This is Oregon

University of Oregon

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EDUCATION

On the This is Oregon podcast, we take you inside the research and discoveries happening at the University of Oregon, a leading research university and member of the Association of American Universities. We talk with UO faculty and experts from a variety of fields who are working to address today's most pressing issues in Oregon and beyond—helping us all live healthier, better lives.

3D AGO

S2E9: Oregon's Global Sports Legacy: The Stories Behind Oregon's Olympic History

On this episode we're joined by Lauren Goss, Athletics Archivist in Special Collections and University Archive at UO. In this episode, she discusses her work preserving and investigating the history of Oregon athletics, including UO's long-standing connection to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. She also shares how the athletics archives preserve the stories, artifacts and moments behind UO's sports legacy and how iconic events and venues like Hayward embedded in public memory through media, storytelling and shared generational experiences. Topics What exactly does an athletics archivist do? [0:35] The themes defining the Olympics and Paraympic Movements across history [1:28] Inside the athletics archives [3:07] Iconic places and venues in Olympic history [10:03] What makes Hayward Field historic? [11:31] UO's Olympic Story through the archives [12:46] Hidden gems from the archive [13:48] Inside the Olympic Studies Hub at the University of Oregon [17:18] What Oregon's Olympic legacy tells us [17:39] Guest Lauren Goss, MLIS, CA, Atheltics Archivist Resources University of Oregon Libraries - Special Collections and University Archives, learn more about how to request and access archival materials. Oregon Sports History Program, to ensure that future generations will appreciate the full scope of our athletic history, the Special Collections and University Archives of University of Oregon Libraries is committed to preserving UO's rich heritage of athletics excellence. Launched in fall of 2024, the Oregon Sports History Program (OSHP) is dedicated to preserving and sharing this legacy with the world. Quotes "Our first Olympian was in 1908, so we've had a long history of athletes that create and promote the university's legacy, and they've, you know, become known on the global stage. They're inspirational. We all kind of feel that Duck pride, and, you know, we're so happy for their experiences as Olympians, but also at the university, we have incredible faculty and students that work on research and innovation." [4:59] "So, whether it's television, broadcasting or photography, you know, it kind of fixes a venue in the public imagination. It's the place where something happened. You can see that event and especially with, you know, anniversaries and celebrations and every, you know, for years when we think about the Olympics again, we think back to the history of these different places." [10:14] "Hayward [Field] is often referred to as a [sacred] cathedral for track and field, and so as an archivist, I pay attention to how those narratives are constructed and how memory is constructed, so through exhibits and anniversaries and just the human element of everyone experiencing Hayward in different ways, whether you're an athlete or a fan, it all contributes to this construction of a narrative of this really symbolic, sacred place." [12:05] "That's what I love about working in the archives. The serendipity of coming across these lesser-known stories and people's ideas and imagining what it would be like if Oregon hosted the Winter Olympics or the Summer Olympics." [14:56] "The research by our faculty and sport history really matters because it reveals how our traditions are formed, how our collective identities are formed, whether that's knowing what it means to be a Duck or what it means to be an Oregonian, or what it means to be an American." [17:47] Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

20 min
FEB 18

S2E8: Rethinking the Athlete: Why Inclusive Sports Design Matters

On this episode we're joined by Susan Sokolowski, founder and professor of the sports product design program in the College of Design at the UO. In this episode, she discusses her journey in product design innovation, and how innovative universal design is making a difference in sports product design. Sokolowski shares insights from her research, education, and industry experience. Topics Journey in Career in Product Design and Inclusive Sport Innovation [1:29] Universal Design in Athletic Performance [6:46] Designing for Female Athletes, Adaptive Athletes, and Underserved Body Types [7:41] AI and the Future of Product Design [16:35] Advice for Emerging Designers in Inclusive Sports Products [17:31] The Role of Research and University in Sports Product Design [18:29] Defining Success in Product Design? [19:11] Guest Dr. Susan Sokolowski, Professor and Founder of Sports Product Design MS program at University of Oregon Resources University of Oregon experts' 2026 Winter Olympics Analysis, explore the insights from UO experts, including Susan Sokolowski, breaking down the storylines, innovation, and trends ahead of the Winter Olympics. Susan Sokolowski designs Olympic gear, learn more about Susan Sokolowski's work designing the gear this year's Winter Olympians are wearing. Team USA's uniform innovation, discover how Susan Sokolowski helped use American-grown wool and advanced manufacturing techniques influenced Team USA's 2026 Olympic uniforms. Streamlining Old Navy's women's sizes, learn more about how Susan Sokolowski helped streamline Old Navy's women's garment sizes. The Smithsonian's evolution of women's sportswear, hear from Susan Sokolowski about the history of women's sportswear, and how the Olympics affected it. Quotes "As a design educator, I believe it's essential to remain current with the evolving practices of our industry and new technologies emerge in ways of working, sustainability and shifting athlete needs that are continually reshaping our field and really understanding how these changes are critical for preparing our students for professional success" [1:06] "I still feel like we're on the journey of educating people and bringing to conversation the importance of [designing products for underserved populations]"[8:14] "As a designer, you must balance being too innovative on a new product with too many design changes that are unfamiliar to the athlete versus making incremental and understandable changes that enables trust in your product and adoption of those products."[11:08] "I think it all comes down to user-centered design. We always need to listen to the voice of the athlete and bring them on the journey, and in design and engineering programs, at any university, students must learn about the human body, how to collect user insight, how to measure the performance of design product, otherwise you're only doing 40% to 50% of the job."[18:37] "We always need to listen to the voice of the athlete and bring them on the journey." [18:40] Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

