naturalsciences.uoregon.edu

The UO Natural Sciences site highlights recent research discoveries, faculty grants, and alumni stories through a "News from Natural Sciences" section that links to a full news archive. The featured items span multiple departments—marine biology, physics, and psychology—and mix research breakthroughs with career-focused alumni profiles.

What the News Section Covers

The news feed on the Natural Sciences homepage pulls together stories about faculty research, student and alumni experiences, and major funding awards. Based on the current listings, the section covers:

• Research discoveries by CAS faculty and research teams
• Grant awards that fund new scientific infrastructure and experiments
• Alumni profiles focused on career development and professional advice
• Department-level news from fields like marine biology, physics, and psychology

Each item includes a date, a department tag, and a short summary, with an "All news »" link that leads to the complete archive.

Examples of Featured Research Updates

Marine Biology: New Plankton Discovery

A story dated September 16, 2026 describes CAS marine biologists discovering new plankton off the Oregon coast. The research involved studying brittle star plankton larvae at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. According to the summary, the published findings deepen understanding of marine life along the Oregon coast and its connection to distant regions.

Physics: Quantum Networking Grant

A July 20, 2026 item reports that a UO-led research team received a two-year, $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a prototype quantum network on the UO campus. Professor Brian Smith, director of the Oregon Center for Optical, Molecular and Quantum Science, is quoted saying the research "will transform communications, sensors and computers."

Psychology: Alumni Career Advice

A September 16, 2026 psychology story profiles Mara Sargent '14, who stresses the importance of trying new things. The piece connects her campus experience—including the beauty of campus, the community, and an atmosphere that reminded her of home in Berkeley, California—to her professional career development.

How to Find More News

The homepage news section is a preview. The "All news »" link takes you to the full news archive, where you can browse additional stories by department or date. The site also maintains a separate section for graduate programs and affiliated centers and institutes if you want to go deeper into specific research areas.

Why This Matters for Prospective Students and Researchers

The news section functions as a live view of what the college's 300 faculty members are working on—from quantum mechanics foundations to cancer cell development and brain function. For prospective students, the mix of research updates and alumni stories shows both the research environment and where graduates end up. For researchers, the grant and discovery announcements signal active areas of funding and collaboration.

The University of Oregon's Natural Sciences division highlights a faculty of roughly 300 members whose research spans from the foundations of quantum mechanics to cancer cell development and brain function, with some work leading to high-technology company spin-offs. These faculty—including fellows of many learned societies and academies—combine research with teaching, training students to become the next generation of scientists. This page is for prospective students, researchers, or partners who want a quick read on the division's research identity and academic breadth.

Who the faculty are

The site describes approximately 300 faculty members across the science departments. It notes that this group includes fellows of many learned societies and academies, a signal of external recognition within their fields. The framing emphasizes that these are active researchers, not only instructors: the division states its departments are "committed to creating and disseminating new knowledge" by combining research and teaching.

What research areas are represented

The page gives a deliberately wide range of examples rather than a single specialty. It cites:

• Questions about the foundations of quantum mechanics
• The development of cancer cells
• The workings of the brain

It also points to applied outcomes, noting work "resulting in the spin-off of high-technology companies." Taken together, the examples run from fundamental physics to biomedical questions to commercialization.

Research feeds into teaching and student training

A key point the page makes is that faculty "share their excitement about their research with their students," explicitly training them to become part of the next generation of scientists. So the research profile is presented as connected to the student experience, not separate from it.

Academic programs tied to this research base

The research areas map onto a broad set of majors, minors, concentrations, and programs. The site lists:

The page also links to College of Arts and Sciences graduate programs and affiliated centers and institutes, which is where much of the research activity is organized.

Recent research news the site features

The news section gives concrete, dated examples of the research culture:

• Marine biology (September 16, 2026): CAS marine biologists studying brittle star plankton larvae at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology published research deepening understanding of marine life along the Oregon coast and its connection to distant regions.
• Physics (July 20, 2026): A UO-led team received a two-year, $4 million National Science Foundation grant to develop a prototype quantum network on the UO campus. Professor Brian Smith, director of the Oregon Center for Optical, Molecular and Quantum Science, said the research "will transform communications, sensors and computers."
• Psychology (September 16, 2026): An alum profile stressing the value of trying new things.

These items illustrate the range described above—from field marine biology to federally funded quantum networking.

How to use this information

If you are evaluating the division for a specific interest, match your area to the program list above, then check the affiliated centers and institutes and graduate program links for research depth. If you want current research activity rather than a static description, the news feed is the most concrete signal, since it names projects, funding, and faculty.

naturalsciences.uoregon.edu is the academic unit site for Natural Sciences at the University of Oregon, part of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). It is where you go to explore science majors, minors, concentrations, and graduate programs, and to read news about faculty research and student outcomes. It is an institutional academic site, not a commercial product page or a standalone news outlet.

What the site covers

The site organizes the natural sciences departments and programs under one umbrella. According to the site, its departments "are committed to creating and disseminating new knowledge in their fields by combining research and teaching," with roughly 300 faculty members whose work ranges from the foundations of quantum mechanics to cancer cell development, brain function, and research that has spun off high-technology companies.

