Humanities

Staff and faculty members came together for the inaugural College of Arts and Sciences Awards and Hallmark Achievement Reception, which celebrated some of the achievements of faculty and staff. In addition to celebrating some of the college’s faculty members who have received accolades outside of the university, the ceremony featured the college’s first-ever awards that recognize the work of faculty and staff.

This June, we celebrate Pride Month and the diverse identities of alumni identifying as LGBTQ+. Three College of Arts and Sciences alumni — Whitney Donielson, English, '11; Kevin Thomas, biology, '85; and Morgan Thomas, creative writing, '16— are featured in the UO Alumni Association's Shout publication.

During the past six months, College of Arts and Sciences stakeholders have built a roadmap to guide the college over the next five years. Our new strategy was born from feedback and support from the college's community—including alumni, campus leaders, faculty, staff, and undergrad and graduate students. Read more how members of the CAS community had the chance to help shape the strategy during two CAS Community Conversations in April 2024.

ENGLISH, FOLKLORE AND PUBLIC CULTURE - While running cross country in high school, Daniel Wojcik had the opportunity to run with UO track legend Steve Prefontaine. Now an English and folklore studies professor, he explores the enduring lore and traditions surrounding the record-breaking athlete who helped establish Eugene as Track Town USA.

HISTORY, LINGUISTICS - A historian and a linguist have received National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) awards, a prestigious honor that goes to only 16% of applicants in a given year. The grants were awarded to Gabriela Pérez Báez, associate professor of linguistics and director of the Language Revitalization Lab, and Arafaat Valiani, an associate professor in the Department of History and affiliated faculty in the Global Health program.

ENGLISH, NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES — As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and an associate professor of English at the University of Oregon, Kirby Brown blends a deep commitment to preserving his family’s personal stories with a vision for fostering Indigenous research and archival storytelling. Through storytelling and literature, he seeks to highlight moments of love, joy, humor, resistance, desire, and futurity.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE, SPANISH - Leah Middlebrook, associate professor of comparative literature and Spanish for the College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed as the new director of the Oregon Humanities Center. Her new position starts July 1, 2024. Middlebrook brings a rich humanities background to the position and she said the position is an honor she takes seriously.

COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY - Artificial intelligence can detect art forgeries and take scientific research in new directions. But its impact on the classroom raises as many questions as answers. Can AI help students learn what they need to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace—and at what cost? Read more in CAS Connection!

Faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences were among the 15 University of Oregon scholars to receive award money from the Faculty Research Awards, provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.