PSYCHOLOGY - Since earning his PhD from the Department of Psychology in 1996 under the joint supervision of professors emeriti Douglas Hintzman and Michael Posner, Levitin has become one of the most prominent figures in cognitive science. During a recent visit to campus to donate his papers to the UO Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives, Levitin delivered a guest lecture about his new book to students.

DATA SCIENCE - In Applied Data Science for Social Justice, a new course developed by Associate Professor Rori Rohlfs in the School of Computer and Data Sciences, students partner with CAHOOTS in Eugene to help its organizers sift through data they’ve collected from thousands of dispatch calls to glean insights on how they can improve their services.

BIOLOGY, PHYSICS - A new study published in the journal mBio shows how one kind of bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, triggers those painful contractions by activating the immune system. The research also finds a more general explanation for how the gut rids itself of unwanted intruders, which could also help scientists better understand chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. The research was led by Julia Ngo, a now-graduated doctoral student in Karen Guillemin and Raghu Parthasarathy’s labs.

PHYSICS - Professor Tien-Tien Yu is one of nearly 400 scientists and engineers awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the US government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

EARTH SCIENCES - Any moment, the "Big One" could hit the Pacific Northwest. It's been more than 300 years since the last 9.0+ Cascadia earthquake. At the University of Oregon, researchers are working from many angles to make sure people across the region are as prepared as possible.

EARTH SCIENCES - Oregon’s Cascade Range mountains might not hold gold, but they store another precious resource in abundance: water. Scientists from the University of Oregon and their partners have mapped the amount of water stored beneath volcanic rocks at the crest of the central Oregon Cascades and found an aquifer many times larger than previously estimated — at least 81 cubic kilometers.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY - Check out the latest in faculty, student and alumni news in our Winter 2025 Chemistry and Biochemistry Newsletter!

PHYSICS - The National Science Foundation has awarded a one-year, $1 million grant to a team led by University of Oregon researchers exploring practical applications for emerging quantum technologies and working to move discoveries beyond the lab. “Oregon has a small group of proficient researchers leading the way globally in quantum technology," said Brian Smith, a professor of physics and director of the Oregon Center for Optical, Molecular and Quantum Science.

PSYCHOLOGY - Brice Kuhl is the first faculty member awarded the Dr. Michael Posner Psychology Professorship in Cognition and Neuroscience. This brand-new professorship, awarded in honor of the Department of Psychology’s groundbreaking researcher Michael Posner, will help support Kuhl’s teaching, research and professional development.

BIOLOGY - In 1924, the University of Oregon began teaching marine biology classes in a ramshackle collection of tents in a cove along the southern Oregon Coast. But what started as a couple of professors bringing some students on a summer camp has now become a permanent, year-round marine field station with a hundred years of coastal research and education.

A group of 31 University of Oregon students explored the power of diversity in science at the nation’s largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity conference Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The UO chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) sent its second annual delegation to the National Diversity in Stem (NDiSTEM) Conference in Phoenix, where they were immersed in cutting-edge STEM technology and research.

MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS - Miles from any other humans, Katie Linnenkohl and Owen Mitchem—both undergrads majoring in physics—trudge up a darkening path toward the hemispherical structure atop Pine Mountain near Bend, where they’ll spend the night scouring the sky for signs of a world around another star. Their mission: Capture evidence of a suspected planet lurking within the constellation Cassiopeia.

EARTH SCIENCES - Is there a habitable environment beneath the Jupiter moon Europa’s icy crust? CAS Professor Carol Paty is helping NASA find out. Paty, a comparative planetologist who builds numerical 3D models, was brought on board several of the scientific teams to help determine how the Europa Clipper's instruments could best answer key questions about the subsurface ocean: How deep is it? How salty is it? How far beneath the ice does it lie?

Experiential learning prepares many people for career and advancing education—even Dean Chris Poulsen. Hear from Poulsen about how a memorable Earth sciences undergraduate field trip set him on the path to graduate school, and read about how the CAS Experiential Learning Fund helps undergrads access life-changing hands-on learning opportunities.