The departments and programs of the Humanities Division are committed to the study of human meaning as it is expressed in diverse languages, explained in diverse literatures, and reflected upon from diverse philosophical and religious perspectives. Students seek to understand the values and purposes that make practices and systems worthwhile. In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to critically consider how individuals and communities make sense of their world is an essential skill. Explore majors, minors, concentrations, and academic programs in the humanities.
Arabic Studies
Chinese
Cinema Studies
Classical Civilization
Classics
Comparative Literature
Creative Writing
Comics and Cartoon Studies
Digital Humanities
Disability Studies
English
Environmental Humanities
Ethics
News from Humanities
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World-Class Faculty in the Humanities
Stephen Shoemaker
Professor of Religious Studies
Stephen Shoemaker teaches courses about Christian traditions and is a prolific contributor to research related to ancient and early medieval Christian traditions in early Byzantine and Near Eastern Christianity.
Shoemaker has received research fellowships over the years and received two in 2024 to complete the translation of the earliest surviving Christian hymnal from sixth-century Jerusalem, which is in Old Georgian. The fellowships include one from the National Endowment for the Humanities for 2024–2025 and a Senior Fellowship funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation).
He recently published The Quest of the Historical Muhammad and Other Studies on Formative Islam (2024) and is the co-author of The Capture of Jerusalem by the Persians in 614 CE (2024).
Stacy Alaimo
Professor of English
Stacey Alaimo’s research explores the intersections between literary, artistic, political, and philosophical approaches to environmentalism. She has published three books and more than 60 scholarly articles, on such topics as toxins, gender and climate change, environmental justice, queer animals, Anthropocene feminisms, marine science studies, the blue humanities, and new materialist theory.
Her concept of trans-corporeality has been widely taken up in the arts, humanities and sciences. She has been interviewed many times in print and podcasts. Her work has been translated into at least 12 languages and has inspired several art exhibitions.
Her fourth book, The Abyss Stares Back: Encounters with Deep Sea Life (2025), explores the science and aesthetics of deep-sea creatures since the 1930s. Alaimo currently serves as the English department’s director of graduate studies and is a core faculty member in the Environmental Studies Program.
Lowell Bowditch
Professor of Classics
Lowell Bowditch is the head of the Department of Classics. Her research explores the interface between the literature and socio-political relations of Augustan Rome.
Her newest project addresses issues of free speech and censorship in the early imperial age. She explores this through the work of Ovid in the context of the growing authoritarianism of the Augustan regime, with the planned book to draw comparisons with the contemporary political landscape.
Her previous work focused on love elegy and Roman imperialism from postcolonial perspectives. Along with multiple articles and research papers, she is the author of two books and a commentary, including the most recent, Roman Love Elegy and the Eros of Empire (London and New York 2023).
Bowditch came to the UO in 1993 and particularly enjoys mentoring classics undergraduates and master’s students.
Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages
At the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages (SGSL), UO students engage with diverse cultures, languages, histories, and lifeways across the world. Students of the humanities, from Cinema Studies to Religious Studies, will broaden and deepen their education in their field by viewing it—and experiencing it—through a global lens. GSL prepares our graduates for life after college with an interdisciplinary curriculum, innovative language teaching, abundant learning opportunities outside the classroom, and paths of study that lead to many options for real-world careers.
Research in the Humanities
Inquiry in humanities fields centers around our collective human experience. Our stories are told in many forms, be it a script, a screenplay, a religious text, in literature or in folktales. Researchers in the humanities employ tools of analysis to explore the long history and rapidly changing landscape of ideas, values and beliefs that coalesce in a different sort of knowledge about reality and human life.
2024-2025 Sponsored Research in Humanities
Between July 2024 and June 2025, researchers in CAS received $83 million to fund 199 research projects, including $1.5 million for Humanities. The research projects, which span divisions and fields of study, represent CAS's commitment to curiosity, discovery, and innovation.
Explore Other Majors and Minors in the College of Arts and Sciences
Meet our Dean
Welcome to the humanities!
With the human condition as our starting point, and an orientation spanning the past, present, and far into the future, the humanities at the University of Oregon address society’s core human questions of meaning, making, communication, and understanding.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, humanities span disciplinary fields, such as literature and languages, folklore, theatre and cinema, philosophy, classics, and religious studies. Our faculty teach students key humanistic skills such as writing, critical analysis, logical reasoning, translation, and expression. Our programs emphasize the liberal arts through engaged student learning, and our students are trained by the UO’s world-class research faculty to be resilient thinkers, capable of bringing their humanistic insights to bear on a transforming world.
Like any other time of rapid change, whether the Industrial Revolution or the technological revolution, thinkers of the human condition reflect and analyze human experiences and make it possible to share them. Through its many disciplines, the humanities inspire communication, uniting diverse communities in a common path, helping us address some of our most pressing human concerns.
We hope you will explore the humanities at the UO.
Erica Bornstein
Divisional Associate Dean, Humanities
Happening at CAS
Job Shadow Day Info Session
4:00 p.m.Oct
19
4:00–5:00 p.m.
Interested in exploring career possibilities? Join us to learn about Job Shadow Day. This unique opportunity connects students with local professionals for a day of workplace observation, career exploration, and networking.
At this info session, you'll learn:
- What Job Shadow Day is and how it works
- How to apply and get matched with a site host
- What to expect during your shadow experience
- Tips for making the most of your day
Whether you're exploring career options, curious about a particular industry, or looking to gain firsthand insight into the world of work, this session will help you take the next step with confidence.
Hosted by: CAS CareerLab Open to: All CAS undergraduates
✨ Spots are limited. Come find out how to apply and get matched!
