frontline public safety. They share a focus on gathering evidence, analyzing information, and solving cases to protect people and assets. But there are so many types of investigative careers across various jurisdictions, so where do you start?
Join us for a special panel + connect night dedicated to helping YOU get career-ready for your future in investigative careers. Come to either or both events—Learn something new and meet employers and alumni you can add to your network! Both events are open to all majors and academic years. Snacks provided. Casual Dress. No RSVP is required. Bring your friends! ALL students are welcome to participate!
PANEL DISCUSSION: 5:00pm-6:00pm Facilitated by Dr. Stephanie Wiley, Director, Criminology Minor
PANELISTS
- Haley Kotkin, Social Service Specialist I, Oregon Department of Human Services
- Detective Ryan Underwood, Eugene Police Department
- Sergeant Chris Duffitt, Benton County Sheriff's Office
- Elle McCall OR Spencer Gwartney, Lane County District Attorney's Office
- Special Agent Damara Gonzalez, Federal Bureau of Investigations
CONNECT/NETWORKING: 6:00pm-6:45pm
This open networking session allows students to rotate through tables to learn more about your organization and to get advice about how to find career-building opportunities and connections in the field.
CONNECT ORGANIZATIONS - open networking
- Lane County Parole and Probation (Tabitha Rose, Jenalee Nichols, and Brittany Marshall)
- Benton County Sheriff’s Office (Ryan Roth &/or Chris Duffitt)
- Eugene Police Department (Lauren Fechtel-Nusser & Trent Magnuson?)
- Portland Police Bureau (Emily Cote)
- Lane County District Attorney's Office (Elle McCall, Spencer Gwartney, &/or Monte Ludington)
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (Damara Gonzalez & Flo Mackey)
- Multnomah County Department of Community Justice (Travis Gamble)
- Oregon Department of Human Services (Lorenzo Olono &/or Haley Kotkin)
- University of Oregon Police Department (Anthony Button & K9 Thor)
1:00 p.m.
Please join us Wednesday afternoons for a free cup of coffee, pastries, and conversation with your history department community! We’re excited to continue this tradition for our history undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. We hope to see you there!