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.

BIOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRY, NEUROSCIENCE - University of Oregon senior Nayantara Arora has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford, making her the first Duck to earn the prized award in more than 15 years. Arora is majoring in neuroscience and minoring in global health and chemistry. At Oxford, Arora plans to pursue two master’s degrees, one in modeling for global health and the other in international health and tropical medicine.

GEOGRAPHY, HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE - Three current UO students have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Rhodes scholarship, the oldest international fellowship award in the world.

BIOLOGY, CINEMA STUDIES, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY - From animals to adhesives to DJ food stamp, students in First-year Interest Groups follow their fascinations and create community.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - Thanks to an anonymous donor, the Department of Human Physiology in the UO’s College of Arts and Sciences now has a director of internships and has so far provided stipends for 61 undergraduate students to get paid, hands-on experience. 

COMPUTER SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY - The University of Oregon jumped to a tie for 98th in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings for best national universities. The College of Arts and Sciences landed at 71st in computer science, 88th in economics and 51st in psychology.

BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - The Hallett Lab is collecting samples to test a new, more sustainable way to farm hazelnuts. Steve Haring, a postdoctoral researcher in the Hallett Lab, is studying what happens when cover crops, such as native wildflowers, are used as beds around the trees.

NEUROSCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY - David McCormick is now at the heart of a booming happiness enterprise at the UO, aiming to restore those connections and inspire students to examine how their minds mold reality. His science-based course, Happiness: A Neuroscience and Psychology Perspective, is one of the most popular electives on campus.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - Students in the College of Arts and Sciences are working in a cross-campus collaboration to research sports and wellness. It's a way to have scientific studies improve not only lives of athletes but everyday people, too.

MATHEMATICS - University of Oregon undergrad Abby Lewis published a children’s book titled The Forest of Numbers in early June that introduces elementary school-aged students to mathematical concepts.