CAS Connection - May 2025 Issue

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A park with tents set up for health screenings

Health without Home

CAS students are conducting interdisciplinary research with a social impact, all while finding their career and academic trajectory.

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 group of people hiking in a forest

Building Community

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.

By Jenny Brooks

A student in lab wearing goggles illuminated by green laser

Research & Innovation

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.

By Nicole Krueger

An EPA official posing with a UO student

CAS Spotlights

Economics for a 
Healthier Planet

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

By Henry Houston

A person atop of a tower installing equipment

CAS Spotlights

Building Hazard 
Resistance

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

By Bailey Meyers

A collage of images representing a collisions of social values

Teaching Excellence

Eco-friendly or Ecofascist?

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

By Jenny Brooks

CAS Spotlights

Building Resilience against Climate Change

Last spring, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide reached levels not seen in more than 14 million years. Dean Chris Poulsen explains how faculty and students in the College of Arts and Sciences are working across disciplines to address climate change.

CAS News

a person threading a needle
Home Flight program sets Native students up for success
NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES - Funded through federal, state and institutional grants, the University of Oregon Home Flight program provides financial support, academic advising and culture-rich activities for qualifying American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduates. Now in its fourth year, the program has more than tripled in enrollment, to 170-plus students, while increasing the number of Native graduates.
a person standing in a lab with scuba gear
Sports injuries helped shape an undergrad’s approach to research
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - When he was still an undergraduate, Tucker Orman served in an uncommon role: as first author on a paper published Sept. 4 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, looking at the factors that affect a scuba diver’s ability to maintain core body temperature. Now a College of Arts and Sciences alumnus, Orman reflects on how experiential learning as a human physiology student and love for scuba diving came together.
headshot of marli miller
Marli Miller goes the extra mile for her geology students
EARTH SCIENCES - In spring 2025, Marli Miller received a Herman Award for Specialized Pedagogy. Taking a liberal arts approach, Miller’s focus is on helping students think about and work through problems, which they have a chance to put into practice on a yearly field camp in southwestern Montana.

All news »

From the Media

a movie poster on a wall
50 years later, screening celebrates power of the film ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’
Fifty years ago, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" hit theaters. Set in an Oregon state hospital, the movie based on Ken Kesey's novel received critical acclaim and told a history of Native Americans in the Oregon area. College of Arts and Sciences cinema studies senior instructor Stephen Rust spoke at a panel at an anniversary screening of the film. Rust highlighted Will Sampson’s role as Chief Bromden for his textured performance that came after producers were looking for a stereotypical tall, stoic Native American.
a snow packed mountain top
$224 for a lift ticket in Oregon? Where prices are rising or staying put, as ski resorts absorb insurance hikes
Ben Hansen, a University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences economics professor and avid skier, has watched the intricate and complex system of pricing at Oregon’s ski resorts evolve over the years. As of Friday, the highest priced season stood at $1,499, at Mt. Bachelor. But there are many discounts to be had for buying months earlier, online, on Black Friday or Cyber Monday at Mt. Bachelor and resorts across the state. Hansen spoke with Oregonian/OregonLive.
a person skiing
How Cold Weather Impacts An Athlete’s Training (And How To Use It To Your Advantage)
How can skiers train for the cold? The Weather Channel spoke with Chris Minson, the Kenneth M. and Kenda H. Singer Endowed Professor in the Department of Human Physiology. Minson is one example of the department's many faculty experts who are on the forefront of increasing sports performance.

All media news »

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

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