CAS Connection - April 2026 Issue

April 2026

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The Department of Theatre Arts presented "Much Ado About Nothing" for its winter 2026 production.

Telling tales is as old as time

With the advent of AI and constant technological innovation, storytelling is more important than ever.

By Gretchen Scheck

Embrace the Power of Storytelling

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

a person at a gas pump

Research & Innovation

Global conflict and gas prices

Economist Keaton Miller offers insights on what to expect at the pump and beyond amidst the current conflict in Iran.

By Henry Houston

a person running on the old hayward field

Building Community

How to turn dreams into reality

Alum, filmmaker and Olympic long-distance runner Alexi Pappas shares her unique perspectives on ambition and failure.

By Jenny Brooks

a person looks through a microscope in a lab

Research & Innovation

Making research labs less scary

Researcher Cathy Wong found a way to help students approach lab work with less anxiety and more excitement.

By Maria Soto Cuesta

a figure of a golem in a toy store setting

Research & Innovation

Heed the warnings of a clay figure

Professor Gantt Gurley’s research on a centuries-old Jewish legend explains how stories serve as historical record.

By Jenny Brooks


Award-winning author Morgan Thomas '16 graduated with a master of fine arts from the Creative Writing program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

CAS Spotlight

A future in writing was not the plan

In graduate school, alum Morgan Thomas took a hard turn away from ecology into writing and is now a published author.

By Harper Wells

Connect with Thomas’s Journey

From the Media

Protests were planned across the world on May 1 in honor of International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, including in the Pacific Northwest. Steven Beda, an assistant professor of history at the College of Arts and Sciences, specializes in the history of labor in the Pacific Northwest. He said many in the labor movement came to believe that these men were convicted because they were immigrants, not because they committed a crime.
Mother Jones spoke with College of Arts and Sciences chemist and presidential chair Geraldine Richmond about the state of the National Science Foundation under the current White House administration. "This board is so important for being able to advise Congress as well as the president on issues that are so important to the country,” she said. Richmond was first appointed to the board by President Barack Obama and later by Trump during his first term.
Kenyan runners Sabastian Sawe (1:59:30) and Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) broke the two-hour marathon barrier at the 2026 London Marathon. College of Arts and Sciences human physiologist Brad Wilkins spoke with the publication Scientific American about the specially made Adidas shoes the two runners wore in the race and broke down why these shoes make such a difference.

All media news »

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