EARTH SCIENCES - More than 100 scientists and community partners recently convened to discuss resilience and preparedness planning in a workshop hosted by the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center (CRESCENT), a new multi-institution earthquake research center led by the University of Oregon. Attendees discussed the latest science and resilience planning needs of communities related to a better understanding of the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Three College of Arts and Sciences researchers have received the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty members in the past year: Luca Mazzucato (biology, mathematics and physics), Brittany Erickson (computer science and earth sciences) and Julia Widom (chemistry). Known as the CAREER Awards, the organization recognizes and fosters rising stars by funding innovative research.

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).

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.

EARTH SCIENCES, PHYSICS - Staff and faculty members came together for the inaugural College of Arts and Sciences Awards and Hallmark Achievement Reception, which celebrated some of the achievements of faculty and staff. In addition to celebrating some of the college’s faculty members who have received accolades outside of the university, the ceremony featured the college’s first-ever awards that recognize the work of faculty and staff.

ANTHROPOLOGY, BIOLOGY, EARTH SCIENCES - Students in the College of Arts and Sciences have the opportunity this winter to take classes on the picturesque Oregon Coast at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.

EARTH SCIENCES - What will happen if a massive earthquake reduces the Pacific Northwest to rubble? The nation’s first subduction zone earthquake hazards center, CRESCENT, brings together researchers and policymakers to help build resilience against the inevitable temblor—and increase diversity in the Earth sciences.

EARTH SCIENCES, DATA SCIENCE - Clark Honors College senior and data science major Lynette Wotruba took up data science three years into her college career. Today, she’s working with the Department of Earth Sciences to make information about the dangers of tsunamis accessible to communities along the Oregon coast.

EARTH SCIENCES - The Oregon Hazards Lab is a research lab within the UO’s Department of Earth Sciences, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Its mission is to detect, monitor and mitigate natural and human-caused hazards, such as earthquakes and wildfires.

EARTH SCIENCES, OREGON INSTITUTE OF MARINE BIOLOGY - While cruising the Pacific Ocean looking for deep-sea creatures to study, a UO undergraduate researcher got more than he bargained for—rare ash samples from an underwater volcanic eruption 62 miles away.

EARTH SCIENCES - Research led by Rebecca Dorsey, an Earth sciences professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, led research that reveals the dynamics of seismically active faults on either side of the Strait of Messina and how they interact to create a narrow marine passage filled with geologic hazards.

EARTH SCIENCES - The Greek island Santorini is known for its scenic beauty and the filming location for the hit ABBA-fueled musical Mamma Mia. However, geophysicist Emilie Hooft is interested in the underwater volcanoes that created the island about 3,600 years ago. For the past 10 years, Hooft has been studying those underwater volcanoes using state-of-the-art imaging.

EARTH SCIENCES - A new, innovative earthquake center, led by the University of Oregon, is receiving a five-year, $15-million grant from the National Science Foundation, to understand the Cascadia subduction zone and improve earthquake resiliency in the Pacific Northwest.

EARTH SCIENCES - Federal lawmakers tour the capabilities of the ALERTWildfire high-speed camera system, which allows state agencies to prioritize resources in fighting wildfires.

The UO’s Environment Initiative has awarded seed funding to five new teaching projects to support faculty members who have proposed innovative courses and dynamic classroom experiences. The funding supports both research and curricular projects and focuses the intellectual energy and work of faculty, students and community partners on a just and livable future through transdisciplinary research, teaching and experiential learning.