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

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.
a person sitting at a desk
How particle physics is helping unravel the mysteries of our universe
PHYSICS - Far from home, Eric Torrence, a physics professor at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, will spend the next year and a half being the ATLAS Run Coordinator at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). After being elected to the position fall 2024, Torrence ensures the largest particle accelerator in the world continuously produces usable data from May 2025 to July 2026.
an illustration that says This is Oregon Podcast
Biologist shares ideas for making hazelnuts more climate resistant
BIOLOGY - Lauren Hallett, biology associate professor at the College of Arts and Sciences discusses her ongoing work to enhance the climate resiliency of Oregon’s hazelnut farms, which account for 99% of the country's hazelnut production. With the support of a $2 million federal award, Hallett and her lab have designed an agricultural practice using native cover crops and basalt dust amendments to set a new standard for sustainable hazelnut farming.

All news »

From the Media

zebras in a field
The scientists making the case for nature’s rights
A growing number of scientists are backing laws recognizing that nature has inherent rights and intrinsic value. That includes political science professor Craig Kauffman. Kauffman founded the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor in 2022 to track rights of nature developments. Analyzing more than 450 examples worldwide, he tells Inside Climate News that he found a major commonality: They all treat nature, whether a river, forest or individual species, as part of a larger web of life.
stock photo of a person's back of their head staring at a wall
6 signs your memory isn’t normal
In a Buzzfeed article, College of Arts and Sciences professor Ulrich Mayr offers insight into some of the “red flags” of memory loss in old age. “One really telltale sign might be getting lost in your hometown, just not finding your way,” said Mayr, a professor of neuroscience.
a woman presenting at a conference
The one thing that defines WNBA players
As WNBA players negotiate their labor contract, the commissioner of the women’s basketball league is under scrutiny. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation spoke with Courtney M. Cox, an associate professor in the Department of Indigenous, Race and Ethnic Studies, about the negotiations. “Officiating is connected to labor, to shared governance of this league and speaks to what is important for multiple unions,” she said. “The frustration is not isolated but rather compounded by a sense of stagnation on several key issues.”

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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