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All Stories

Person walking along a ridge in surrounded by smoke

The Cost of a Changing Climate

How will Oregonians feel the crunch from climate change? These economists dug through the data.

A group of people hiking in a forest

Making Sense of Climate Change

Today’s students have been handed the bleakest future of any generation since World War II. Here’s how they’re dealing with it.

A student in  lab wearing goggles illuminated by green laser

Green Chemistry for a Green Future

As the deadline to curb carbon emissions nears, CAS chemists are hard at work developing a new generation of sustainable tech.

An EPA official posing with a UO student

Economics for a Healthier Planet

Econ PhD graduate Emmett Reynier uses economics research to inspire environmental policy changes

A person atop of a tower installing equipment

Building Hazard Resistance

Installing wildfire cameras and seismic sensors for OHAZ became a full-time gig for Earth sciences alum Sydney Whiting.

A collage of images representing a collisions of social values

Environmentalism or Ecofascism?

Students explore how environmentalist ideas can be weaponized in pursuit of a fascist political agenda.

a person standing by a volcano explosion

From Curiosity to Impact

Our faculty are investigating solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues, 
from AI to Alzheimer's to ice sheet loss in Greenland. Find out about the grant-funded research projects CAS researchers are working on.

Vera Keller

On the Origins of Research Universities

Ever wonder how research universities like UO evolved? It all comes down to one man, according to history prof Vera Keller.

A student studying a manuscript with a magnifying glass

What's in a (Scientific) Name?

A PhD candidate’s award-winning essay reveals the role of women in 17th-century scientific research—and what it sometimes cost them.

A researcher applying gel to and electrode cap used in tests

Capturing Brain Waves

How does a brain with Parkinson’s disease compare to a healthy brain? Ask undergraduate researcher Cinthia Muñiz Sanchez.

Collage of new faculty members

New Global Perspectives

Six new faculty members  bring their unique perspectives and expertise to the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

Kids ducking under table for earthquake drill

Before the Shaking Starts

An earthquake early-warning alert can buy you life-saving seconds to drop and take cover—and CAS researchers want to help you make the most of them

A miniature globe resting on top of an open book

An Education Without Borders

The Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages is preparing today’s students to go out and serve the world tomorrow.

A man being helped out of an ambulance by two paramedics

Students in Cahoots with CAHOOTS

Data science undergrads use their analytical skills for public good in a research-based course piloted last spring.

Professor Kevin Dicus excavating an ancient site

Dumpster Diving in Ancient Rome

An ancient Roman’s trash is treasure to Associate Professor Kevin Dicus, who has spent the past 20 years digging in the ashes of Pompeii.

Daniel Levitin teaching conducting a lecture

A Brain on Music

Acclaimed cognitive psychologist and UO alum Daniel Levitin gets people excited about the neuroscience of music.

Brian Hubbell

A Road Less Traveled

After decades in the professional world, this sociology major has finally found his path—and he’s helping other students find theirs.

Group of students participating in a hackathon

Sprinting Toward Innovation

Student coders put their creativity to the test at QuackHacks, a 24-hour hackathon organized by computer science students.

Karen Thompson Walker

Breaking the Rules of Reality

Bestselling author Karen Thompson Walker has found success as a writer—and as a creative writing associate professor—by asking 'what if?'

Timothy Chadwick

Serenade for La La Land

Cinema studies students gain show business experience working behind the scenes in LA on the set of a CAS professor’s upcoming feature film, La Serenata.

College of Arts and Sciences alum Devan Chandler on set of show ‘Ghosts.’

Get Your Winter Binge On

Need something to watch? Check out our list of movies and TV shows featuring CAS faculty and alumni.

Kaley McCarty

Growing Global Connections

Kaley McCarty’s experiences as an environmental studies major catapulted her into a job in higher ed. Now she’s paying it forward by taking groups of students to the world’s biggest climate change conference.

Newspaper clipping of an old article

Fueling Cultural Debates

Professor Mark Whalan explores how media coverage of a 1920s criminal trial sparked a national debate.

headshot of Brice Kuhl standing in front of a brick building

Unlocking Memory

Brice Kuhl’s use of fMRI technology to investigate how the brain encodes and decodes memories has earned him the newest endowed professorship in the College of Arts and Sciences.

An exoplanet orbiting a sun with stars and galaxy in the background

Strange New Worlds

Could life exist elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy? A group of undergraduate planet hunters are helping NASA discover unknown worlds beyond our solar system.

Student standing in a field operating a drone

Up, Up and Away

Are flying robots taking over? Not in this geography class, where students learn how to control the drones that will help map our future.

two people working at a microscope

Tiny Invisible Universes

In UO’s materials characterization labs, researchers are pushing the boundaries of what can be observed through a microscope.

Spaceship flying over futuristic city

Learning from Aliens

Professor Phil Scher uses science fiction and alien cultures to teach anthropology—and to challenge assumptions about humanity.