Cinema Studies Fall Term Coffee Hours
9:30 a.m.Join the Department of Cinema Studies for a cup of coffee or hot apple cider every week on Tuesdays during fall term!
Oct
20
9:30–11:30 a.m.
Join the Department of Cinema Studies for a cup of coffee or hot apple cider every week on Tuesdays during fall term!
Your Future in Sustainability (Career Panel + Networking)
4:00 p.m.Oct
20
4:00–6:30 p.m.
Curious about careers in sustainability, the environment, or climate solutions? Join us for Your Future in Sustainability, a FREE career exploration and networking event designed to help you connect with professionals working across the environmental and sustainability field.
Whether you’re interested in conservation, climate solutions, environmental science, policy, consulting, GIS, communications, or other sustainability-related career paths, this event is a chance to learn what careers in the field actually look like and how you can get there.
Come for either or both events! All are welcome!
Industry Insights Panel | 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Hear from professionals and alumni about their career journeys, industry trends, the skills employers are looking for, and how they got started in the field.
Small-Group Networking | 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Connect directly with professionals in a casual setting. Rotate between conversations, ask questions, learn about different career paths, and get advice about internships, jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities. FREE FOOD!
Employers include:
- Lane County Government
- BRING Recycling
- Peace Corps
- City of Eugene
- University of Oregon
- Nearby Nature
- Walama Restoration
- Ameri Corps
- Cascades Raptor Center
- and more to come!
You don’t need to have a specific career path figured out to attend. Whether you’re exploring sustainability for the first time, looking for an internship or job, or already planning a career in the environmental field, you’ll have the opportunity to make connections and learn from people working in the industry.
Come with questions, curiosity, and your future in mind.
Panelists:
Jack Bentivoglio: Jack is a Materials Recovery Assistant at BRING, a Eugene-based nonprofit dedicated to waste prevention, reuse, and sustainable materials management. Jack works with contractors and subcontractors to recover reusable building materials and connect them with opportunities for a second life rather than disposal. During the events season, he coordinates Sustainable Event Services for Lane County Public Works, managing a reusable dishware program and impact reporting for public events. As a University of Oregon Environmental Studies and Sustainable Business graduate with hands-on experience in material recovery and zero waste event operations, Jack is building a career at the intersection of sustainability, materials management, and entertainment.
Maddy Broedel: Maddy grew up in Washington and New York, hiking the Olympic and Adirondack mountains, searching the coastline for tidepools, and exploring old growth forests. After a stint living in a Midwest community with few environmental education opportunities, she discovered a passion for connecting youth and families with nature and advocating for habitat preservation and restoration. She received her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon, where she studied Public Relations and Nonprofit Administration with an emphasis in environmental conservation.
Maddy joined Cascades Raptor Center’s team in 2023, where she enjoys meeting visitors, engaging the public, and creating meaningful community connections. In addition to her work with the birds, she has served on the Advancement Committee for the Oregon Coast Aquarium and as the Board Vice President for the Emerald Valley Development Professionals. When she’s not at the Center you can find her shopping at farmer’s markets, hanging out at coffee shops, hiking the Oregon coast, and spending time with her fiancé and cat.
Danielle Klinkebiel: Danielle is a climate policy professional in Lane County with more than a decade of experience advancing sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community-focused initiatives. She currently serves as a Climate Policy Analyst with the City of Eugene, where she works on climate policy and programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable community
Moderator:
Dr. Taylor McHolm is the Director of the Student Sustainability Center at the University of Oregon. In this role, Taylor develops student leaders, helps facilitate student sustainability projects, and develops programming to meet student needs on campus. He received his PhD from the University of Oregon’s interdisciplinary Environmental Science, Studies, and Policy program, with a focal department of English. His published research addresses representations of environmental justice and the racial components of the Anthropocene. In all areas, his work and research prioritize the intersections of sustainability, environmental justice, social equity, and cultural production
Anthropology Department Presents: “Geophysical Surveys of Southern Pacific Northwest Coast Plankhouses"
noonOct
21
noon
Please join the Department of Anthropology and Gabriel M. Sanchez for the Colloquium Series talk: "Geophysical Surveys of Southern Pacific Northwest Coast Plankhouses."
Geophysical and remote sensing surveys of Pacific Northwest Coast plankhouses, sweathouses, and other architectural features have been a growing component of Pacific Northwest Coast archaeological studies. Most of these studies have focused on coastal plankhouses with associated shell middens, especially in British Columbia. Limited geophysical examples exist of Pacific Northwest Coast architectural features from the southern region, including Northern California and Oregon, especially in riverine settings.
In this study, we integrate ground penetrating radar and magnetic gradiometry to document subsurface features in collaboration with the Tsnungwe Council. Our findings, based on our interpretations of the observed data, document subsurface features ranging from ~2 m wide pits to large rectangular plankhouses ~6 m wide and 12 m in length. These houses contain central subterranean pits, which contain a hearth, that are ~5 m wide. Our findings support the interpretation of a large multicomponent village site with several plankhouses present, providing a unique example of southern Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous architecture.
Sanchez is an Indigenous Anthropologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and affiliated faculty in Latinx and Native American and Indigenous Studies. Gabriel completed his graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2019. From 2019-2021, he was part of the inaugural cohort College of Social Science Dean’s Research Associate (postdoc) Program at Michigan State University, which aims to promote inclusive excellence in the academy. From 2021-2022, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State, before joining the UO. Currently, he is the director of the Coastal Archaeology, Ancient Proteomics, and Zooarchaeology laboratories. He also directs the Collaborative Archaeology Field School. Sanchez currently participates in a collaborative and community-based participatory research projects in California and Oregon with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, the Tsnungwe Council, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.