From the Media

Here’s Why Comics Artist Jack Kirby Still Reigns Supreme
The life and work of comics artist Jack Kirby is the subject of the just-opened Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity, a comprehensive retrospective at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. “Kirby is one of the most important American artists of the last 100 years in any medium,” adds his co-curator Ben Saunders, a professor of English at the College of Arts and Sciences, and editor of the Penguin Classics Marvel Collection books series. “It would be difficult to name a 20th century artist who’s had an influence across so many fields now in the 21st century. His fame and his reputation are greater now than it has been at any point since his death.”
No hospital, no home: Medical respite steps in where systems fall short
A story by Jefferson Public Radio, an NPR affiliate, reports that many homeless people are finding themselves in a sort of medical in-between: not sick enough for the hospital, but not well enough to take care of themselves on the streets. Medical respite programs are trying to fill this gap. Global studies associate professor Jo Weaver is included in the story, telling the story of an older woman in a wheelchair living in her car. "She has diabetes, and that's what led to the loss of her limb, and she isn't able to get to public toilets, which are generally port-a-potties, easily," she said.
Political views affect patients' trust in their own doctors, UO study finds
New research from the University of Oregon reveals that a person’s political beliefs affect the trust they have in their own doctors and healthcare providers. Reporting by KLCC, an NPR affiliate, highlights the work of CAS political scientist Neil O'Brian. During the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Brian started thinking about health and politics. Witnessing the partisan response to masking and vaccines, he wondered just how far distrust in medicine might extend.
Cleanest steel ever? US scientists achieve coal-free ironmaking at lesser cost
Interesting Engineering publication highlights work by University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences chemist Paul Kempler and his team. They are developing an electrochemical process that transforms iron oxide and saltwater into pure iron metal—while also producing chlorine, a commercially valuable byproduct.
Trump executive order will make Oregon elections ‘less safe,’ Secretary of State says
After President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that would reshape elections, the Oregon secretary of state is warning those policies would make Oregon elections “less safe.” Political scientist Chandler James—from CAS—said, “There are some things that will definitely be challenged in courts... The Constitution is pretty clear that U.S. elections should be run by the states and state law.
Is A Recession Looming? An Economic Update From Fed Chair Powell
In a Forbes article about the state of the economy, CAS economist Jeremy Piger's work is cited that there was a 0.3% chance that the U.S. was in recession in January.
Are You in a Therapy Rut?
A therapy rut can feel disheartening, but it doesn’t have to end your pursuit of better mental health. The New York Times asked psychologists how to identify whether you’ve reached a sticking point and what to do about it. “It’s unfortunately not uncommon to occasionally have a therapy session that feels like a dud,” said Alayna Park, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences.
Politics in Perspective: House Budget Proposal & Federal Funding Standoff
Political science assistant professor Chandler James appears on NBC 16 to discuss the House Budget Proposal and the potential impacts of a federal education funding standoff between Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and the Trump administration.
Politics in Perspective: Elon Musk, Trump's Gaza Proclamation
Chandler James, political science assistant professor, spoke with NBC 16's Zach Bruhl about the Trump administration, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump's Gaza proclamation. NBC 16 is joined every Wednesday by Dr. James, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Oregon, to discuss political current events, from the US Capitol to the Oregon Capitol and local government.
So You Reached Your Goal. Now What?
The comedown after an accomplishment is normal. What to do next? CAS Psychology Professor and Natural Science Divisional Dean Elliot Berkman is quoted in the New York Times, saying it’s important to ask yourself what drove you to set a particular goal. If your ambitions are rooted in your values, there’s a greater chance you’ll stay motivated, he added.
Common Herbicide Linked to Low Birth Weights in Rural Areas
Newsweek featured work by CAS economics doctoral student Emmett Reynier. "We had heard some pretty broad claims about the effects of pesticides on health that seemed to be based more on correlations than on causal effects," Emmett Reynier—an author of the paper and a doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon, supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—said in a statement.
The Cascade Mountains Have Been Hiding a Precious Natural Resource. A Research Team Just Found It.
Popular Mechanics covered the recent finding by CAS researchers of water in the Cascade Mountains. “It is a continental-size lake stored in the rocks at the top of the mountains, like a big water tower,” UO’s Leif Karlstrom, a co-author of the study, said.
‘Good boy!’ Truffle-sniffing dogs are helping uncover hidden underground ecosystems
Research by Heather Dawson, a biology PhD student at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, and her sister Hilary Dawson, a postdoctoral researcher at Australian National University, found what are likely many undescribed species of Genea in different types of forests, hinting at the hidden diversity of overlooked truffles. Dawson was featured in Science Magazine.
The anatomy of free speech
Lamia Karim, a professor of anthropology, writes for The Daily Star about a conundrum of free speech in the classroom and how it relates to the current Bangladesh political climate. "Free speech is messy, complex and has a compromising side. We may not agree, but denying speech, in my opinion, will push those ideas underground where they will find adherents," she writes.
It’s called the ‘Winter Arc.’ And for some, it’s replacing New Year’s resolutions
In an Associated Press article about the wellness trend called "winter arc," Elliot Berkman, a professor of psychology and dean of the Division of Natural Sciences, says that goal progress, rather than simply goal attainment, is psychologically beneficial. He says it can provide “positive emotion, a sense of purpose and meaning as well as agency and autonomy.”