CAS 2026 Commencement Highlights
Highlights from the June 15 University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremonies at Autzen Stadium and Matthew Knight Arena.
Creative Writing
Creative writing provides connection and mentorship for alum
CREATIVE WRITING — For Morgan Thomas MFA ’16 (fiction), a future in writing was not always the plan. Their journey from curious storyteller to nationally recognized author demonstrates how creativity can grow through hard work and community.
Finding a home in creative writing
CREATIVE WRITING — When he first began college, Lysley Tenorio didn’t know what else to study other than English. As he moved his way through undergraduate creative writing workshops in Berkeley, then up the Pacific Coast to pursue a master's degree in Eugene, Tenorio discovered fiction writing was what he absolutely had to do.
UO professor’s film about Afghan girls’ robotics team is on the big screen
In 2017, an all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan captured international attention as they fought for a chance to compete on the world stage. Now their story is on the big screen in "Rule Breakers," brought to life by Jason Brown, a creative writing professor and director of the program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Find your next good read in the Creative Writing program
CREATIVE WRITING - The faculty in the Creative Writing Program are filling the shelves in local bookstores with tantalizing reads for every interest, from poetry to memoirs and graphic novels to speculative fiction. As creatives and teachers, they practice what they preach.
New graphic novel uses nostalgia as a superpower
CREATIVE WRITING – Creative writing professor Mat Johnson's new graphic novel, "Backflash," deals with loss and grief in a wild, time-traveling thriller where nostalgia is a superpower. Portland-based artist Steve Lieber provided the illustrations that mix humor and heart.
Breaking the Rules of Reality
CREATIVE WRITING - Bestselling author and CAS faculty member Karen Thompson Walker has found success as a writer—and as a creative writing associate professor—by asking "what if?." She also incorporates it into her classroom, where her primary teaching focus is on fiction with a catastrophic or fantastical element.
Celebrating Pride
CREATIVE WRITING, ENGLISH - This June, we celebrate Pride Month and the diverse identities of alumni identifying as LGBTQ+. Three College of Arts and Sciences alumni — Whitney Donielson, English, '11; Kevin Thomas, biology, '85; and Morgan Thomas, creative writing, '16— are featured in the UO Alumni Association's Shout publication.
President names two profs as arts and humanities fellows
CREATIVE WRITING, PHILOSOPHY - Two professors — Garrett Hongo and Colin Koopman — have been named 2023 Presidential Fellows in Arts and Humanities. They'll use the funding to work on book projects.
Annual Kidd writing competition showcases UO talent
CREATIVE WRITING - Undergrads Cecelia Gibbons and Phillip Chan won the annual Walter and Nancy Kidd Memorial Writing Competition in Poetry and Fiction. “They made our judges’ job very difficult with so many worthy entries,” said Kidd Program Director Brian Trapp. “It just speaks to the immense creative powers of our students as both storytellers and poets.”