Social Sciences News

a closeup of a computer
Harnessing Digital Tools for Social Justice
INDIGENOUS, RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES, POLITICAL SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY - We’re entering a new phase in the digital revolution, one in which scientists are stretching the capabilities of digital technologies to solve some of society’s largest and most complex problems. Read more in the Annual Research Report, out now.
a man stands next to a lava flow
Who's Afraid of a Big, Bad Planet?
COMPUTER SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY - The world can be hazardous: seismic activity that shakes the earth, rising sea levels and volcanic eruptions that reshape the landscape. Meet some of the CAS scientists who are studying the most powerful forces that threaten humanity.
a collage of headshots over an atlas
New faculty expand school’s academic, global perspectives
GLOBAL STUDIES, ROMANCE LANGUAGES - The School of Global Studies and Languages continues to grow with new faculty members who are expanding its perspectives and areas of expertise while contributing to its interdisciplinary curriculum, innovative language teaching, and abundant learning opportunities outside the classroom.
a woman with a magnifying glass
What's in a (Scientific) Name?
HISTORY - A 17th-century court case discovered by a history PhD candidate led to a prestigious prize that had never before been awarded to a Pacific Northwest graduate student. Explore Michele Pflug’s award-winning research on the surprising drama around how early scientists named their specimens.
a headshot of Vera Keller
Unearthing the Origins of Research Universities
HISTORY - Ever wonder how research universities like UO evolved? It all comes down to one man, according to history professor Vera Keller. In her new book, she explores how Johann Daniel Major established the foundation of modern academia in the 17th century that is ethical and locally grounded.
a wood sign in front of a setting sun
Missing history: UO student project reveals gaps in Oregon's story
GEOGRAPHY, INDIGENOUS, RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES - Oregon’s historical markers, those roadside signs commemorating the state's past, give a version of history that University of Oregon researchers say is skewed. But a team of students is working to address the histories that highway markers omit through an online interactive map.
a student wearing a reflective jacket and a hat in the middle a of a flower bed
UO fellow is busy as a bee
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - Nicholas Burns (class of 2025), isn’t afraid to stop and smell the roses. Burns is dedicated to finding and applying strategies to create new pollinator habitats and combat their decline. He studies the fitness of flowering plant species in response to neighboring competition and pollination alongside mentor and professor Lauren Hallett at the University of Oregon Hallett Lab.
housing cul de sac
Research Roundtable on Housing Challenges in Oregon
SOCIOLOGY - Associate Professor Claire Herbert is a current Consumer Protection Research Grant recipient. PhD student Mae Sowards and their research team they are diligently collecting and analyzing data for their project studying government protections for people excluded from the housing market in Oregon. They present their findings at a research roundtable titled "Discussion on Housing Challenges in Oregon" noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Room 242 Gerlinger Hall.
Sravya Tadepalli poses with the Oregon Duck
Finding meaning and purpose in a political science degree
POLITICAL SCIENCE - Years before Sravya Tadepalli started working as a senior legislative advisor at the Oregon Employment Department, she was a Clark Honors College student studying political science and journalism. As a UO student, she received some of the highest honors for an undergrad, including being a Truman Scholar and Rhodes Scholar finalist. After the UO, Tadepalli went to graduate school at Harvard University to earn a master’s degree in public policy.
octavia butler sitting by a bookshelf
Experts panel to discuss Octavia Butler, Afrofuturism
ENGLISH, WOMEN'S, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - From noon to 1:30 pm Monday, Feb. 17, experts will discuss on the works by Octavia E. Butler's work and her legacy, as well as Afrofuturism, and how her literature can inspire us to see new futures and view the past through a new lens. “Octavia E. Butler’s work remains as urgent and essential as ever,” said Kemi Balogun, one of the organizers and an associate professor in CAS.
Val Burris
In Memoriam: Faculty Emeritus Val Burris

Professor Emeritus Val Burris passed away in Eugene on November 30th, 2024. He had had a stroke in July, had been in a care facility since then, and went into hospice care Thanksgiving week. Val was born May 8, 1947 and grew up in Texas. He started his position at the UO in 1978. He studied power structures and Marxist theory, with a particular interest in understanding how the ruling class maintains and wields power. Throughout his career he promoted a critical approach to sociological research, challenging elitism and injustice.

Linda Fuller
In Memoriam: Faculty Emeritus Linda Fuller

Professor Emeritus Linda Fuller died last week after declining from dementia and falls that broke her hips.  She had been a professor in Sociology for decades and finished her career in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies. Linda was a scholar of labor, social change, and development and published books on democracy in the workplace in Cuba and East Germany. After retiring, she was living in Ashland, where she and Greg McLauchlan, also long-time member of the Sociology Department, had retired and were enjoying a wonderful life of hiking and friends and the theater.

a man stands next to a big banner
A Road Less Traveled
SOCIOLOGY - After spending decades in the professional world, this sociology major has finally found his path—and he’s helping other students find theirs.
a globe rests on an open book
An Education Without Borders
GLOBAL STUDIES - It’s a big world, and decisions that happen in one region often ripple out to others. The School of Global Studies and Languages provides students with an internal atlas that helps them understand the forces and decisions that have human impact.
Dr. Emen Abdelhadi
Palestine and the Future of US Campus Activism
Dr. Eman Abdelhadi will hold two talks on campus discussing her research which examines how second-generation immigrant Muslim Americans reproduce cultural practices over time February 6-7, 2025