News

BIOLOGY - The annual Tykeson Teaching Awards were granted to faculty in archaeology, biology and cinema studies. Laurel Pfeifer-Meister was honored for her work with students in a three-course series. Pfeifer-Meister is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Biology and the lead instructor for the Honors/Accelerated Biology 281, 282 and 283 laboratory sequence.

BIOLOGY, HISTORY - Associate Professor Melissa Graboyes and the students in her Global Health Research Group study historical materials to better understand malaria and strategies to address it. So far, they've found that there is no simple “silver bullet” for malaria. Instead, the realistic approach is one that is multi-pronged with the goal of malaria control — keeping malaria rates low. Alumni of this group — both biology majors — have cited the interdisciplinary experience as instrumental to their post-UO successes.

PSYCHOLOGY - Getting research published is a necessary step for academics. But faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences aim to do more. Among the faculty who presented at the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation's Week of Research and Innovation, Ann Swindells Professor of Clinical Psychology Nick Allen spoke about why he took his research to a startup company.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY - Gut microbes are a mystery. But Romila Mascarenhas, biochemist, is on the case. She's starting a lab that investigates how gut bacteria recognize, transport and use vitamin B12, a molecule that plays a huge role in shaping microbial communities in the human gut.

NEUROSCIENCE, PHYSICS - PhD candidate Saumya Keremane's research, conducted in the labs of Richard Taylor, a professor and head of the Department of Physics, and Dr. Bala Ambati, an ophthalmologist and research professor in the Department of Bioengineering, focuses on understanding and preventing neuron degradation to treat inherited blindness.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY - For the McLeroy family, the University of Oregon is a thread that digs deep in their ancestral roots. From two undergrads now on campus to Samuel “Edgar” McClure, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the UO in 1883 and a master’s in 1886, and was the first chair of the UO chemistry department.

COMPUTER SCIENCE - Armaan Hajarizadeh, a third-year computer science major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Clark Honors College, has been named a Goldwater Scholar. The prestigious national award recognizes undergraduates conducting research in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he plans to attend graduate school and eventually pursue a career in academia.