21 min
FEB 4

S2E7: Before the Emergency

On this episode we're joined by Leland O'Driscoll, Director of the Oregon Hazards Lab, or OHAZ. He discusses his work with the OHAZ Lab and how OHAZ monitors natural hazards across Oregon, from earthquakes to wildfires, and explains how early warning tools like ShakeAlert and other monitoring technologies support community preparedness strategies. O'Driscoll also highlights OHAZ's partnerships with communities and UO, the role of student workers in OHAZ's mission, and what the future holds for hazard monitoring and disaster readiness. Topics What happens in the Oregon Hazards Lab? [00:19] ShakeAlert and OHAZ [2:34] Inside earthquake early warning technology [3:08] Tracking wildfires across Oregon [4:45] The tech powering OHAZ's monitoring systems [6:35] Working with communities and student workers [10:22] What's next for OHAZ [15:35] Tips and Lessons for preparing for natural disasters [17:07] Guest Leland O'Driscoll, Director of the Oregon Hazards Lab Resources Oregon Hazards Lab (OHAZ), explore research and data on natural hazards across Oregon. Watch Duty wildfire maps and alerts, track wildfire activity and receive timely updates. Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, monitor earthquake activity across the Pacific Northwest. ShakeAlert, get early warnings to help you act before an earthquake strikes. AlertWest, receive emergency notifications and alerts for hazards in your area. Quotes "Through the use of the speed of data transfer and then how slow earthquakes move, we can use that offset in time to capture an earthquake activity immediately and accurately measure its size, and then produce a warning saying, 'Hey, an earthquake has happened. We've calculated and we've verified it. An earthquake has happened and it's coming your way.'" [3:36] "But the key thing is really finding the combination of radio-use case, cellular networks, local-connected internet, and satellite, and kind of stitching that together with this resilient system." [10:10] "We really value the role of our undergraduate students specifically. You know, we have the chance to give a lot of hands-on training. And between the work we do in the lab to prepare equipment, to do manufacturing and fabrication, to data crunching, to outreach and content generation." [11:21] "It's always worth noting; yes, we're exposed to risk. But that risk means there's this underlying Earth's structure and composition and biosphere that we love to be within. So kind of embracing that, the beauty and awe of the nature we live in, is really the key thing. We want that, and it's worth living in the risk of the environment that results." [18:12] Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

24 min
JAN 21

S2E6: The Future of Mass Timber

On this episode we're joined by Judith Sheine, Professor of Architecture and Director of Design of the TallWood Design Institute at the University of Oregon. She shares her work with helping mass timber become more accessible and discusses its potential to create affordable, sustainable housing. Sheine also discusses the challenges and opportunities in advancing mass timber development and what its future could look like for the Pacific Northwest and homeowners. This is part two of our conversation with Judith Sheine. You can listen to part 1 on Apple or Spotify. Topics How the Mass Timber Movement Began [00:37] How Can Mass Timber Make Housing Affordable? [2:50] How the Pacific Northwest is Leading in Mass Timber [4:05] Overcoming Challenges in Mass Timber Development [10:48] What Could Mass Timber's Future Look Like? [12:29] Advice for Homeowners Exploring Mass Timber [16:08] Guest Judith Sheine, Professor of Architecture and Director of Design of the TallWood Design Institute at the University of Oregon Resources Oregon's College of Design, learn about programs in architecture, landscape architecture, product design, and more, with opportunities to develop hands-on design skills and explore sustainable approaches to shaping the built environment. TallWood Design Institute, discover the collaborative research institute between University of Oregon and Oregon State University dedicated to advancing mass timber and wood product building solutions through testing, applied research, and educational opportunities for students interested in sustainable building. Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, find out more about bout the statewide partnership between research universities and government agencies working to grow Oregon's mass timber industry and strengthen a regional ecosystem for sustainable wood product innovation. Quotes "We began to look at developing a house type that could work for what are called "cottage clusters." So that would be a group of small houses around a courtyard in what had originally been zoned for a single family house. So we developed a small footprint, two bedroom, two story model that, as you said, we were able to do our first prototype in the Emmerson lab, which is at the College of Forestry at OSU, which is the home of the TallWood Institute." [3:29] "You know, sustainable forest management, thinning that would allow more fiber supply of small diameter logs, a revenue stream for that thinning because they could be used in mass timber and then dealing with the housing crisis by looking at the possibility of doing pre manufactured housing and factories, looking at both flat-pack, which is what we're doing, we're like the IKEA model with our little house, or volumetric, which is one of the things they'll be doing up at the port." [6:51] "Our TallWood Design Institute has really been recognized as the leading, mass timber research institute in the U.S., we have a number of firms are both family owned and new firms that are producing mass timber. We have research in virtually every area of it." [10:31] "You need a lot of stakeholders with different kinds of areas of expertise coming together in a collaborative way. And I can say what's been really interesting about the mass timber world is that it's been very collaborative, particularly here in Oregon, is that we have great relationships with industry, with government organizations, nonprofit organizations and communities all over Oregon, and that's kind of exciting in itself." [15:42] Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

