CAS Connection - FEB 2025

CAS Connection logo
A miniature globe resting on top of an open book

An Education Without Borders

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

By Henry Houston

 

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 man being helped out of an ambulance by two paramedics

Experiential Learning

Students in Cahoots
with CAHOOTS

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

By Nicole Krueger 

Professor Kevin Dicus excavating an ancient site

CAS Spotlights

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.

By Jenny Brooks

Daniel Levitin teaching conducting a lecture

CAS Spotlights

A Brain
on Music

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

By Leo Brown

Brian Hubbell

CAS Spotlights

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.

By Grace Olson and Grace Connolly  

Group of students participating in a hackathon

Experiential Learning

Sprinting Toward Innovation

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

By Evan Ney

CAS Spotlights

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?'

By Kendall Baldwin 

 

Humanities Take Center Stage

All the world’s a stage for CAS students, whether they’re on the screen, in the classroom, in the lab or beyond. Hear from Dean Chris Poulsen about how humanities programs like theatre arts and cinema studies build valuable skills—and how storytelling fosters an understanding of what it means to be human. And if you’re in the Eugene area, make sure you buy your tickets for the University Theatre production of POTUS, which runs Feb. 7-23. 

 

CAS News

students gathered by a poster
UO Earth sciences program pairs students with researchers
EARTH SCIENCES - CRESCENT wrapped up its first-ever cohort for the Geoscience Education and Inclusion (GEI) Twinning Program. Students worked with mentors on fully funded research projects, developing practical skills and presenting their findings to fellow scientists. The program manager, Shannon Fasola, said it offered a unique opportunity because students could focus on research without having to worry about finances.
two people in the field
Field school blends archaeology, ecology and tribal sovereignty
SOCIOLOGY - As part of the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History summer field school, the students are spending a month immersed in Indigenous cultural landscapes while studying archaeology, history and ecology and, at the same time, helping restore oyster beds. They’re learning vital career skills while helping usher in a new era of archaeology with Gabe Sanchez, a CAS assistant professor of sociology.
a person sitting in a chair with a laptop
Large national study finds minimal link between smartphone use and well-being in adults
PSYCHOLOGY - A new study led by researchers at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with Google Research found little evidence linking smartphone use with mental well-being in adults. Researchers analyzed more than 250,000 days of smartphone usage from more than 10,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and up.

All news »

From the Media

a man drinking a protein shake
The perplexing rise of protein shakes: how a ‘meaty sludge’ became a billion-dollar industry
The first protein shake was a concoction of "melted-down beef hides and carcasses." Now, consumers have various options, some that could be on a dessert menu. Hannah Cutting-Jones, a food studies assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, spoke with The Guardian about the earliest protein shakes.
a car driving past a barren hillside
Landslides 'are everywhere' in Oregon and more unpredictable than earthquakes
Landslides in Oregon are becoming more frequent and more unpredictable than earthquakes. CAS Earth scientist Josh Roering spoke with the Eugene Register-Guard about the past few decades of landslides. "Over the last couple decades, the landslides and the surface processes and surface hazards that I've been working on have become much more prominent, primarily due to climate change and humans inhabiting more areas in hazardous terrain," said Josh Roering, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Oregon who studies weathering, erosion and landslide processes.
CAHOOTS workers
The rise and fall of America’s model mobile crisis service
Research by College of Arts and Sciences economist Jonathan Davis and data scientist Rori Rohlfs is featured in the Nov. 8 print and digital issue of the Economist about the Eugene-based mental health de-escalation program CAHOOTS. The article mentions a study co-authored by Davis showed that CAHOOTS reduced the probability that a 911 call ends in an arrest by 76%. Each arrest costs taxpayers, so the service provided significant savings. And Rohlf's research is that police were dispatched to 23% fewer calls when CAHOOTS responds.

All media news »

Connect with Us

Subscribe

CAS Connection is produced by the CAS Communications Department and edited by Nicole Krueger.

Got something to say? Send us your story ideas or contact us at CASConnection@uoregon.edu.

We know you don’t want to miss a single moment of CAS greatness. Stay plugged into the #CASCommunity by following us on your favorite channels.

Facebook icon Icon X YouTube icon Instagram icon Linkedin icon