GEOGRAPHY, GLOBAL STUDIES - A student in the College of Arts and Sciences and Clark Honors College, Charles Petrik was drawn to his opportunity with the mayor’s office of Medellin, Colombia, because he is passionate about cultural exchange. While interning, he lived with students from all over the U.S., but his work at the office was conducted entirely in Spanish. In addition to a language “crash course,” Petrik analyzed pothole and public space data, creating representations that city officials could use to identify areas for infrastructure projects.

GENERAL SOCIAL SCIENCES, POLITICAL SCIENCE – Alum Irisa Mehta '23 wanted to be a voice for others, to be a representative for those who face the educational barrier of understanding our criminal justice system. She took on two majors and two minors to make sure she was prepared for anything. She learned a lot academically and about how to have fun.

GLOBAL STUDIES - The University of Oregon’s School of Global Studies and Languages is hosting a conference on climate change Oct. 17-19. The climate conference is taking an interdisciplinary approach to discussions by reflecting on the multifaceted issues related to climate change—affecting health, environment, economy, governance, and many other issues on a local and global level.

ANTHROPOLOGY - Meet Gabi Gauthier, a UO student with a passion for Oregon history who studied at Connley Caves Field School this past summer under the mentorship of UO alum and Professor Katelyn McDonough. As a freshman, Gauthier was considering a STEM field. However, after taking classes with McDonough, BS ’14 (anthropology), Gauthier knew she wanted to officially major in anthropology with a focus on archaeology.

NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES - On Indigenous Peoples Day, about 100 people gathered at the EMU Amphitheater to watch Native American dancing, and hear speakers talk about Indigenous culture, history, and issues including the Land Back movement and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). NAIS alumna Tiera Garrety, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, spoke with local NPR affiliate KLCC about the event.

NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES - The University of Oregon celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art Special Hours event and campus art walk, showcasing a new Indigenous art exhibit by Steph Littlebird. The exhibit is part of the museum’s multi-year series “Art Acknowledgement of the Land,” it will allow students to learn more about the culture they may not realize surrounds them.

ROMANCE LANGUAGES, WOMEN'S AND GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - Oregon Ducks come from all over the world, including the Basque Country, a small region carved out of northern Spain on the border with France. Meet Nagore Sedano Neveira and learn about her life's journey that brought her to University of Oregon.

INDIGENOUS, RACE, AND ETHNIC STUDIES - The College of Arts and Sciences is investing in its Latinx studies courses by hiring nine new tenure-track faculty members. Meet Bernadette Calafell, who's coming from Gonzaga University in Washington.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - Associate Professor Lauren Hallett is one of three faculty members to receive a Fulbright US Scholar Program award. Hallett will use her Fulbright award to further her research on restoration ecology in Australia and Spain.

DISABILITY STUDIES, JUDAIC STUDIES, WOMEN'S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - Students who come to CAS seeking a degree often find something even greater: themselves. Discover how an identity-focused major or minor can lead to a fulfilling career.

SOCIOLOGY - It’s one thing to rebuild homes after a wildfire. Rebuilding communities is a different matter, discovered sociology graduate student Haisu Huang. Graduate student Haisu Huang spent three years interviewing survivors, establishing relationships with them and conducting check-ins to create holistic snapshots of their experiences of evacuations, recovery and rebuilding home. Those she interviewed ranged from people who lived in houses to those who lived in mobile RV homes.

Higher education faces new challenges—from rising costs and a perceived declining return on investment to evolving workforce demands. CAS Dean Chris Poulsen is leading the charge on a new strategy to establish CAS as an innovator and leader in liberal arts education. With a strategic plan, Poulsen sees CAS as a place to prepare students to meet the challenges of a 21st-century world, equipping them with skills and knowledge to set them up for changing workplaces and to excel as global citizens.

SOCIOLOGY - The College of Arts and Sciences is investing in its Latinx studies courses by hiring nine new tenure-track faculty members. Meet Isabel García Valdivia, who is researching how immigrants’ experiences change across their life course how does legal status impact families.

HISTORY - Lauren Goss, BA ’11 (history), is the University of Oregon's new sports archivist. Funded largely by a gift from an anonymous family foundation with deep Oregon roots and a love for UO Libraries, Goss’s position is the only one on the West Coast and one of only a dozen in the US dedicated to preserving collegiate sports history.