Programs listed on the site include:

• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Bioengineering
• Biology
• Computer and Information Technology
• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Data Science
• Earth Sciences
• Human Physiology
• Marine Biology
• Materials Science and Technology
• Mathematics
• Mathematics and Computer Science
• Multidisciplinary Science
• Neuroscience
• Physics
• Psychology

The site also links out to CAS graduate programs and to affiliated centers and institutes.

Who it is for

• Prospective and current students deciding on a major, minor, or concentration, or looking into graduate study in a science field.
• Researchers and collaborators checking faculty expertise, departments, and affiliated centers.
• Alumni, donors, and the public following research news and unit updates.

What kind of information you will find

The site mixes program navigation with news. The news section highlights research and people, for example:

• A psychology alum's account of trying new things and building a career.
• CAS marine biologists reporting newly discovered plankton off the Oregon coast, based on work at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.
• A UO-led team advancing quantum networking, with a two-year, $4 million National Science Foundation grant to build a prototype quantum network on campus.

It also includes a giving section noting that gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences support students, teaching, research, advising, and mentoring.

What it is not

It is not a commercial site, a storefront, or a news-only publication. It is the official academic unit site for Natural Sciences within CAS, so its main job is to describe programs and faculty and to share unit news. If you need admissions requirements, tuition figures, or application deadlines, those are handled by other University of Oregon offices rather than this site.

The UO Natural Sciences site lists majors, minors, concentrations, and academic programs across 18 named fields, from chemistry and biology to computer science, neuroscience, and psychology. It is a starting point for exploring options rather than a full course catalog: each field name links out to its own department or program, and graduate programs are explored separately through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Fields listed on the site

The site presents these departments and fields:

The page frames this list as covering "majors, minors, concentrations, and academic programs in the Natural Sciences," so the same list is the entry point whether you are looking for a full major, a minor, or a concentration.

What the site says about the faculty behind these programs

The Natural Sciences page describes roughly 300 faculty members, including fellows of learned societies and academies, whose research spans areas such as the foundations of quantum mechanics, the development of cancer cells, and the workings of the brain, with some work leading to high-technology company spin-offs. It also states that faculty involve students in their research as part of training the next generation of scientists.

Where graduate programs fit

Graduate programs are not listed in the field list above. The site directs visitors to "Explore CAS Graduate Programs" — that is, graduate study in the natural sciences is handled through the College of Arts and Sciences rather than through this page.

How to use the site

1. Open the Natural Sciences page and scan the field list to find the subject area you are interested in.
2. Select that field to reach its own department or program page, where the specific majors, minors, and concentrations are described.
3. If you are looking at graduate study, follow the College of Arts and Sciences graduate programs link instead of the undergraduate field list.

The site also carries news items from these departments, such as a psychology alum's account of trying new things, a marine biology finding on plankton off the Oregon coast, and a physics-led quantum networking project, which can give a sense of what current work in each field looks like.

The Natural Sciences site at the University of Oregon points supporters to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) as the giving channel. The page's "We Love Our Supporters" section states that gifts to CAS "can help our students make the most of their college careers" and that contributions "help us ensure that teaching, research, advising, mentoring" continue. So the starting point for giving is the supporters section on the Natural Sciences site, which routes to CAS. The page does not list specific donation amounts, payment methods, or a named development officer, so those details need to come from CAS directly.

What the site says about supporting students

The giving message on the Natural Sciences page is short and general. It frames support around student outcomes rather than around a specific fund, department, or building. The stated uses of contributions are:

• Teaching
• Research
• Advising
• Mentoring

That list is the site's own description of what gifts support. It does not break the funds down by department, and it does not name a specific scholarship or program.

Where to start on the site

The "We Love Our Supporters" block is the entry point the page provides. From there, the giving path leads to the College of Arts and Sciences, since the Natural Sciences departments sit within CAS. The page also links to "Explore CAS Graduate Programs" and "Affiliated Centers and Institutes," which are useful if your interest is in a particular area rather than general support.

If you want to direct your interest to a specific field

The site lists these Natural Sciences departments and programs, which can help you decide what you want your support to connect to:

The page does not say whether gifts can be designated to any one of these units, so treat the list as a way to identify your area of interest, then confirm designation options with CAS.

Getting involved beyond giving

The site's news section shows the kind of work supporters and prospective students can follow. Recent items include:

• A Psychology alum's note on the importance of trying new things (September 16, 2026)
• CAS marine biologists discovering new plankton off the Oregon coast (September 16, 2026)
• A UO-led research team advancing quantum networking, with a two-year, $4 million National Science Foundation grant to build a prototype quantum network on campus (July 20, 2026)

Following this news is a low-commitment way to stay connected to the departments you care about. The page also notes that its roughly 300 faculty members include fellows of many learned societies and academies, and that their research ranges from the foundations of quantum mechanics to cancer cells and the workings of the brain, with some work leading to high-technology spin-off companies.

What the page does not cover

The Natural Sciences page does not state:

• Specific gift amounts or giving levels
• Payment platforms or online giving forms
• Whether gifts can be restricted to a named department, center, or scholarship
• Contact details for a development or advancement office

For any of these, go through the College of Arts and Sciences rather than assuming a process from the Natural Sciences page alone.