SOCIOLOGY - When Burks arrived at the UO in 1992, he had no idea what to study, but an introductory sociology class grabbed his attention. “It appealed to my curiosity about what makes people tick,” he says. Burks would go on to have a career filled with danger and intrigue as a special agent for the US government, protecting international dignitaries and overseeing security at embassies around the world.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation announced this year's Outstanding Research Awards, many of which went to College of Arts and Sciences faculty members: Professor Carlos Aguirre (history and Latin American studies), Assistant Professor Gabriel Sanchez (anthropology) and Leland O'Driscoll (associate director of the Oregon Hazards Lab).

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - From competing in seven events as a track heptathlete to conducting research in the lab, Colleen Uzoekwe has her sights set high. In 2023, Colleen was selected as a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, the oldest and most prestigious international fellowship award in the world. In 2024, she received the Jackson Award as the top senior female student-athlete. She is now working on attending medical school, a dream she's had since she can remember.

BIOLOGY - New research from Judith Eisen, a neuroscientist in the College of Arts and Sciences, describes how nerve cells and muscle cells communicate through electrical signals during development—a phenomenon known as bioelectricity. Research by Eisen and her colleagues was published in Current Biology.

EARTH SCIENCES - Iceland’s ongoing volcanic eruptions may continue on and off for years to decades, threatening the country’s most densely populated region and vital infrastructure. Ilya Bindeman, an earth sciences professor in CAS, said volcanoes are ordinary on the geological scale, but on the human scale, they can be devastating.

INDIGENOUS, RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES, PHILOSOPHY - Sensors collect data on all sorts of information, including gait consistency, body temperature, heart rate, and more. But where is the ethical line between using sensor data to help an athlete improve their performance—and even avoid injury—and that same data being used to sideline them or used as surveillance of behavior?

From pushing sports performance to the physiological benefits of ice plunge baths, College of Arts and Sciences researchers are working to transform athletes into champions. Learn more about the impact that our researchers make in recreational and sports performance.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - Heat will only become a bigger issue for summer sports, such as track and field. Outside Magazine's Alex Hutchinson tries out the heat adaptation protocol created by Chris Minson and John Halliwill, both of whom run the Exercise & Environmental Physiology Lab at the Bowerman Sports Science Center.