Humanities

Rebind: A UO alum’s invention for literary understanding

PHILOSOPHY — Sure, when alum John Kaag’s mother forced him to take philosophy lessons from his Latin teacher in high school, he might not have imagined he'd pursue a career in philosophy. But he definitely didn't imagine he'd co-found an AI-driven website that allows you to read classic books alongside literary experts, including "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.
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Alumni

Rediscovering Indigenous storytelling

ENGLISH — As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and an associate professor in English at the University of Oregon, Kirby Brown blends a deep commitment to preserving his family’s personal stories with a vision for fostering Indigenous research and archival storytelling. He seeks to highlight moments of love, joy, humor, resistance, desire and futurity through storytelling and literature.
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Faculty

Five key takeaways from “AI and the Humanities” panel

PHILOSOPHY, ENGLISH — During “AI and the Humanities,” a panel discussion featuring professors from the University of Oregon explored the impact of AI. The panel was sponsored by the Oregon Humanities Center as part of the center’s 40th anniversary events on the topic of “Humanities Matter(s).” From their in-depth discussion, came five key takeaways about AI.
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Faculty Experts

Alum Jana Schmieding brings perspective as Native actor to commencement address

THEATRE ARTS - Alum Jana Schmieding, Lakota comedian-actor-writer, has made the journey from struggling artist to success story and vocal champion of Natives in film, TV and comedy. She’ll share what she has learned along the way as keynote speaker for the university’s 148th commencement ceremony, June 16 at Autzen Stadium.

Award-winning film director selected as mentor for cinema studies students

CINEMA STUDIES — This year’s visiting filmmaker for the 10th Annual Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series is director Sean Wang, an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker from the Bay Area. The community is invited to a screening of his independent film, Dìdi (弟弟), followed by a Q&A session on Thursday, April 24. Cinema Studies students can register for a masterclass on directing on Friday, April 25. 
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Events

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.
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Faculty

New book explores state-socialist Yiddish cultures during the Cold War

The perpetrators of World War II left mass destruction in their wake across much of Europe, physically and culturally. A new book, co-edited by Miriam Chorley-Schulz, assistant professor and Mokin Fellow of Holocaust Studies, examines cultural activities, the political engagement and the work of cultural activists who remained in Eastern Europe after the war, specifically related to Yiddish language and culture. 
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Heritage language learning opportunities expand at University of Oregon

Several Tribes from the Pacific Northwest are working diligently to revitalize the endangered Native American language, Ichishkíin, and a committed group of educators, linguists and Tribal members at the University of Oregon are supporting those efforts. The latest achievement is the extension of the two-year language learning program to include a third year of instruction in at the University of Oregon.
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Pigeons vs. AI: Should We Ever Replace Doctors with Pigeons?

PHILOSOPHY - Pigeons and AI share something in common: They can’t care about patients. In Ramón Alvarado’s latest paper published in the American Journal of Bioethics, he and co-author Nicolae Morar, a bioethicist and environmental philosopher at the UO, underscore that health care isn’t just about finding results. It's about actually caring for patients. That’s a level of engagement from providers not easily replicated by a machine.
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