UO faculty members from across campus are rallying around a common theme, something that’s very familiar to many but not often thought of as a category of research and discovery. 

It’s called the Year of Water, a statewide effort coordinated by University of Oregon, Oregon State University and Portland State University that highlights the role that Oregon’s research universities play as community and industry leaders and partners seeking to address water-related challenges in Oregon, regionally and worldwide.

It starts officially in March, but UO faculty members from all departments are invited to a faculty mixer from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, at Falling Sky Pizzeria in the Erb Memorial Union.

“It’s an opportunity to get faculty members together to talk about their research and scholarship in areas across the spectrum of water-related opportunities,” said Alaí Reyes-Santos, a professor in the Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies and an organizer of the event. “So many of us are doing important work in this realm without being fully aware of what our colleagues are up to. This is an opportunity to learn more and build upon the critical research that’s going on and create new opportunities for collaboration.”

The Year of Water Faculty Mixer will feature Oregon water trivia, pizza and other fun. The Year of Water is scheduled to run from March 2020 through February 2021. Stay tuned to Around the O for more details, including a schedule of upcoming talks, workshops, entertainment offerings and other water-related events.