CAS Connection - June 2026 Issue

Thank you for reading CAS Connection. The publication is on hiatus for the summer.
Look for the next issue, out Sept. 16.

June 2026

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CAS Associate Professor, Melissa Graboyes, and her team are working through historical records to rethink how to fight the mosquito-borne disease.

Digging through history to fight malaria

CAS Associate Professor of History Melissa Graboyes and her team of student researchers are working through historical records to rethink how to fight the mosquito-borne disease.

By Henry Houston

Unravel the History

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

three faculty award winners pose with dean of college of arts and sciences

Teaching Excellence

CAS celebrates faculty excellence

The annual Tykeson Teaching Awards were granted to faculty in archaeology, biology and cinema studies.

By Maria Soto Cuesta

attendees at schnitzer school global futures conference in 20026

Community Impact

Conference unites global perspectives

Schnitzer School hosted scholars to discuss ways to overcome authoritarianism’s impact on higher education.

By Violet Ashley

person looking at mahjong tiles while playing the game

Building Community

Mahjong is having a moment

A century after its first surge in US popularity, CAS experts explain why the Chinese game is so popular again.

By Harper Wells

students in library review artifacts

21st Century Liberal Arts

Coming soon: core ed playlists

CAS is revising its core education offerings to drive meaningful change for student retention and graduation rates.

By Jenny Brooks

people in a boat

Alumni Spotlight

The marine biologist who opened a brewery

After following her passion for marine biology from Bandon, Oregon to Antarctica, CAS alum Annie Pollard decided to settle down and pursue her other passion: brewing beer.

By Bailey Meyers and Henry Houston

Meet the Brewmaster

Villard's Family at the Villard Hall Grand Opening

Villard Hall Grand Opening

Lots of “greats” worth celebrating 

University of Oregon’s early growth can be directly tied to transportation magnate and philanthropist Henry Villard. In 1883, he became the university’s first benefactor when he paid its debt and donated $50,000. To thank him the university named its second building after him: Villard Hall. Built in 1886, it was renovated and reopened in 2025 as part of the University of Oregon Heritage Renovation Project and supported by state legislative bonds. Villard’s family — including his great-great-grandson Stephen Villard Seckinger (middle) and his great-great-great grandchildren Ray and Natalie Seckinger (far right and far left) — attended the grand re-opening celebration ceremony. Villard Hall now serves as the home for College of Arts and Sciences Departments of Cinema Studies and Theatre Arts.

From the Media

a collage of images
It’s a transformative moment for hormones. And kind of a weird one.
Expanding access to testosterone for men's libido is ultimately about defining manhood, said Alison Gash, professor and chair of political science at the College of Arts and Sciences, who studies gender and LGBTQ+ issues. "If you are a desexualized man, then you're deviating from the expectations that make you valued according to your gender, especially in this administration," Gash told the media organization The 19th News Network.
an illustration of redacted messages
We tested how AI chatbots would handle foreign propaganda. They did surprisingly well
An NPR deep dive on the potential government interference in AI chatbots references research by College of Arts and Sciences sociologist Hannah Waight. Waight, an assistant professor, and her co-author found the Chinese government's grip over the media seems to have given it some influence over LLM responses in Chinese. Waight's research was published in Nature.
a person running
The warming climate is forcing marathons to consider changes to keep runners cool
As rising temperatures begin to impact marathon race days and runners, organizers are moving race days to cooler days. The Associated Press spoke with Chris Minson, a University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences professor who researches how people can adapt to extreme heat and other environmental conditions. He said the optimum temperature to run a marathon is about 50 degrees (10 C). As the temperature creeps into the upper 50s and 60s, the body has a tougher time supplying blood to muscles while also keeping the body cool.

All media news »

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