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.