CAS Connection - FEB 2025

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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

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.
a grocery store cart
SNAP benefits dry up Saturday. What does it mean for grocery prices, food workers?
College of Arts and Sciences economist Keaton Miller speaks with The Oregonian/OregonLive about the loss of SNAP funds and what it means for the state's grocery stores. “(Grocery stores) have to pay for their facilities. They have to pay for their staff. They have to pay for all of the logistics, no matter how much they’re selling to consumers,” he said. “So, that’s going to put potentially upward pressure on pricing.”
A supermassive black hole far from its galaxy's center tears apart a star in the foreground of this artist's rendition.
Black hole caught snacking on star far from host galaxy’s center
The publication Astronomy wrote about a study by researchers who detected a unique incident of a star wandering near a supermassive black hole. “What’s exciting about this one is how well-sampled the data are,” said Yvette Cendes , an assistant professor in physics at the College of Arts and Sciences who analyzed the radio data. “We’ve seen second brightenings before, but this time we watched the rise and fall in real time.”

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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