From the Media

President Donald Trump has faced a surge in Republican revolts over the past few weeks, but political analysts told Newsweek that does not necessarily mean his grip on the GOP is slipping. Chandler James, a political science assistant professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, said, “Over time for any president, their political capital and grip on their party, we would expect to diminish." And Republicans may also be thinking about a post-Trump presidency, in addition to the midterms, James said.

Women's Health covered new research published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle that suggests our fitness levels start to peak at a certain age — but you can extend your fitness longevity. The publication interviewed Brad Wilkins, assistant professor of human physiology and Director of the Oregon Performance Research Laboratory at the College of Arts and Sciences. Despite the fitness peak, you're not doomed after age 35. “The height of your fitness peak and how fast you come up and go down does seem to be changeable,” he said. It's all about consistent training and focusing on better nutrition and sleep as we age.

Portland media outlet KATU interviewed Reuben Zahler, a College of Arts and Sciences history associate professor, about the US-Venezuela relationship. The Latin American country was one of the few places the US did not heavily intervene during the Cold War. However, the dynamic shifted dramatically about 25 years ago with the rise of Hugo Chávez, who promised a new socialist era for Venezuela, marking the start of an anti-American stance, Zahler said.

The internet sensation website IFL Science featured a quote by College of Arts and Sciences Earth sciences associate professor Leif Karlstrom about large igneous provinces, volcanic events so big that they historically changed our planet. “You have the potential for truly enormous eruptions, possibly up to 10,000 cubic kilometers erupted in a single event,” Karlstrom said. “And that will happen repeatedly over the course of a large igneous province event.”

Research by Mattie Burkert, associate professor of English at the College of Arts and Sciences, contributed to an article about an actor who once lived in a historic house in England. The article ran in the Watford Observer in England.

Oregon Public Broadcasting featured research by College of Arts and Sciences Earth scientists. The study that included Professor Matt Polizzotto found that wildfires can form cancer-causing compounds in the soils they burn on top of. Researchers collected soil samples from Eight Dollar Mountain in southwest Oregon, an area rich in a typically benign compound called chromium III. When the researchers simulated a high-temperature wildfire, they found the chromium III in the samples could transform into chromium VI, a known carcinogen that could then spread through dust or drinking water.

HUMANITIES, WOMEN, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - These Duck alums are among those working to alleviate hunger. See how CAS and Clark Honor's College alumni like Ian Dixon-McDonald, BA ’06, Rebecca Sprinson, BA ’09, are making a difference in Oregon by tackling hunger.

Fifty years ago, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" hit theaters. Set in an Oregon state hospital, the movie based on Ken Kesey's novel received critical acclaim and told a history of Native Americans in the Oregon area. College of Arts and Sciences cinema studies senior instructor Stephen Rust spoke at a panel at an anniversary screening of the film. Rust highlighted Will Sampson’s role as Chief Bromden for his textured performance that came after producers were looking for a stereotypical tall, stoic Native American.

Ben Hansen, a University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences economics professor and avid skier, has watched the intricate and complex system of pricing at Oregon’s ski resorts evolve over the years. As of Friday, the highest priced season stood at $1,499, at Mt. Bachelor. But there are many discounts to be had for buying months earlier, online, on Black Friday or Cyber Monday at Mt. Bachelor and resorts across the state. Hansen spoke with Oregonian/OregonLive.

The New York Times spoke with Benjamin Hansen, a College of Arts and Sciences economist who has studied links between school attendance and suicide. Hansen commented on a study on the improvement of mental health of schoolchildren in California when they returned to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hansen was not involved in the study, but he said the research may be influenced by other factors. Six to nine months after schools opened, “vaccines came, and people stopped worrying about dying,” Hansen said.

How can skiers train for the cold? The Weather Channel spoke with Chris Minson, the Kenneth M. and Kenda H. Singer Endowed Professor in the Department of Human Physiology. Minson is one example of the department's many faculty experts who are on the forefront of increasing sports performance.

As one of America's coffee capitals, Portland, Oregon, has grounds for worry: coffee prices have soared to historic highs. Christopher Hendon, a College of Arts and Sciences chemistry professor at the University of Oregon, studies the global industry and said the tariffs cost independent coffee operators more than consumers. "[The consumer is] probably not feeling it," Hendon told CBS News. "You might not care today, because the price didn't change all that much, but you might care if your local café disappears."

Josh Roering, a University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences geomorphologist, and Annette Patton, an Oregon State University geomorphologist, combined 20 years of rain records collected at Sitka’s airport with US Forest Service data on landslides near Sitka to determine what intensity threshold of rain has triggered landslides historically. Roering spoke with the Sierra Club about an innovative natural-disaster monitoring system in Alaska.

In a study that was recently published in Frontiers in Physics, a team of physicists and psychologists led by Richard Taylor wanted to learn more about Jackson Pollock’s famous Action Painting method, and how he created his unique style. “Remarkably, our findings suggest that children’s paintings bear a closer resemblance to Pollock paintings than those created by adults," Taylor said. Forbes covered his study.

Kate Kelp-Stebbins, director of the Comics and Cartoon Studies Program at University of Oregon, curated this first exhibition at Portland’s newest museum that pays tribute to the region’s vibrant comic arts scene. She noted that UO was the first college in the country to offer a comics and cartoon studies minor. “I would say the Pacific Northwest in general is absolutely invaluable in terms of the development of alternative comics,” Kelp-Stebbins told the Oregonian/OregonLive.