Our science departments are committed to creating and disseminating new knowledge in their fields by combining research and teaching. Our 300 faculty members—including fellows of many learned societies and academies—are engaged in research that spans a broad range, from questions about the foundations of quantum mechanics, to the development of cancer cells and the workings of the brain, to work resulting in the spin-off of high-technology companies. Faculty share their excitement about their research with their students, training them to become part of the next generation of scientists who will push the frontiers of human knowledge. Explore majors, minors, concentrations, and academic programs in the Natural Sciences.
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Gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences can help our students make the most of their college careers. To do this, CAS needs your support. Your contributions help us ensure that teaching, research, advising, mentoring, and support services are fully available to every student. Thank you!
World-Class Faculty in the Natural Sciences
Thien Nguyen
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Thien Nguyen is an expert in natural language processing, or the ability of artificial intelligence to understand, interpret and generate meaningful human language. He aims to enable computers to perform cognitive language-related tasks. His lab is among the first to develop deep learning algorithms for information extraction and text mining in natural language processing and data mining. His research on using natural language processing for multilingual learning earned him a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation.
Nguyen's recent research focuses on programming computers to improve the efficiency and safety of large language models (LLMs) across human languages while extracting valuable information about events like natural disasters, cyberattacks, disease outbreaks, and protests from news articles and other sources. His work seeks to deliver useful insights from diverse data and make these technologies accessible in low-resource languages that lack adequate data sets for training AI models.
Tien-Tien Yu
Associate Professor of Physics, Institute for Fundamental Science
Tien-Tien is a theoretical particle physicist working at the interface of theory and experiment. She is particularly interested in understanding the nature of dark matter, whose existence is known through its gravitational effects on ordinary matter. She co-founded the SENSEI collaboration, an experiment utilizing silicon chips, much like those found in digital cameras, to search for dark matter. She was recently appointed to P5, an advisory group convened once a decade by the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation to help determine the next funded projects in particle physics.
On Jan. 14, 2025, Yu was one of nearly 400 scientists and engineers to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest award the US government awards to early career scientists.
A founding member of the group Particles for Justice, Yu is also a leader in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the physics field. In collaboration with the Comics and Cartoon Studies program, Yu created the UO Science and Comics Initiative. Read more about the initiative here.
Santiago Jaramillo
Associate Professor of Biology, Institute of Neuroscience
Santiago Jaramillo leads a research group dedicated to understanding how the brain processes and interprets sounds. Using advanced techniques to monitor and manipulate neural activity in mice, along with computational approaches, he investigates how the brain filters, learns, and assigns meaning to sounds and how brain disorders can affect these processes. His interdisciplinary work, supported by the BRAIN Initiative of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, includes collaborations with psychologists, bioengineers, theoretical neuroscientists, and linguists, with the long-term goal of developing neural interfaces to improve human-to-human and human-to-machine communication.
Beyond the lab, Jaramillo is deeply committed to broadening participation in STEM. He provides hands-on neuroscience experiences to middle school girls through the SPICE program, serves as an advisor for international programs engaging young minds in scientific critical thinking, and mentors college students from a wide range of backgrounds through programs such as NSF STEP-UP, SPUR, and the ESPRIT scholarship for aspiring K-12 science teachers.
School of Computer and Data Sciences
The mission at SCDS is to empower a diverse population of students and faculty working to advance knowledge in computer and data science, train the next generation of scholars, and engage with the wider world to tackle interdisciplinary challenges.
To do this, we start by applying our knowledge and experience at home across the University of Oregon campus.
Research in the Natural Sciences
Natural scientists use data to understand, predict, and work with naturally occurring phenomena on earth and in the universe. From highly controlled experiments in the lab to observations collected in the field, our findings help make sense of the natural world while driving advancements in society and technology that touch everyone. By expanding the limits of human knowledge, we provide a scientific foundation for helping people live better, longer lives.
2024-2025 Sponsored Research in Natural Sciences
Between July 2024 and June 2025, researchers in CAS received $83 million to fund 199 research projects, including approximately $75 million in Natural Sciences. The research projects, which span divisions and fields of study, represent CAS's commitment to curiosity, discovery, and innovation.
Explore Other Majors and Minors in the College of Arts and Sciences
Meet our Dean
Welcome to the natural sciences, where our top-flight researchers bring students in to experience the biological, physical, and computational sciences. Working side-by-side with faculty who are equally committed to student success and scientific discovery, students learn valuable critical thinking skills through hands-on research in the lab, field, and classroom—from studying marine biology at the Oregon Institute for Marine Biology on our beautiful campus on the coast to coding advanced systems and analyzing complex data in the School of Computer and Data Science.
