Humanities News

THEATRE ARTS — The College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre Arts is expanding opportunities for students to gain hands-on experiences and learn about different career paths. The most recent example is the student-run production of “Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons” recently staged in the Pocket Playhouse and supported by a new student-director pilot program.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES — When the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation recently hosted a Week of Research and Innovation, Associate Dean of Research and Scholarship in the College of Arts and Sciences Jennifer Pfeifer organized a panel session as part of the week’s events to showcase the breadth of the societal impact CAS researchers have.

SCHNITZER SCHOOL — Over 675 Oregon high school students — from Pendleton to Medford — attended the 2026 Foreign Language & International Studies (FLIS) Day at the University of Oregon on May 1. It’s a celebration and exploration of language and culture featuring more than 65 language and culture-related presentations, workshops and hands-on activities.

GERMAN AND SCANDINAVIAN, FOLKLORE — How does an oral Yiddish folk story become what is perhaps the most famous of all modern Jewish literary fantasies? Associate Professor of Scandinavian Gantt Gurley's research on this very question about the legend of golem is illuminating.

CINEMA STUDIES — Alexi Pappas, MA '12 (interdisciplinary), is coming back to the Department of Cinema Studies to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her film, "Tracktown." The celebration includes a special public screening and live Q&A on April 23. In this story, Pappas answers questions about her inspiration and what she's learned since graduating.

Stories are drawn across cave walls, written into history books and verbally passed down through generations. The origins of storytelling are rooted in survival, and it’s such an essential skill, it’s a core part of the curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences. From creative writing to biochemistry, explore the power of storytelling and why it's vital for a liberal arts education.

Four College of Arts and Sciences faculty members will discuss the social impact of research during the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) Week of Research and Innovation. The event is 10:30 am to noon Wednesday, April 8, at the Cedar and Spruce rooms in the Erb Memorial Union.

CAREER PREPARATION — Tasked with meeting the College of Arts and Sciences career preparation goal, Assistant Dean for Career Preparation Yifang Zhang developed and implemented the Career Leaders Program. The program focuses on providing tools and resources to reframe and elevate the school's existing effort in career preparation in classrooms.

For Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week in 2026, CAS gradate students share their experiences of what makes their experience special at CAS. CAS is home to 1,295 graduate students: 307 master’s and 959 PhD. With April 6-10 Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week, CAS reached out to some of its graduate students to hear how about their experiences at the college.

ROMANCE LANGUAGES - As language learning declines nationwide, the Romance Languages in the College of Arts and Sciences are on the rise, thanks to reimagining curriculum to promote student success, and the results are undeniable.

COMIC AND CARTOON STUDIES — Political comics artist, Ben Passmore, visited the Comics and Cartoon Studies Program to speak and share his perspective at an open community event and in a class, Introduction to Comics Studies. Visiting lecturers are an opportunity for everyone involved: students hear from practicing artists and artists get feedback on their work.

LINGUISTICS, EALL — Three faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences were inducted as Fellows into the premiere linguistics organization and a doctoral student receive an exclusive award for her research paper.

Throughout the week of April 6–10, 2026, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, along with campus partners, will host a series of events open to faculty, students, postdoctoral scholars, and staff. The event will feature researchers throughout the College of Arts and Sciences.

THEATRE ARTS - The Robinson Theatre is reopening this February with University Theatre’s winter production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The reopening brings University Theatre’s largest performance space back into rotation, marking an important step forward for student training, production capacity and community engagement.

THEATRE ARTS — Love, mischief and mistaken intentions take center stage this winter as University Theatre presents “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare. Directed by Jerry Ferraccio, the production marks the grand reopening of Robinson Theatre and runs Feb. 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and March 1.