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

i voted stickers
Why Ballot Measures Are Booming in Some States
POLITICAL SCIENCE - Voters are in a way acting as lawmakers, as some states see an increase in ballot measures, spanning from county or city-level ordinances to state constitutional amendments, according to research by Madison Schroder, a political science PhD candidate at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences.
two graduates in cap and gowns pose for a selfie
Congratulations, 2025 Seniors!
Celebrate the class of 2025 with a slideshow featuring some of their favorite moments!
Stephen Wooten poses with a family in Mali
Home Is Where the Hearth Is
FOOD STUDIES, GLOBAL STUDIES - For more than 30 years, College of Arts and Sciences scholar Stephen Wooten's research has focused on Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa. His new book explores the role that women have in rural Mali.

All news »

From the Media

two people in Sudan posing
Supreme Court rules Trump can rapidly deport immigrants to Libya, South Sudan and other countries they aren’t from
For the past several months, the Trump administration has been trying to deport immigrants to countries they are not from – despite an April 2025 federal ruling that had blocked the White House from doing so. In a brief emergency order, a divided Supreme Court decided on June 23 that the Trump administration can, for now, legally deport immigrants to countries they were not born in. Eleanor Paynter, assistant professor of Italian, migration, and global media studies, explains the legal case in The Conversation.
a person runs on a track
What it would take for Faith Kipyegon to become the first female sub four-minute miler?
Brad Wilkins, a human physiologist at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, who led the Breaking2 “Science Team”, says they tested potential marathoners for VO2 max, running economy (how efficiently they use oxygen) and critical/sustainable speed, which is the highest pace that can be sustained for long periods without fatigue. They also looked for something more “squishy”, as Wilkins describes it — the capacity to show psychological resilience when suffering physically.
a profile shot of a researcher
The Scientific Research Lost Amid the Trump Administration’s NIH Cuts
An investigative report by ProPublica about the loss of federal funding for research includes Lauren Forrest, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences. Last year, Forrest received a multi-year grant to focus on LGBTQ+ people who live in rural areas where access to specialized care may be more limited. She was planning to recruit dozens of participants. But on March 21, she received a notification from the NIH that her grant was terminated because it did not “effectuate” the agency’s priorities, citing its connection to “gender identity.”

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

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