CAS Connection - Dec 2025 Issue

CAS Connection newsletter logo
CAS Deans, Chris Poulsen, talks about strategy

Preparing to meet the moment now and beyond

On the cusp of a new year, Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences Chris Poulsen took time to share what he is most excited about in the College of Arts and Sciences, now and into the future.

Get the Dean’s Insights

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

Students blend archaeology, ecology and tribal sovereignty in field school on central California coast.

Experiential Learning

Immersed in the future of archaeology

Students blend archaeology, ecology and tribal sovereignty in field school on the central California coast.

By Lexie Briggs

chemistry lab equipment

Research & Innovation

For the health of the planet

In labs across campus, researchers prove sustainability and scientific rigor aren’t competing priorities.

By Maria Soto Cuesta

UO scientist Carl Brozek joins Nobel winner in Japan using the “molecular sponges” his lab creates.

Research & Innovation

Harvesting water from air

UO scientist Carl Brozek joins Nobel winner in Japan using the “molecular sponges” his lab creates.

By Ed Dorsch

Physicist, Kayla Nguyen, earns innovation award

CAS Spotlights

Physicist earns innovation award

The award recognizes Kayla Nguyen’s exceptional achievement by a woman physicist early in her career.

By Maria Soto Cuesta

Cinema studies professor Masami Kawai's film expands the landscape of Indigenous filmmaking

CAS Spotlight

Professor’s film expands the landscape of Indigenous filmmaking

Cinema studies professor Masami Kawai is set to begin production on her first feature film, “Valley of the Tall Grass,” in Eugene in summer 2026. It is both a personal journey and a community-centered story.

Go Behind the Scenes

Find CAS on Instagram

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

UO College of Arts & Sciences (@uocas) • Instagram photos and videos

CAS News

three people dressed in Shakespearean costumes
Shakespeare’s beloved comedy opens winter season at University Theatre
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.
an illustration of a black hole
CAS physicist finds a black hole spewing more energy than Death Star
PHYSICS - A supermassive black hole with a case of cosmic indigestion has been burping out the remains of a shredded star for four years — and it’s still going strong, new research led by University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences astrophysicist Yvette Cendes. Cendes and her team published findings about this one-of-kind black hole in the Feb. 5 issue of Astrophysical Journal Astrophysicists.
a person sits on a couch in front of a red wall
A researcher takes on one of the unsolved mysteries of the universe
PHYSICS - Fascinated by the unexplored corners of the universe since childhood, physicist Tien-Tien Yu has made dark matter the pillar of her research career. In her quest to understand, she’s co-founded a major experiment in collaboration with physicists at other institutions, all of whom are trying try to bring light to the dark.

All news »

From the Media

an illustration of women dressed traditionally
From Mormonism to Ms. Magazine
College of Arts and Sciences history PhD student Genevieve Bonner Davis writes in Ms. Magazine about her experience as a former devout Mormon housewife. Bonner Davis writes the essay as more women are being encouraged to adopt the tradwife lifestyle by federal government lawmakers. A tradwife is a repackaged, buzzy word to describe “traditional” women who intentionally forgo career and educational opportunities in order to stay at home to take care of their children and husbands within a heterosexual marriage.
aerial view of an oregon town
Fear fuels Oregon’s race for governor. This city shows why
The Oregonian/OregonLive digs into the data on the Oregon gubernatorial race and spoke with political science assistant professor Chandler James. While uneasiness can motivate voters, James said voter apathy also can make it difficult for campaigns to boost turnout, which could play a pivotal role in this year’s race. “If that’s the game, then the person who taps into the greatest anxieties is going to win,” James said. “Whatever Oregonians are most fearful of will be the thing that drives the outcome of the election.”
space illustration with solar flares creating a line of white light
Radio Waves Coming From an Alien Planet May Be a Cosmic First
PHYSICS - College of Arts and Sciences astronomer Yvette Cendes spoke with the New York Times about a recent paper she authored that documented waves coming from what seems to be an aurora at the poles of Beta Pictoris b, a planet that circles a star more than 63 light-years from Earth.

All media news »

Connect with Us

Subscribe

CAS Connection is produced by the CAS Communications Department.

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 Bluesky social media icon YouTube icon Instagram icon Linkedin icon