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The UO’s Environment Initiative, after three foundational and pathbreaking years of work, is transitioning to a new, sustainable model. This new endeavor, known as UO Environment, will leverage institutional expertise in education, research, and impact on the major environmental issues facing our world.

Through UO Environment, the College of Arts and Sciences will work with other colleges and schools to carry forward curricular and other work begun under the initiative to grow educational and research opportunities at UO. In addition, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is working with faculty leaders to explore the creation of a new center on climate change solutions policy, as well as a number of other areas of research. This web site will serve as a communications hub for news and events across the entire campus.

 

CURRICULUM

The College of Arts and Sciences will continue the transdisciplinary curricular work begun under the initiative in conjunction with other colleges and schools.

POLICY

The exploration of a new center under OVPRI is underway, intended to work with communities on climate solutions, policies, and research.

RESEARCH

Learn about the work UO faculty are conducting that is making an impact in the world.

NEWS & EVENTS

See the noteworthy environment-related updates and events happening on campus and in the community.

Events

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Book talk | ¡Juntes por la justicia climática! Together for Climate Justice!
Join SCR Associate Dr. Catalina De Onís this month when she will lecture on her SCR Small Grant Program funded bilingual children's book “¡Juntes por la justicia climática! Together for Climate Justice!". During her book talk and signing she will describe the role of her student coauthors and the importance of teaching climate justice to new generations.
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BE Passionate with Steph Littlebird
Join the SAB Arts & Culture team as we welcome Steph Littlebird for her free dinner presentation BE Passionate in the EMU Ballroom on November 21st. Doors & Dinner: 5:00pm Presentation: 6pm-7:00pm followed by Q&A 7-7:30pm
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Oregon Wildfire Resilience Hoopathon
Meet community fire organizations and local artisans, shoot free throws, and support wildfire resilience and Indigenous land management! Open to students, faculty, staff, community members, and more.

Faculty Excellence

See the work that University of Oregon faculty are producing to make an impact on the world »

A researcher working with students in virtual reality

Danny Pimentel

Pimentel's work in virtual reality seeks to make a global problem like climate change into something you can experience on a personal level.

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Greg Dotson

Dotson will work towards situating the Environment Initiative in the community of researchers, policy advocates and policymakers who are focused on climate mitigation in the energy sector.

marsha weisiger

Marsha Weisiger

Weisiger will advance several projects focused on environmental history that analyze and interpret the ways humans and nonhuman nature have shaped each other over time.

 

News

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Trees tell tales of past land stewardship in western Cascades
An ongoing project from the UO’s Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments (IROCE) aims to piece together historic land use practices and create a template for sustainable and resilient forest management going forward.
mural of comic panels by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Speakers will explore Indigenous comic art over the coming year
Three Indigenous artists whose work deals extensively with environmental questions will take part in the Indigenous Comics Speaker Series at the UO over the coming academic year. The work done by the trio deals extensively with how the environment affects Indigenous knowledges, cultural practices and life through comic form. The series begins with Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, an award-winning visual artist and author, at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, in the Knight Library Browsing Room.
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Lauren Ponisio receives grant to advance healthy pollinator populations
University of Oregon employees strive for excellence in teaching, research, artistic expression, and the generation and application of knowledge. They are frequently honored for their research, scholarship, teaching, leadership and service that exemplifies individual excellence and delivers on our institutional purpose.
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Hazelnut researchers cover new ground with sustainable method
Dhillon, the lab manager for the Hallett Lab in the Department of Biology and the Environmental Studies Program, is collecting samples to test a new, more sustainable way to farm hazelnuts. The lab is part of the UO’s College of Arts and Sciences.
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The Sound of Science and Justice
This program focuses on science storytelling for Latine/x/a/o people and communities in the Willamette Valley. During summer 2023, El Sonido de la Ciencia (The Sound of Science) has aspired to reach audiences and communities frequently ignored and marginalized by mainstream news media and governmental actors who make decisions regarding public health and the application of scientific knowledge. El Sonido de la Ciencia features interviews with scientists, students, non-profit organizations, artists, and many others.
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A new digital space for all UO Latinx news is now online
Patos Unidos, a one-stop resource webpage, launches in time for Latinx Heritage Month. 
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Governors, Biden administration push to quadruple efficient heating, AC units by 2030
Alexandra Rempel, associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Oregon, agreed heat pumps are more sustainable than traditional heating and cooling systems, but they are not highly efficient in extremely cold regions.
pavement on Washington State Route 302 after the Nisqually earthquake of 2001
New earthquake research center receives $15M to advance understanding of the Cascadia Subduction Zone
KLCC-FM (Eugene, OR): Led by the University of Oregon, the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center, or CRESCENT, includes researchers from 14 institutions. All are dedicated to the study of the 620-mile fault.
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Fire as medicine: Using fire to manage forests, prevent catastrophic wildfires in the Northwest
Now, the 23-year-old graduate of the University of Oregon has a front-row seat in reshaping how federal forests are managed in Oregon and throughout the Northwest.
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This Start-Up Taps Into A Hidden World To Restore Biodiversity And Capture CO2
One of the experts whom I consulted while I was researching this piece, Dr. Roo Vandegrift, did his post-doctoral research at the Biology of the Built Environment (BioBE) Center at the University of Oregon, studying Cross-Laminated Timber as a durable building material.