A new UO Social-Environmental Research Initiative will leverage the university’s strengths in the realm of social-environmental change to address some of the major issues around sustainability, resilience and climate change.
“With our deep roots in green education, research, scholarship and creative activity, we are well-positioned to address the social-environmental challenges that are facing our region and our world,” said Cass Moseley, senior associate vice president for research and innovation. “Our faculty are conducting vital, innovative research, and this initiative promises to facilitate the pursuit of interdisciplinary questions to bring this exciting research in new directions that transcend traditional boundaries.”
The initiative is being led by Moseley and Christoph Lindner, dean of the College of Design, along with a visioning committee of faculty members from across campus. Moseley credited the 12-member committee with successfully creating a program that plays to the UO’s research strengths and is truly interdisciplinary.
The initiative will launch officially May 20 with an all-day Interdisciplinary Social-Environmental Research Symposium designed to identify and elaborate the issues that UO faculty members are well-positioned to address through novel, interdisciplinary research and scholarship. Symposium registration is open to all UO faculty members and is being billed as a collaborative working meeting that will also feature details on a new seed funding program sponsored by the vice president for research and innovation to help build research collaborations.
In preparation for the symposium, organizers are hosting a series of coffee klatches, small group conversations designed to identify compelling questions and potential areas of inquiry. Any interested faculty members are encouraged to register for an upcoming session.
To register for the May 20 symposium, visit the program website. Coffee klatch participants will be automatically registered for the May workshop. If you wish to participate in a coffee klatch but are unable to attend the symposium, e-mail rds@uoregon.edu.