The research we’re conducting at the UO makes a tangible difference in our communities, our nation, and the world. For example, our chemists are pioneering the materials and techniques that will inspire the next generation of batteries for energy storage. Our psychologists are developing and testing cutting-edge interventions to improve mental health and wellbeing. Our geologists and environmental scientists are collaborating with governments, tribes, and industry partners to protect communities from earthquakes and wildfires.
You may or may not end up in a science career, but either way these experiences will change the way you experience and interact with the world. A healthy society depends on people who know how to gather evidence and critically analyze data. No matter what field you enter, scientific thinking will help you become a more thoughtful, engaged, and critical citizen in modern society.
We’re excited to explore the natural world with you.
Elliot Berkman
Divisional Associate Dean, Natural Sciences
Happening at CAS
Find daily ways to engage your career curiosity with workshops, local industry tours, alumni panels & networking events, the Spring Career & Internship Expo (4/16), and Practice Interview Day (4/17) that will help you develop skills and connections on the road to career readiness. For a full list of workshops, career tours, networking events, resume reviews, alumni panels, and more, visit career.uoregon.edu/events or register for events in Handshake. Why wait?! Stop by the University Career Center in Tykeson Hall-Garden Level ASAP to get drop-in resume reviews and other career guidance to make the most of your Career Readiness Week!
The University Career Center offers a special thanks to our Spring 2026 Career Readiness Week sponsor: Enterprise Mobility!
FULL LIST OF EVENTS!
Resume Extravaganza (Drop-In Resume Reviews) Wednesday, April 8th, 11am-4pm, Tykeson Hall Commons (1st Floor) Did you know you can have someone review your resume before the Career & Internship Expo? Drop in any time to get feedback on your resume. Don’t have a resume? Come learn how to make one!
Spring Career Closet Pop-Up Thursday, April 9th, 12pm-3pm, EMU Redwood Auditorium (214) Make a first impression that reflects your awesomeness! Browse through new and gently used business casual and professional clothes, and curate a FREE interview-ready outfit!
Career Tour: Healthcare Friday, April 11th, 8:45am-1pm, meet at Ford Alumni Center (RSVP on Handshake Required! Space Limited!) Thinking about a career in healthcare? Have we got a Friday morning for you! Hop on the bus and let’s go explore McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield for a behind-the-scenes tour and Q&A with healthcare leaders just for UO students!
Building your Network: LinkedIn & Beyond (Workshop) Friday, April 10th, 2pm-2:45pm, Tykeson Hall Garden Level 50P (University Career Center-Conference Room) Learn how to build meaningful professional connections, both online and in person. We’ll cover how to create or update your LinkedIn profile, reach out for informational interviews, and make the most of networking opportunities at the UO and beyond.
Curious about the Career & Internship Expo (Virtual Info Session) Monday, April 13th, 12pm-1pm via Zoom (Register in Handshake) Learn the ins and outs of navigating the in-person Career & Internship Expo, updating your Handshake profile, researching employers, and how to present yourself authentically during the expo.
So, You want to learn about Grad School (Workshop) Tuesday, April 14th, 2:30pm-3:15pm, Tykeson Hall Garden Level 50P (University Career Center-Conference Room) Whether you are just exploring or already researching programs, this workshop will help you make sense of your options. We will break down different types of degrees, how to find and compare programs, and what to expect in the application process so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Your Future in Tech + Connect (Networking) Tuesday, April 14, 4pm-6pm, EMU Crater Lake Rooms Join us for a special industry-connection night dedicated to helping you get career ready for your future in Tech. Participate in small group networking with tech professionals and alumni to get advice on career-building opportunities and connections.
Interviewing Strategies for Success (Workshop) Wednesday, April 15th, 12pm-12:45pm, Tykeson Hall Garden Level 50P (University Career Center-Conference Room) Learn how to prepare with confidence, answer common (and tricky) interview questions, and communicate your strengths clearly. We will also share helpful tools and resources you can use before your next interview.
Opportunity Hub (Panel + Networking) Wednesday, April 15th , 3:30pm-5pm, EMU Crater Lake Rooms (146) Following panel from 3:30pm-4pm, Grab a snack and rotate through casual small group chats with alumni, professionals, and employers to learn more about their companies (like Nike, Pinterest, Teach for America and more!), career paths, and get advice about how to find career-building opportunities and connections for your future.
