CAS News

THEATRE ARTS — University Theatre's fall production is "The Moors," and as with any good story, things are not what they appear, and the characters’ motives aren’t always honest. The play includes a six-member cast and the creative use of stage lighting to create a Victorian-style set for the manor and the moors outside the home. The show runs Nov. 7–23 and tickets are free for students.

INDIGENOUS, RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES - In spring 2025, Assistant Professor Lana Lopesi received the Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching in recognition of her early career excellence. Since joining the UO, she has developed five courses within her department and helped put together the first IRES study abroad program to Sāmoa in partnership with political science professor Ronald Mitchell. 

COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS - When Fedi Aniefuna arrived at the University of Oregon, he still hadn’t decided whether he wanted to major in political science and go to law school, or study computer science and head straight into the workforce. Five years later, he’s beginning his second year as an engineer with Amazon Web Services after spending his time at the UO studying math and computer science.

PHYSICS - During the last week of August, the University of Oregon Eugene campus was home to the Europa Clipper Project Science Group meeting, offering College of Arts and Sciences students a chance to see a space mission team at work and inspire them to become the next generation of planetary scientists.

ENGLISH, COMICS AND CARTOON STUDIES — Ben Saunders, professor and pop-culture scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences, curated a special exhibit in LA featuring comics artist, Jack Kirby. The exhibit, “Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity,” received glowing reviews and is a must-see for anyone in the LA area. In this Q&A, Saunders explains what makes Kirby exceptional and why he's so important to him.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - Thanks to human physiology internships, these students are getting hands-on lessons in medicine and helping Ducks athletics soar. “Not all students can afford to volunteer to have access to these experiential learning opportunities,” says Amy Sibul, internships and career readiness director for the Department of Human Physiology. “We’ve received a lot of feedback over the years that this is a powerful experience, but students were really struggling to afford their lives.

SOCIOLOGY - Professor Jessica Vasquez-Tokos' new book "Burdens of Belonging: Race in an Unequal Nation" explores how race shapes the everyday experiences of individuals and what it means to be a “so-called problem” in the predominantly white state of Oregon in the 21st century. "How does racial status inflect one’s sense of belonging in the nation?” Vasquez-Tokos said.

College of Arts and Sciences researchers have tested a new combination drug therapy that could dismantle the difficult-to-treat bacteria inhabiting chronic wound infections. Their findings, published Sept. 29 in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, illuminate ways to develop more effective antimicrobial treatments that promote healing in chronic wounds.

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.

COMPOSITION — Core education is two things at once: a chance to explore new subjects and an opportunity to prepare for success in college. After a recent curriculum update, WR123, a compositional writing course, provides more hands-on learning experience, practice with research and a community engagement focus. 

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.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - Performance testing transforms training from a guessing game into a precise, strategic process that builds maximum athletic potential. Oregon Performance Research Laboratory at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences offers a number of testing services to athletes in the community, including threshold testing, VO2 max, hemoglobin mass, sweat testing and more.

BIOLOGY - An expert on child and adolescent development and an expert on host-microbe interactions have each been recognized by the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon of the Oregon Health and Science University. Karen Guillemin, professor and Philip H. Knight Chair in biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, received the Discovery Award for her significant contributions to health-related research.

SOCIOLOGY - Fear of deportation among people in the United States without permanent legal status declines with age, according to a study recently published by University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences researcher Isabel Garcia Valdivia. The project is the first to examine how those concerns diminish after age 50 because relationships, families, work and communities change with time.

GRADUATE STUDIES - The work of writing a dissertation can be overwhelming, which is why it's important to find innovative ways for students to develop a plan for success. This summer the graduate studies team hosted a bootcamp filled with advice to help make the dissertation writing process easier, more efficient and more enjoyable.