History

Highlights from the June 15 University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremonies at Autzen Stadium and Matthew Knight Arena.

HISTORY - A Wall Street Journal video dives into the art and play of Mahjong. The video features College of Arts and Sciences historian Annelise Heinz, whose first book Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture, explores the history of the parlor game in the US in the 20th century.

EALL, HISTORY — A century after its first surge in popularity in the United States, the game Mahjong is once again having a cultural moment. At the University of Oregon, faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are using this renewed interest as an opportunity to help students explore history, culture and identity through hands-on experience.

HISTORY - Associate Professor Melissa Graboyes and the students in her Global Health Research Group study historical materials to better understand malaria and strategies to address it. So far, they've found that there is no simple “silver bullet” for malaria. Instead, the realistic approach is one that is multi-pronged with the goal of malaria control — keeping malaria rates low.

HISTORY - Annelise Heinz, the author of "Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture," says there is something satisfying about “the way that the tiles look and sound and feel”. (The same is true of a game like dominoes.) “In this very digital world”, she argues, the tactile nature of mahjong offers “analogue pleasures”.

HISTORY - Julie Weise’s research on temporary migrant work policies is one of many projects around the country to lose NEH funding, but she remains focused on her work. Her upcoming book, Guest Worker: Lives across Borders in an Age of Prosperity, 1919-1975, looks at how this type of international policy agreement evolved during the mid-20th century, with a focus on the experiences of temporary workers in more economically prosperous countries: Mexicans in the US, Malawians in South Africa and Spaniards in France.

HISTORY, SOCIOLOGY - For some CAS students, a class inside Oregon’s prisons is helping them find meaning and purpose after college. And it’s helping people who are incarcerated. Founded in 2007, the Prison Education Program (PEP) takes UO classes to two Oregon state men’s prisons: Oregon State Penitentiary and the Oregon State Correctional Institution, both in Salem.

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.

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.