Job Shadow Day Interest Meeting
Wednesday, April 15th, 4pm-5pm, Tykeson Commons Come learn about Job Shadow Day happening on May 15th and how getting outside your comfort zone for one Friday with mystery mentors can jumpstart your career exploration!
BizCareers: Internships Spring into Fall Ready (Panel + Networking) Wednesday, April 15th, 5:30-8pm, Lillis 182 & Atrium INTERNSHIPS! How to find them, prepare for, apply, and land them!
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Internship Stories Panel, 5:30-60, Lillis 182 Hear practical, applicable insights from a panel of alumni, industry partners who hire, and students who successfully navigated the process during an internship prep panel focused on networking, referrals, timing, applications, and more.
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Internship Power Prep Round Tables (with FOOD!), 6:30-8pm, Lillis Atrium Stay for a structured roundtable Q&A, exploring four essential topics—researching companies and people, getting started with networking, building resilience during the search process, and developing mentorship and ongoing relationships. You will practice asking great questions, get personalized advice, and walk away with actionable next steps you can use immediately.
Spring Career & Internship Expo
Thursday, April 16th, 12pm-4pm, EMU Ballrooms
Get curious about your future and make connections with cool employers! Find your career fit with over 60+ employers comprised of a variety of industries and organizational types--all on-campus and excited to share more with you about early career talent opportunities.
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First Career & Internship Expo? Or just a little nervous? Come early and get a low-stress, behind-the-scenes Expo Preview & Tour (11:15am-noon, EMU Ballrooms) and learn how to navigate the expo and make a good first impression with employers.
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Take part in the Expo Scavenger Hunt to win prizes and have fun conversation starters with employers.
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Want to make a great first impression? Bring copies of your resume and wear an outfit that reflects your confidence, personality, and professionalism.
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While you are all dressed up, get a FREE Professional Headshot taken to add to your LinkedIn!
Friday, April 17th, 12pm-4pm (30-45 minutes each), Tykeson Hall 1st Floor Commons Come practice commonly asked interview questions and get active feedback from experienced professionals and career coaches on your communication style, professionalism, and more. Drop-ins are welcome!
noon
Why YOU should come to this Expo...
- You're curious about your future. Explore different career paths and job roles across industries. EXPOse yourself to unique career pathways that can use your career readiness skills and passions to make an impact in the world.
- You want to make connections. These organizations LOVE to hire Ducks and want to help you find your career fit. You might even meet UO alumni recruiting for them at the expo. Ask a recruiter what career readiness skills you can be building now to make you a top candidate in the present or future (and add them to your Linkedin network for future connections!).
- You want to find a job, internship, year of service, volunteer opportunity, and more! If you're actively job searching, have your resume ready to hand out and a short and sweet synopsis about yourself and your professional interests ready to go! If you're just exploring options, collect contact info, do some additional research, and do an informational interview to learn more before you apply.
- You want to build your confidence! Practice asking questions of employers AND sharing about who you are and what you're passionate about. Every expo you attend and each time you approach a recruiter, you get more and more comfortable presenting yourself in a professional manner.
- You want a FREE professional headshot! Dress to impress and get a headshot taken you can use on your Linkedin!
WHO'S COMING? Find your career fit with over 60+ employers comprised of private industry; public, educational, and non-profit organizations; local government, the federal government, law enforcement, and military--ALL on campus and excited to share more with you about their organization and early career talent opportunities. Open to students from ALL majors, classifications, and identities. Every expo looks a little different so come each term to keep exploring and expanding your career opportunities!
WHAT NEXT? Register for the Expo on Handshake today to learn about all the companies coming, and positions of interest you can be researching. We'll also send you tips and advice for how to make the most of the expo, including Career Readiness Week workshops like our Resume Extravaganza so you can have a great resume to hand to potential employers!
The University Career Center thanks Enterprise Mobility for sponsoring all of our Spring Career Readiness Week events and workshops and to Summit Bank for sponsoring the Spring Career & Internship Expo!
For a full list of Spring Career Readiness Week (April 10–17) events and workshops, check out http://career.uoregon.edu/events
3:30–5:00 p.m.
The Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) is pleased to host a research colloquium featuring faculty and graduate student scholars whose work explores how migration, embodiment, environment, and cultural production shape Latine experiences of belonging. Through literature, media, performance, and critical theory, this event highlights interdisciplinary approaches to identity, place, and community across Latinx and Latin American contexts.
