Social Sciences

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - In recent years, wildfires have increasingly affected Oregon and much of western North America. Due to many factors including climate change and land management practices, wildfires are intensifying and becoming more common both within and beyond our region. At the University of Oregon, researchers across disciplines are turning wildfire science into practical tools, strategies, and partnerships that help communities prepare, respond and adapt.

SOCIOLOGY - The weekly news magazine The Economist references research by College of Arts and Sciences sociologist Hannah Waight in an article about artificial intelligence and the data that trains chat bots. Her 2026 research finds that the lower the media freedom, the more likely AI chat technology will have a pro-regime stance in its responses.

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.

GEOGRAPHY - College of Arts and Sciences researcher James Lamping is leading a comprehensive mapping effort that sheds light on the location, makeup and conservation status of old-growth forests across the region. Forty percent of mature and old growth forests in the study area are in places that lack permanent legislative protection, which also store the most carbon in the study area, according to his data.

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.

ECONOMICS - CAS economist Laura Bakkensen published research about the damages flooding could have on the US housing market. "The housing market is a massive market in the US," said Bakkensen. "It's worth trillions of dollars. That value means we need to think about some of these natural disaster risks and how they're affecting some of our financial systems."

ANTHROPOLOGY - University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences researcher Lynn Stephen was elected in April to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, with 250 other leaders in academia, industry, the arts and more. Stephen is an anthropologist whose research on immigration and asylum, gender-based violence, race, and Indigenous communities in Mexico, Guatemala and the diaspora in California and the Northwest.