CAS Connection - March

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From Curiosity to Impact

Our faculty are investigating solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues, 
from AI to Alzheimer's to ice sheet loss in Greenland. Find out about the grant-funded research projects CAS researchers are working on.

 

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

Vera Keller

Research & Innovation

On the Origins of Research Universities

Ever wonder how research universities like UO evolved? It all comes down to one man, according to history prof Vera Keller.

By Codi Farmer

A student studying a manuscript with a magnifying glass

Research & Innovation

What's in a (Scientific) Name?

A PhD candidate’s award-winning essay reveals the role of women in 17th-century scientific research—and what it sometimes cost them.

By Henry Houston

A researcher applying gel to and electrode cap used in tests

CAS Spotlights

Capturing Brain Waves

How does a brain with Parkinson’s disease compare to a healthy brain? Ask undergraduate researcher Cinthia Muñiz Sanchez.

By Bailey Meyers

Collage of new faculty members

Teaching Excellence

New Global Perspectives

Six new faculty members  bring their unique perspectives and expertise to the School of Global Studies and Languages.

By Henry Houston

Kids ducking under table for earthquake drill

Research & Innovation

Before the Shaking Starts

An earthquake early-warning alert can buy you life-saving seconds to drop and take cover—and CAS researchers want to help you make the most of them.

By Nicole Krueger

 

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.

CAS News

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.
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.

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From the Media

a man drinking a protein shake
The perplexing rise of protein shakes: how a ‘meaty sludge’ became a billion-dollar industry
The first protein shake was a concoction of "melted-down beef hides and carcasses." Now, consumers have various options, some that could be on a dessert menu. Hannah Cutting-Jones, a food studies assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, spoke with The Guardian about the earliest protein shakes.
a mannequin in a shop window
In the shadows of Hollywood, LA porn stars have two walks of fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a who's who of the Silver Screen, stretching over 18 blocks in Los Angeles. But the city also boasts another walk of fame that highlights stars from the adult film industry. SF Gate spoke with Peter Alilunas, associate professor of cinema studies at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences. “You get this moment where adult films start to have premieres, and they start to have publicity, and they start to take themselves seriously,” Alilunas says. “And so they start to form themselves into an industry in the sense of all the trappings that go with that,” he adds, including critics’ associations, award shows. And walks of fame."
a car driving past a barren hillside
Landslides 'are everywhere' in Oregon and more unpredictable than earthquakes
Landslides in Oregon are becoming more frequent and more unpredictable than earthquakes. CAS Earth scientist Josh Roering spoke with the Eugene Register-Guard about the past few decades of landslides. "Over the last couple decades, the landslides and the surface processes and surface hazards that I've been working on have become much more prominent, primarily due to climate change and humans inhabiting more areas in hazardous terrain," said Josh Roering, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Oregon who studies weathering, erosion and landslide processes.

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

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