Salomé Herrera, PhD, is a faculty member in the Department of English at the University of Oregon whose research is rooted in literary, performance, and Latinx studies. In their talk, "Trans* Epistemologies: Tracing the Womb across the Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa Papers," Herrera traces an embodied trans* epistemology across the Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa Papers from the Benson Library at the University of Texas at Austin. They specifically examine the development of Anzaldúa’s conceptualization of “el cenote,” Mexican lime hole sinkholes with spiritual significance for Mayan cultures, understood as material reservoirs or “wombs” of the collective unconscious from which creativity emerges. Drawing across spiritual and materialist traditions, Herrera shows how a sense of transitivity emerges from a queer Chicana feminist understanding of evolution, ultimately arguing that Anzaldúa’s speculative world-building transforms the womb from a colonized site of carceral policing into one of communal creativity with decolonial potential.
Alejandro Marín is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Romance Languages at the UO whose research focuses on contemporary migrant narratives from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. His dissertation, "The New Errancy: Configurations of Contemporary Migrant Literature in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Equatorial Guinea," develops “The New Errancy” as an analytical category to examine how authors from three distinct migration contexts challenge traditional colonial axes, reimagine non-biological family formations, and construct transnational identities in solidarity with contemporary migrants. Supported by the CLLAS Graduate Research Grant, Marín conducted archival research in the Dominican Republic, interviewed author José Acosta, and observed cross-border dynamics at Dajabón, grounding his work in lived migration contexts. The chapter he presents reads Loida Maritza Pérez’s Geographies of Home as a meditation on how transnational Dominican families negotiate generational fracture, linguistic displacement, and the contested meaning of belonging between the island and the United States.
Moe Gámez is a doctoral student in the Department of English at the UO whose research explores the intersection of Latinx literature, environmental justice, and queer/trans theory. Their dissertation examines how queer and trans Latinx authors and artists represent ecologies through embodied, speculative, and political narratives. Through archival and literary analysis, Gámez’s work contributes to the growing subfield of queer and trans Latinx environmentalisms, highlighting how questions of environment, identity, and embodiment are deeply interconnected.
Together, these scholars offer interdisciplinary perspectives on how Latine communities and cultural producers negotiate identity, space, embodiment, and belonging in relation to migration, ecology, and social transformation. Please join us for this engaging conversation and opportunity to learn more about emerging faculty and graduate student research at the UO. This event is presented by the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies.
3:30–4:30 p.m.
The Northwest Native American Language Resource Center's Community Project Planning and Development (CPPD) workshops are designed to help guide you through the process of creating a community-based project: from coming up with the idea, to building a solid organizational and logistical foundation, and all of the other necessary steps to get your project proposal completed. Overall, there are 15 CPPD workshops in this series.
Each workshop also has an associated next-day drop-in assistance hour. This workshop series is meant to take participants with little to no experience in community project planning and development and help them complete their first project proposal. While we are focused on assisting with project planning and development of Alaskan Native/Native American Language projects, much of the content that you will be learning in these workshops is readily transferrable to other types of projects.
Registrants will have access to all workshops in this April offering. Attendance at all workshops in the offering is recommended but not required.
All instruction is provided online and instructors will join online. Participants will join remotely via zoom (please see technology section below.)
Workshops in this Offering
The CPPD workshops are offered in smaller, five workshop offerings. The first five workshops were offered in November and December of 2025. The workshops that are available in the April offering are:
Workshop 6: Identifying Long-Range Goals
- Topic: Supports facilitation of community discussions to identify vision-aligned, long-term goals that drive project outcomes.
- Date: 4/1
- Drop-In Assistance: 4/2
Workshop 7: Defining Barriers to Long-Range Goals
- Topic: Identifies internal and external barriers, explores strategies to surface challenges, and begin problem-solving approaches.
- Date: 4/8
- Drop-In Assistance: 4/9
Workshop 8: Creating Project Goals & Objectives
- Topic: Translates community vision into specific, measurable project goals and objectives using clear, structured frameworks.
- Date: 4/15
- Drop-In Assistance: 4/16
Workshop 9: Outcomes, Outputs, & Activities
- Topic: Distinguishes outcomes, outputs, and activities, aligns them within a project framework/logic model.
- Date: 4/22
- Drop-In Assistance: 4/23
Workshop 10: Building a Project Work Plan
- Topic: Hands-on strategies to create a work plan with timelines, milestones, responsibilities, and deliverables.
- Date: 4/29
- Drop-In Assistance: 4/30
Technology
The CPPD workshops will be held via Zoom and will use Canvas, a course management system, for materials and activities. Participants must have an email address. It will be best to join on a computer that has a stable internet connection, a webcam, and headphones (depending on your work environment). Using a computer rather than a mobile device will improve your experience - you will be able to better interact with others, participate in hands-on activities, and see presented materials.