PHYSICS - A research team that includes two UO physicists have outlined new techniques for controlling the building blocks of quantum computing, a potentially significant step toward making such computers more accurate and useful. Physicists David Allcock and David Wineland are founders of the new Oregon Ions Laboratory.

SOCIOLOGY - The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to mostly remote instruction gave many students pause about starting, or returning, to college. Not Shawna Heurgue. The Springfield mother of three had been struggling to transition into a new career after leaving her longtime job as an emergency room nurse.

PSYCHOLOGY, BIOLOGY, THEATRE ARTS - The Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement honored four faculty members this spring for excellence in mentoring students as they ask questions and seek answers.

Ten University of Oregon undergraduates had the chance to spend part of the summer honing their research skills through programs that offered a chance to pursue their own scholarly projects. The students were chosen for one of two types of research grants.

Twenty outstanding faculty members, the most since 2007, have been selected for the sought-after Fund for Faculty Excellence Awards for the 2021-22 academic year. The fund is designed to reward, recognize and retain world-class teaching and research at the UO.

COMPUTER SCIENCE - The University of Oregon’s annual Cyber Resilience Summit will bring in expertise from federal investigators as well as leaders from the private sector to discuss cyberthreats and share skills to combat them. The one-day online summit will be preceded by a new UO-hosted statewide cyber competition.

PSYCHOLOGY - Six grants totaling more than $92,000 will allow several University of Oregon researchers to study a range of topics aimed at helping protect consumers. The research funding came about through a 2014 jury trial involving the oil giant BP.

BIOLOGY - Craig Young was leading a research trip off the Oregon coast near Newport Aug. 28 when he said he had the “strong impression” the ship should change course to collect samples in a new area. It may have inadvertently been a lifesaving decision.

PHYSICS - Ant mandibles, spider fangs and scorpion sting tips are made of special materials that deliver sharpness for penetrating prey that the limited forces of their small muscles won’t otherwise allow, according to new University of Oregon research. That knowledge may be useful for designing new precision cutting tools.

ANTHROPOLOGY, LINGUISTICS, SOCIOLOGY - A new UO study, which was recently shared with the U.S. secretary of labor, shows that COVID-19 has caused long-term economic, social, physical and mental health challenges for farmworkers in Oregon.