Student wearing safety glasses working in a lab

Engineering the Future

Could engineered bacteria be the answer to antibiotic resistance? Undergrad researcher Favour Foday is working on it.

A space probe floating above a frozen moon with Jupiter in the background

A Journey to Jupiter’s Moon

Is there a habitable environment beneath the moon Europa’s icy crust? CAS Professor Carol Paty is helping NASA find out.

CAS Dean Chris Poulsen

Learn Today, Change Tomorrow

Discover what Dean Chris Poulsen has to say about how experiential learning propelled him toward a career as a climate scientist.

Dean Chris Poulsen speaking to an audience in a classroom

Creating a Future Forward CAS

How will CAS tackle the major challenges higher education faces? Dean Chris Poulsen has a strategic plan to establish the college as a leader and innovator.

Academic and career advisor Sonia Gordillo advises students who are pre-health and plan to go to medical school or other health-related graduate program.

Meeting Students Where They Are

What’s the best way to leverage your degree into a successful career path? Find out how CAS advisors help students flourish both in college and beyond.

Colin Wilfrid chose to attend UO in part for its disability studies program and in part for its marching band

Exploring Identity in CAS

Students who come to CAS seeking a degree often find something even greater: themselves. Discover how an identity-focused major or minor can lead to a fulfilling career.

Statue of Socrates illuminated with pink light

Taking Liberal Arts to the Next Level

Are liberal arts degrees becoming obsolete? Far from it, say CAS faculty who are evolving liberal arts education to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet.

Collage of images of LatinX professors

Meet Your New Latinx Studies Professors

Want to explore Latinx studies from a variety of perspectives? These nine new faculty members are bringing their valuable their expertise in Latinx studies-related issues to CAS.

Person on a roof making repairs with a nail gun

Finding Home Again

It’s one thing to rebuild homes after a wildfire. Rebuilding communities is a different matter, discovered sociology graduate student Haisu Huang.

Book cover: "Fighting Mad"

‘Fighting Mad’ Tackles Reproductive Justice

The overturning of the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion in the US sparked a wave of responses across the nation. Explore the impact of this momentous decision through a collection of voices and perspectives in Sociology Associate Professor Krystale Littlejohn’s latest book.

AI robot reading a book

Interrogating AI

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?

Student preserving old documents

Putting History into Action

From debating the removal of public monuments to writing amicus briefs for the US Supreme Court, historians in the College of Arts and Sciences are putting their expertise to work by helping communities engage with history.

People standing in circle doing ritual

Reweaving Cultural Threads

Indigenous communities around the globe are reawakening endangered languages that have been dormant for decades. Linguistics scholars at UO are leading the charge to help these communities revive cultures unraveled by oppression.

Daniel Wojcik statue

The Power of Pre: One Scholar’s Explanation

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.

Tykeson award recipient

Committed to the Classroom

Teachers usually frown on disruptions during class. But when a group of deans and colleagues barged into these three classrooms, they gave the instructors something to smile about: a Tykeson Teaching Award to honor their excellence.

Student Spotlight

Stepping into the Future

Where can a liberal arts degree take you? These College of Arts and Sciences seniors are charting their own course as they pursue careers in the specialty coffee industry, particle physics and public service.

Book cover "Understanding Imperiled Earth"

‘Understanding Imperiled Earth' Digs into Climate History

When Paris’s Notre Dame burned in 2019, experts quickly realized there weren’t enough large trees in Europe to accurately reconstruct the cathedral’s roof.

That was the moment anthropology alum Todd Braje realized how humanity’s history is connected to climate change.

Saghar Salehi

Battling to Learn

Robotics champion and international women's education advocate Saghar Salehi escaped certain death in Afghanistan to pursue her dream of becoming a software engineer in the US. Now the 19-year-old continues to fight for Afghan women’s rights as a computer science major at UO.

Picture of brain

Blowing Minds

Have you ever held a human brain in your hand? Or watched in fascination as zebrafish neurons make connections in real time? Or helped develop a potential brain implant? These are just a few of our students' mind-blowing highlights from the growing Neuroscience Program.

Computer screen showing blocking of cyber attack

Hacking the Job Market

Millions of cyberattacks each year put our sensitive information at risk. A new hands-on major prepares students to become front-line defenders of consumer privacy within the dynamic and growing cybersecurity field.

Brad Wilkins, Human Performance Scientist

Pushing Human Limits: Meet Brad Wilkins

Working with some of the world’s top marathon runners at Nike, human physiologist Brad Wilkins led the charge to break the 2-hour marathon barrier—an attempt that led to the National Geographic documentary Breaking2. Now head of the new Oregon Performance Research Laboratory, he’s using science to help athletes push past their perceived limitations and achieve new heights.

Cintia Martínez Velasco

Fighting Feminine Genocide

With gender-based violence against women spreading across Mexico, philosophy Professor Cintia Martínez Velasco recently urged Mexican consulates around the world to recognize feminine genocide as a federal crime.

