GLOBAL STUDIES - Jennifer Esparza served in the Marines Corps for 11 years, earning the rank of staff sergeant and a half-dozen awards. In 2011 she enrolled at the UO, and in 2017 she earned a bachelor's degree in international studies and went to law school at Georgetown University. She worked for the Biden-Harris administration as a White House liaison and now is senior adviser to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher, the department’s second-highest official.

GLOBAL STUDIES - From Oct. 17 to 19, the College of Arts and Sciences School of Global Studies and Languages hosted its first-ever conference. Titled “Climate Clashes, Climate Governance, Climate Justice,” the inaugural conference’s theme was focused on interdisciplinary approaches to climate change and resolution. The conference brought together local and global academics who focus on different specific aspects of climate change.

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.

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.

ECONOMICS, GLOBAL STUDIES, PHILOSOPHY, POLITICAL SCIENCE - Two College of Arts and Sciences students — one attending an immersive Mandarin language study abroad and the other serving on a state of Oregon board on climate change and exploring Peru — are having life-transforming experiences.

GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL STUDIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE, PHYSICS, POLITICAL SCIENCE - Where can a liberal arts degree take you? These College of Arts and Sciences seniors are charting their own course as they pursue careers in the specialty coffee industry, particle physics and public service.

GLOBAL STUDIES, SOCIOLOGY - Japan's energy shift after the Fukushima disaster saw a surge in fossil fuel use. How does this impact their long-term sustainability goals? Recent research by Yvonne Braun of global studies and Michael Dreiling of sociology is featured.

GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL STUDIES - Associate Professor Jo Weaver published research in the December 2023 issue of SSM-Mental Health that examines the mental health needs of women in India. Because of the gaps in mental health care that emerge from cultural mismatch, Weaver and her research team urge health workers to prioritize culturally informed methods of distress management and address the social and structural causes of suffering rather than delivering standardized clinical mental healthcare.

FOOD STUDIES, GLOBAL STUDIES - 'Up on the Mountain' follows Southeast Asian refugees, Latino immigrants, and rural Americans on a year-round migration to harvest and sell wild mushrooms. The film screening is 4pm Thursday, Feb. 15 in McKenzie 229.

GLOBAL STUDIES - Kathryn Desvignes Holder (MA, '17) earned her global studies master's degree, specializing in cross-cultural communication and Africa, which she said provided her with the experience and skills to speak and communicate with a diversity of stakeholders. She is now the public affairs officer and public engagement lead for the Umatilla National Forest.

For 50 years, faculty at the University of Oregon Center for the Study of Women in Society have researched the complexity of women’s lives and the intersecting nature of gender identities and inequalities. In celebration of the center’s fiftieth anniversary, Oregon Quarterly featured five faculty — three of whom are in the College of Arts and Sciences.

ANTHROPOLOGY, GLOBAL STUDIES - Led by Jo Weaver, a global studies associate professor, the study is focused on health among people experiencing housing insecurity in Lane County and how it drives health inequity. The research team, which includes Department of Anthropology faculty members Zachary DuBois and Josh Snodgrass, is collecting data from people living on the street, in short-term shelters, in encampments and in more permanent supportive housing arrangements.

GLOBAL STUDIES - What happens outside of the classroom can be just as important as what happens inside. Audrey Bruce (not pictured) is one of three CAS students featured in the CAS Connection Student Spotlight. Bruce, a global studies major and Italian minor, spent part of her summer in Lecce, Italy.

GEOGRAPHY, GLOBAL STUDIES - The UO is one of the top 25 higher ed institutions in the US for producing Peace Corps volunteers. For these two CAS students, the Peace Corps is about joining a global community and using their liberal arts degree in a meaningful, life-changing way.

GLOBAL STUDIES - The Incubating Interdisciplinary Initiatives (I3) awards provide up to $50,000 to seed new interdisciplinary research. This year, three awards are funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. Among winners are Jo Weaver (Department of Global Studies), Matthew Barber (Department of Biology and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution), Michael Harms (Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Institute of Molecular Biology) and Melanie Spero (Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Biology).