CAS News

MATHEMATICS - The Department of Mathematics hosts Victor Reiner for its 2026 Moursund Lectures. Morsund is a Distinguished McKnight Professor in Mathematics at the University of Minnesota. The series of three lectures is 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at 128 Chiles Hall, 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at 125 McKenzie Hall and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursday, June 4 at 245 Straub Hall.

THEATRE ARTS — The College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre Arts is expanding opportunities for students to gain hands-on experiences and learn about different career paths. The most recent example is the student-run production of “Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons” recently staged in the Pocket Playhouse and supported by a new student-director pilot program.

BIOCHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY — Romila Mascarenhas, assistant professor of biochemistry, is starting a lab that investigates how gut bacteria recognize, transport and use vitamin B12, a molecule that plays a huge role in shaping microbial communities in the human gut. She anticipates her research will lead to collaboration with fellow CAS researchers across disciplines and attract a new generation of STEM students.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES — When the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation recently hosted a Week of Research and Innovation, Associate Dean of Research and Scholarship in the College of Arts and Sciences Jennifer Pfeifer organized a panel session as part of the week’s events to showcase the breadth of the societal impact CAS researchers have.

SCHNITZER SCHOOL — Over 675 Oregon high school students — from Pendleton to Medford — attended the 2026 Foreign Language & International Studies (FLIS) Day at the University of Oregon on May 1. It’s a celebration and exploration of language and culture featuring more than 65 language and culture-related presentations, workshops and hands-on activities.

ECONOMICS - CAS economist Laura Bakkensen published research about the damages flooding could have on the US housing market. "The housing market is a massive market in the US," said Bakkensen. "It's worth trillions of dollars. That value means we need to think about some of these natural disaster risks and how they're affecting some of our financial systems."

ANTHROPOLOGY - University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences researcher Lynn Stephen was elected in April to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, with 250 other leaders in academia, industry, the arts and more. Stephen is an anthropologist whose research on immigration and asylum, gender-based violence, race, and Indigenous communities in Mexico, Guatemala and the diaspora in California and the Northwest.

NEUROSCIENCE, PHYSICS - PhD candidate Saumya Keremane's research, conducted in the labs of Richard Taylor, a professor and head of the Department of Physics, and Dr. Bala Ambati, an ophthalmologist and research professor in the Department of Bioengineering, focuses on understanding and preventing neuron degradation to treat inherited blindness.

MATHEMATICS - Tyler Jarvis, Brigham Young University professor, will be visiting the UO Math Department on May 13 and 14 and giving two talks as part of the Niven Lectures.

MATHEMATICS - Hannah Larson, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, will visit the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Mathematics on May 7 and 8, and give two talks as part of the Association for Women in Mathematics’ Distinguished Speaker series.

InfoGraphics - The cartographic team at the College of Arts and Sciences’ InfoGraphics Lab, along with an outside team of wildlife ecologists and spatial analysts have developed an interactive atlas to track vast migrations of ungulates, which are hoofed, typically herbivore mammals.

ECONOMICS - Alum Joseph Wyer will discuss the how economics and science can come together for modern marketing. His talk “The Science of Modern Marketing” is 2-2:45 pm Friday, May 8, at Lillis 182. The event is organized by the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Economics.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - Heat therapy is hot right now. Saunas are popping up everywhere, from the local YMCA to backyards. College of Arts and Sciences human physiologist Christopher Minson weighs in on heat therapy and its evidence-based benefits.  In a recent review paper, Minson rounded up the science behind heat therapy and how it can be most effectively harnessed to benefit health and fitness.

The InfoGraphics Lab and the Eugene-based nonprofit Beyond Toxics collaborated on a dynamic map that has pulled back the veil on pesticide use in Oregon. The map not only provides a public service but also served as a training ground for students learning how to communicate complex data.

BIOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRY - For the McLeroy family, the University of Oregon is a thread that digs deep in their ancestral roots. From two undergrads now on campus to Samuel “Edgar” McClure, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the UO in 1883 and a master’s in 1886, and was the first chair of the UO chemistry department.