CAS Connection - June

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Jordan Schnitzer posing with the Oregon Duck mascot

Expanding Our Global Reach

Philanthropist and alum Jordan Schnitzer shares his thoughts on living in an ever-globalizing world—and his hopes for the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

By Jenny Brooks and Henry Houston

Experiential Learning  |  Research & Innovation  |  Community Impact  |  Career Preparation  |  Teaching Excellence  |  21st Century Liberal Arts  |  Building Community  |  Good Vibes  |  CAS Spotlights  |  All Stories  |  Past Issues
 

3 people from graduating class of 2025

CAS Spotlights

Ready to Take on the World

Equipped with a liberal arts degree, these graduating seniors are prepared to forge their own path.

By Grace Connolly

Group of students posing together standing in a street

Community Impact

Turning College Inside Out

A class inside Oregon’s prisons helps students find meaning—and, for some, transformation.

By Henry Houston

Ocean floor with a sediment probe floating above it

Research & Innovation

Exploring Volcanic Fallout

A student’s discovery of ash from an underwater volcano will shape scientific research for years to come.

By Leo Brown

Comic book cover with the Joker character

CAS Spotlights

Villainy Is No Laughing Matter

Professor explores why the Joker is a beloved character despite—or because of—the mayhem he sows.

By Jenny Brooks

Illustration of an old theater

Research & Innovation

The Show Must Go On

A groundbreaking digital humanities project brings theater history to the public, despite federal funding cuts.

By Jenny Brooks

Evan Vickers

CAS Spotlights

A Window to the Brain

A postdoctoral neuroscientist is expanding our ability to study how the brain responds to different types of stimulation.

By Nicole Krueger

A classroom fille dwith students and a projector screen at front

Career Preparation

Peeking Behind the Curtain

Visiting filmmaker series helps cinema studies majors connect with mentors in the movie industry—and learn how films really get made.

By Jenny Brooks

Old photo of migrant workers working in a field

Research & Innovation

Life as a Migrant Worker

A historian’s research on temporary migrant work policies is one of many projects around the country to lose NEH funding.

By Henry Houston

Message from the Dean

You’re Making an Impact

Thinking critically, speaking out and engaging with the world is more critical now than ever. As CAS graduates prepare to step into their new role as global citizens, Dean Chris Poulsen offers advice on the power of giving back.

CAS News

Boats marooned in a harbor
Undergrads Research Marine Life at Oregon Coast
BIOLOGY - New in 2025, the Coastal Quarter program allows undergraduates from all majors to spend winter term living at the coast and taking classes in marine biology, environmental studies, anthropology and science communication. Out of the nine students who participated this year, five are majoring in either environmental sciences or environmental studies; four are marine biology majors; and one is a sports journalism major.
people wrestling on the ground
Play shares the humanity of those living in a war zone
THEATRE ARTS - Local production of the play, "THEM," opens in Eugene July 24. “THEM,” produced and directed by University of Oregon professor, Malek Najjar is a powerful drama about war, hope and survival. Using humor, laughter and song, the play transports audiences into the extraordinary circumstances that reveal their shared humanity and the ordinary moments that shape their lives.
i voted stickers
Why Ballot Measures Are Booming in Some States
POLITICAL SCIENCE - Voters are in a way acting as lawmakers, as some states see an increase in ballot measures, spanning from county or city-level ordinances to state constitutional amendments, according to research by Madison Schroder, a political science PhD candidate at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences.

All news »

From the Media

a white van in front of a simpsons mural
De-escalation program saves cities money, increases public safety
ECONOMICS - A groundbreaking crisis de-escalation program that started in Eugene to help people with mental health or substance abuse issues saves cities money and reduces arrests, a University of Oregon-led study has found. The research team includes Jonathan Davis, an economics assistant professor at the College of Arts and Sciences.
two people in Sudan posing
Supreme Court rules Trump can rapidly deport immigrants to Libya, South Sudan and other countries they aren’t from
For the past several months, the Trump administration has been trying to deport immigrants to countries they are not from – despite an April 2025 federal ruling that had blocked the White House from doing so. In a brief emergency order, a divided Supreme Court decided on June 23 that the Trump administration can, for now, legally deport immigrants to countries they were not born in. Eleanor Paynter, assistant professor of Italian, migration, and global media studies, explains the legal case in The Conversation.
a person runs on a track
What it would take for Faith Kipyegon to become the first female sub four-minute miler?
Brad Wilkins, a human physiologist at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, who led the Breaking2 “Science Team”, says they tested potential marathoners for VO2 max, running economy (how efficiently they use oxygen) and critical/sustainable speed, which is the highest pace that can be sustained for long periods without fatigue. They also looked for something more “squishy”, as Wilkins describes it — the capacity to show psychological resilience when suffering physically.

All media news »

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CAS Connection is produced by the CAS Communications Department and edited by Nicole Krueger.

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