CAS Connection - Oct 2025 Issue

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Human Physiology intern, Ally Smith, on the track

Soaring from the sidelines

Thanks to human physiology internships, these students are getting hands-on lessons in medicine and helping Ducks' sports soar.

By Nicole Krueger and 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
 

Comics exhibition - Captain American by Jack Kirfy

Good Vibes

All hail the King of Comics

Only one comics artist has influenced so much of our culture and it’s not the name people know best.

By Jenny Brooks

chlorate antibiotic treatment comparison

Research & Innovation

CAS gives antibiotics a boost

Researchers have tested a new combination drug therapy that could dismantle difficult-to-treat bacteria.

By Leila Okahata

europa moon by nasa

Experiential Learning

NASA team ignites curiosity at UO

A next generation of scientists joined a meeting with 265 professionals guiding a NASA spacecraft.

By Henry Houston

an illustration collage of people's faces

Research & Innovation

How race shapes everyday life

A new book by Professor Jessica Vasquez-Tokos uncovers how race influences personal experiences.

By Grace Connolly

Computer Science Alumni Fedi Aniefuna giving keynote at Hackathon

CAS Spotlight

Computer science alum weaves together ambition and generosity to kickstart his career

When Fedi Aniefuna arrived at the UO, he still hadn’t decided whether he wanted to major in political science and go to law school, or study computer science and head straight into the workforce. Five years later, he’s beginning his second year as an engineer with Amazon Web Services after choosing math and computer science.

Learn Fedi’s Story

Where athletes maximize performance

The Oregon Performance Research Lab in the Department of Human Physiology is designed to drive significant scientific advancements in human performance and remove barriers for all individuals .

“When we first had the vision for this lab, it was not only understanding mechanisms that might be limiting human performance, but we also really wanted to translate that out into the community,” said Professor Brad Wilkins, founder and director of the Oregon Performance Research Lab. “Our community testing services program is really taking the research and translating that to people in the community that really want to improve their performance.”

The lab offers a number of fee-based testing services including threshold testing, VO2 max, hemoglobin mass and sweat testing.

Explore the Lab’s Research

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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

people with signs at a protest
May Day protests have long history in the Pacific Northwest
Protests were planned across the world on May 1 in honor of International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, including in the Pacific Northwest. Steven Beda, an assistant professor of history at the College of Arts and Sciences, specializes in the history of labor in the Pacific Northwest. He said many in the labor movement came to believe that these men were convicted because they were immigrants, not because they committed a crime.
exterior of a brick building with large windows
The folly of Trump taking a 'wrecking ball' to a crucial science advisory board
Mother Jones spoke with College of Arts and Sciences chemist and presidential chair Geraldine Richmond about the state of the National Science Foundation under the current White House administration. "This board is so important for being able to advise Congress as well as the president on issues that are so important to the country,” she said. Richmond was first appointed to the board by President Barack Obama and later by Trump during his first term.
a man holds up a shoe with 1:59:30 written on it
The science behind the Adidas shoes that helped two marathoners break the two-hour mark
Kenyan runners Sabastian Sawe (1:59:30) and Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) broke the two-hour marathon barrier at the 2026 London Marathon. College of Arts and Sciences human physiologist Brad Wilkins spoke with the publication Scientific American about the specially made Adidas shoes the two runners wore in the race and broke down why these shoes make such a difference.

All media news »

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