Grigori Malakhov

From Eugene to the Santa Fe Opera

Taking a class in theater production opened up a new world for Grigorii Malakhov, an international student from Poland. He started out sewing costumes for University Theatre and ended up as an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera.

a woman in a red dress

‘Pacific Arts Aotearoa’ Celebrates New Zealand History

After a three-year labor of love and a long-standing desire to give a voice to Pacific artists, Associate Professor Lana Lopesi offers a mosaic of narratives that delve into the complex and unique history of Aotearoa New Zealand in Pacific Arts Aotearoa.

More than just a compilation, the book serves as a celebration of resilience and a testament to cultural diversity while calling for more inclusivity of Pacific voices in art and literature.

Road damage

CAS Earth Scientists Prepare for the Big One

What will happen if a massive earthquake reduces the Pacific Northwest to rubble? The nation’s first subduction zone earthquake hazards center, CRESCENT, brings together researchers and policymakers to help build resilience against the inevitable temblor—and increase diversity in the Earth sciences.

OIMB-IMAX

Little Larvae to Hit the Big Screen

Students from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology delved into the Atlantic Ocean in search of rare organisms that thrive without sunlight. An upcoming IMAX film will document their journey—and, they hope, inspire a new generation of women scientists.

Jogger's legs

How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Want to make New Year’s resolutions you’ll actually keep this year? Psychology doctoral student Deanna Strayer offers research-backed tips for successful goal setting to help you stick to your resolutions throughout the coming year.

Msn writing lyrics

How 50 Years of Hip Hop Have Shaped the English Language: A Conversation with Rachel Weissler

Over the past 50 years, hip hop has grown from a popular music genre to a cultural revolution that spans the globe, affecting everything from fashion to language. Linguistics Professor Rachel Weissler explores the profound influence of hip hop on the English language.

Japanese woman scholars

Elevating Women Scholars Around the World

Fulbright Scholar Alisa Freedman is chronicling the rise of women’s scholarship in Vietnam while helping women professors find their footing in the academic publishing world. During a five-month trip, she’ll record and share the women’s personal stories.

Students holding sign

Finding Strength in Community

As an Indigenous person growing up in predominantly white schools, Tiera Garrety often felt isolated. Now a leader within the UO Native community, the NAIS senior is working to improve the academic lives of future generations.

The Sisterhood cover photo

‘The Sisterhood’ Celebrates Black Feminist Writing

In 2004, Courtney Thorsson, an English associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, first learned about a photo of a group of Black women that would take her nearly 20 years to investigate. Gathered in a prewar New York apartment, the black-and-white photo included writers Toni Morrison, June Jordan and Alice Walker. Thorsson’s new book, The Sisterhood: How a Network of Black Women Writers Changed American Culture, brings together documents, close readings and interviews to show readers the transformational activities that occurred at those gatherings. 

Student and professor analyze ash particles

Student Unearths Explosive Evidence

While cruising the Pacific Ocean looking for deep-sea creatures to study, a UO undergraduate researcher got more than he bargained for—rare ash samples from an underwater volcanic eruption 62 miles away.

REEES speaker

Rethinking Russian Studies

As Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine, UO faculty are joining a global effort to decolonize Russian and Slavic studies. By shining a spotlight on Ukraine and other former colonies, they're celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. 

Charlie Ila Photo

Giving Peace a Chance

The UO is one of the top 25 higher ed institutions in the US for producing Peace Corps volunteers. For these two CAS students, the Peace Corps is about joining a global community and using their liberal arts degree in a meaningful, life-changing way.

Ernesto Javier Martínez

Turning Pain into Power: Meet Ernesto Javier Martínez

Growing up in a violent neighborhood, Ernesto Javier Martínez experienced the bullying that often robs queer Latinx youth of the ability to make sense of their lives. The award-winning author and filmmaker now uses storytelling to transform his own pain into healing for the students and communities he serves.

Mindfulness Yoga

Free Your Mind—and Peace Will Follow

Mindfulness is a theme of one of the most popular elective courses at the UO, taught by David McCormick, director of the Institute of Neuroscience. Discover how a mindfulness routine can help you—and how you can get started.

Eliza Aronson Student Spotlight

Liberal Arts Without Borders

These College of Arts and Sciences students took their education to new frontiers, from podcasting about marine plankton, to sipping iced espresso in a small Italian town, to discussing literature with authors in Berlin.

Book cover: Red Leviathan

'Red Leviathan' Explores the History of Soviet Whaling

While conducting research on the Russian fur trade, Department of History Professor Ryan Tucker Jones kept encountering whales, both in literature and in real life. Upon learning that the Soviet Union had conducted a massive illegal whaling campaign in the 20th century, he knew he had something important to write about. His resulting book, Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet Whaling, was shortlisted in June for the prestigious Pushkin House Book Prize and won the John Lyman Book Award from the North American Society for Oceanic History in 2022.