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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 »

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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.

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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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Sustainability Fellowship
The Sustainability Fellowship connects faculty with community partners and provides fellows with a network of colleagues who seek to incorporate issues of sustainability into their curricula.Through discussions, site visits, and guest presentations, the institute will help fellows develop partnerships with local agencies and organizations and engaged deeply with pedagogy and teaching that is inclusive, engaged, and research-led.
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New Course Development Grants for Ice & Environmental Justice
If you’re thinking about developing a new course related to environmental justice—and particularly if it connects to the Pacific Northwest and to snow, ice, glaciers, or glacier-fed waterways—then consider applying for a new course development grant ($4,500 stipend plus OPE). Three of these grants are available thanks to generous support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.
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Ice & Environmental Justice Summer Undergraduate Research Awards
Mark Carey (Honors College/Environmental Studies Program) is able to offer two $4,000 Summer Research Awards for University of Oregon undergraduate students at any level to design and conduct full-time Summer 2021 humanities-oriented research on topics related to ice, climate, and environmental justice in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Alaska, British Columbia).
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Architecture Studio Makes History with First-Place Win at 2021 Solar Decathlon Design Competition
In a historic win, a team of UO architecture students, led by Architecture Professor Ihab Elzeyadi, has won two international 2021 Solar Decathlon Design Competition awards: the First-Place Gold Trophy in the Elementary School Division and the Grand Jury Award across all divisions of the competition
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A thirst for Oregon Water Futures Project
Today in Oregon, our neighbors are experiencing water shortages or living with unsafe water in their homes and at work, missing work because of seasonal flooding and watching sacred ecosystems disappear.
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John Arroyo Speaks to Racial and Climate Justice on ‘Weekend Edition’
In January, the UO launched the Pacific Northwest Just Futures Institute for Racial and Climate Justice. PPPM Assistant Professor John Arroyo is the director of the Institute; his wide-ranging research includes topics of migration, globalization, Latinx studies, urban design, and public space.
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Dive into Earth Month with the UO Sustainability Office
This quarter, the Sustainability Ambassadors are offering short presentations to UO offices and departments. Presentations focus on topics where UO faculty and staff can have significant benefits: commuting to campus and purchasing of paper and IT hardware.
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'(Re)Building Cornerstones' Challenges Students to Unlearn Racist Design Practices
Since 2019, Hobbs—the teenaged Portland-based dancer, artist, and entrepreneur—has shared stories like these with students in the School of Architecture & Environment’s (SAE) Portland Architecture program as part of the (re)Building Cornerstones architecture studios.
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Study unlocks how wild bees can survive habitat pressures
A research team led by University of Oregon biologist Lauren Ponisio has uncovered how native bee species may be best equipped to survive intensive agricultural practices and climate change in California’s Central Valley. The research examined 1,150 network interactions involving 157 wild bee species and 152 plant species at 63 sites spread across three counties. The final analysis focused on adult bees from 31 species whose pollination activities with at least five plants overlapped during crop-growing seasons.
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Massive collapse of Atlantic cod didn’t leave evolutionary scars
Atlantic cod was once one of the most important fish species in the world. The big, long-lived predator helped feed Europe and North America for centuries. But decades of overfishing in the mid–20th century caused populations to crash, wiping out 30,000 jobs in Canada alone and financially devastating many coastal communities.