CAS Connection - Feb 2026 Issue

Mira Schoeberlien, a third-year human physiology doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences, had research reported by the outlet Medical Xpress and shared by MSN news. Schoeberlein’s research found that female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuations through the menstrual cycle don’t change a woman’s ability to exercise hard — but they do influence how difficult it feels.

L. Zachary DuBois, an associate professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences, writes about how the number of bills directly targeting and undermining the existing legal rights of transgender and nonbinary people in the US has been escalating, with sharp increases since 2021 and with each consecutive year.

The Dallas-based publication D Magazine featured College of Arts and Sciences History Associate Professor Annelise Heinz, who authored "Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture," about a luxury retailer Mahjong Line. The Texas-based company faced backlash for allegations of cultural appropriation in 2021.