Social Sciences News

POLITICAL SCIENCE - Sarah Koski graduated with a degree in political science in 2006 from the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences and Robert D. Clark Honors College. To find her purpose and mission, Koski first had to break up with the notion that all success is a high-powered executive job. Now a community resource liaison for Lane Transit District, Koski works to help people feel seen and heard, and to make real change in the unhoused community.

SOCIOLOGY - New research co-authored by CAS sociology assistant professor Byron Villacis Cruz explores the forces that influenced Ecuador to adopt the dollar in 2000, which impacted the country on social and economic levels — and what it teaches us about future policies around the world.

ANTHROPOLOGY - A new LGBTQ+ communities in Amsterdam summer course, a publication on how to colonize space successfully, faculty presenting at conferences — and more. See what anthropology faculty members are doing during the fall 2025 term.

ECONOMICS - Research by CAS Assistant Professor Jonathan Davis is featured in the Nov. 8 print and digital issue of the Economist. A study co-authored by Davis showed that CAHOOTS reduced the probability that a 911 call ends in an arrest by 76%. Each arrest costs taxpayers, so the service provided significant savings. “CAHOOTS is a low-cost way to expand the police force,” Davis tells the Economist.

ECONOMICS - College of Arts and Sciences economist Keaton Miller speaks with The Oregonian/OregonLive about the loss of SNAP funds and what it means for the state's grocery stores. “(Grocery stores) have to pay for their facilities. They have to pay for their staff. They have to pay for all of the logistics, no matter how much they’re selling to consumers,” he said. “So, that’s going to put potentially upward pressure on pricing.”

SOCIOLOGY - As part of the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History summer field school, the students are spending a month immersed in Indigenous cultural landscapes while studying archaeology, history and ecology and, at the same time, helping restore oyster beds. They’re learning vital career skills while helping usher in a new era of archaeology with Gabe Sanchez, a CAS assistant professor of sociology.

ECONOMICS - Celebrate Halloween with the Women in Economics first-ever Eek-onomics Halloween Bash. Costumes are welcome—so bring your best "rational consumer" outfit. The event is noon to 2 pm Friday, Oct. 31.

INDIGENOUS, RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES - In spring 2025, Assistant Professor Lana Lopesi received the Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching in recognition of her early career excellence. Lopesi said the award was affirming for her because teaching can feel like a private exercise between her and her students, invisible beyond the classroom. Since joining the UO, she has developed five courses within her department and helped put together the first IRES study abroad program to Sāmoa in partnership with political science professor Ronald Mitchell. 

INDIGENOUS, RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES, NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES - An exhibit curated by Felix Furby and Anthony Hudson at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, showcases Indigenous and Queer artists and their work about their intersectional identities. IRES graduate student Rachel Cushman spoke at an Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration at the museum, as reported by the Daily Emerald.

ANTHROPOLOGY - Every month, the Department of Anthropology shares what faculty and students are up to. From publications to presentations, anthropology faculty members are up to exciting things.

ASIAN STUDIES - What are Labubus? Why are they popular and did you know the Oregon Duck once dressed up as one? Alisa Freedman, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Oregon who specializes in pop culture, shares insight about the Asian pop trend that's taken over the US.

SOCIOLOGY - Professor Jessica Vasquez-Tokos' new book "Burdens of Belonging: Race in an Unequal Nation" explores how race shapes the everyday experiences of individuals and what it means to be a “so-called problem” in the predominantly white state of Oregon in the 21st century. "How does racial status inflect one’s sense of belonging in the nation?” Vasquez-Tokos said.

SOCIOLOGY - Fear of deportation among people in the United States without permanent legal status declines with age, according to a study recently published by University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences researcher Isabel Garcia Valdivia. The project is the first to examine how those concerns diminish after age 50 because relationships, families, work and communities change with time.

POLITICAL SCIENCE - Dulce Gutierrez valued the flexibility to explore different majors and minors. Originally a biology major, she switched her major to political science and government and picked up a minor in Spanish. She went to law school and is now a practicing attorney and finds herself using her multilingual studies in a practical manner.

ECONOMICS - A groundbreaking crisis de-escalation program that started in Eugene to help people with mental health or substance abuse issues saves cities money and reduces arrests, a University of Oregon-led study has found. The research team includes Jonathan Davis, an economics assistant professor at the College of Arts and Sciences.