UO Environment

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

montana state flag with scales of justice

UO legal scholar laid the foundation for Montana lawsuit

Mary Wood's planning legal approach was at the heart of the landmark climate case.

‘Folks in Alaska should take this seriously.’ Anchorage not safe from tsunamis, study finds

“I think folks in Alaska should take this seriously,” said Diego Melgar, a tsunami scientist at the University of Oregon not involved in the study. He says other U.S. coastal communities would benefit from such an analysis. “This is exactly what we need to be doing at a national level.”

UO researchers make waves by turning ocean data into sound

Jon Bellona, UO senior instructor at the School of Music and Dance, and a national team make science more accessible by making data audible.

Senator Wyden and Rep. Hoyle examine University of Oregon's new 'Wildfire Alert' smoke cameras

In April of this year, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that the University of Oregon received $800,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to launch its Center for Wildfire Smoke Research and Practice.

What's the Best Weapon Against Climate Change? Hope

Josh Spector got the message about climate change early on. At age six, he was already passionate about the need to meet humanity's existential challenge. In college, he majored in geographic data analysis at the University of Oregon and interned at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Upon graduating in 2020, he joined Planet Labs, a maker of tiny Earth-imaging satellites.

Environment Initiative awards funds to 5 teaching projects

The UO’s Environment Initiative has awarded seed funding to five new teaching projects to support faculty members who have proposed innovative courses and dynamic classroom experiences.

UO Researchers to Collaborate with Indigenous Communities on Climate Change Solutions

The University of Oregon (UO) is partnering with Indigenous and rural communities on a groundbreaking study to develop potential solutions for reducing atmospheric carbon.

Energy Department announces largest-ever investment in ‘carbon removal’

The Energy Department announced Friday it is awarding up to $1.2 billion to two projects to directly remove carbon dioxide from the air in what officials are calling the largest investment in “engineered carbon removal” in history.