BIOLOGY - Bee populations have been suffering sharp declines in recent years, part of a pattern of widespread loss of pollinator diversity and abundance. Now a UO biologist and former UO postdoctoral fellow have looked for ways to incentivize almond growers to adopt bee-friendly practices.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - On January 29, the Brewers announced they were naming Sara Goodrum their new minor league hitting coordinator, making her what is believed to be the first-ever woman to hold that title for a major league franchise.

THEATRE ARTS - Michael Govier and fellow writer Will McCormick won an Academy Award for best animated short film for If Anything Happens I Love You, a 12-minute look into the world of parents whose marriage is suffering under the strain of losing their only child in a school shooting.

NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES - As a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma and a Black American, 2003 alumna Amber Starks is immersed in issues important to many Native Americans and African Americans. Now she’s helping the University of Oregon examine these issues.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - By James “Jim” Livesay, BS ’53 (physical education), owner of Lake Oswego-based PSI Conveying Groups, as told to Matt Cooper of Oregon Quarterly

THEATRE ARTS - As a kid whose parents introduced him early and often to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Sean Andries (BS ’06, theater arts) appreciates the value the arts can bring to rural communities.

THEATRE ARTS - When Ty Burrell, the award-winning actor and die-hard Duck fan, addresses the UO’s class of 2021 at next month’s commencement, he will have plenty of pearls of wisdom to dispense to the graduates.

EARTH SCIENCES - Two UO graduates let the cat out of the bag this month, identifying a new saber-toothed cat species that roamed North America 9 to 5 million years ago. Weighing in at 600 to 900 pounds, the animal emerges as one of the largest cats in Earth’s history.

GEOGRAPHY, BIOLOGY - From the plains of Serengeti to the mountains of Wyoming, wildlife herds are facing threats to critical migration routes. But maps created by the UO’s InfoGraphics Lab could be key conservation tools to help these mammals on the move.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES - During the tumultuous summer and fall of 2020, a photojournalist needed more than cameras and lenses to cover the news. Kevlar jackets, ballistic helmets, and gas masks were also standard operating equipment.