19 min
JAN 7

S2E5: Mass Timber 101

On this episode we're joined by Judith Sheine, Professor of Architecture and Director of Design of the TallWood Design Institute at the University of Oregon. She shares her work with mass timber innovation and what it means for environmental sustainability. Sheine also discusses how the TallWood Design Institute applies research to support the future of mass timber as a resilient material for buildings and rural economies. This is part one of our conversation with Judith Sheine. Topics What is Mass Timber [00:33] What does biophilic mean? [3:04] Mass Timber, resilience and Environmental Sustainability [4:05] What is the TallWood Design Institute? [10:54] The future of mass timber, and UO's College of Design role in the vision [14:44] Guest Judith Sheine, Professor of Architecture and Director of Design of the TallWood Design Institute at the University of Oregon Resources Oregon's College of Design, learn about programs in architecture, landscape architecture, product design, and more, with opportunities to develop hands-on design skills and explore sustainable approaches to shaping the built environment. TallWood Design Institute, discover the collaborative research institute between University of Oregon and Oregon State University dedicated to advancing mass timber and wood product building solutions through testing, applied research, and educational opportunities for students interested in sustainable building. Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, find out more about bout the statewide partnership between research universities and government agencies working to grow Oregon's mass timber industry and strengthen a regional ecosystem for sustainable wood product innovation. Quotes "Things that are really interesting about wood is that it can replace steel and concrete, and wood has been proven to have a lot of biophilic properties. There have been studies that show that wood environments in workplaces mean fewer absences, healthier environments, more productivity, and there's been studies done in schools and also in hospitals as well." [2:37] "So we do what is known as applied research, sometimes called use-inspired research, very closely aligned with industry, and that funding has enabled us to do, over 100 research projects since 2015, which is kind of amazing. So we've really helped to—in really every aspect of mass timber—so we've really helped to advance the industry. And so far the legislature seems very happy with what we're doing." [13:56] "We have made a very comprehensive, strategic plan for how to engage stakeholders across government, of course, university researchers, nonprofits, people in urban and rural communities—really everybody who could possibly be a stakeholder in this, finding ways to engage them and also to attract outside investment, to invest in startups, to invest in more buildings, and the University of Oregon has organized this very big strategic planning effort." [17:38] "I think that mass timber for the Northwest really has both enormous potential for economic development and for environmental stewardship, which is what the TallWood Design Institute was designed to promote. That's our mission." [18:31] Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

20 min
11/05/2025

S2E4: Helping Students Succeed After Brain Injury

On this episode we're joined by Melaney Grenz, project manager for the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training, or CBIRT, at the University of Oregon. In this episode, she discusses how her work with CBIRT helps support people with Traumatic Brain Injuries, or TBIs, what TBIs look like in everyday life, and what their impact can have on school, work, and daily function. Grenz also shares common misconceptions and practical advice for friends and families supporting someone with TBI. Topics What does a project manager at CBIRT do? [00:55] CBIRT's role in brain injury recovery [1:29] TBI basics, the signs, and who's most at risk [2:31] Common misconceptions, biggest challenges, accommodations [6:21] Concussion Laws and Cultural Change [14:55] What's next for CBIRT [20:06] Friends and family advice [22:20] Guest Melaney Grenz, project manager for the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) through the University of Oregon Resources Lived Experiences with Traumatic Brain Injuries, listen to Melaney Grenz's podcast to hear real stories about TBIs and how they affect everyday life. CBIRT, learn more about the Center for Brain Injury Research and Training's work supporting and advocating for individuals with brain injuries, families, educators, and clinicians through research and training. CBIRT on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, follow CBIRT on social media for resources, research updates, and tools that support people living with brain injuries. Oregon Return to School Model, find out more about Oregon's model for helping students successfully return to school after a concussion or brain injury. Quotes "You know you've had a concussion, okay? You feel way different. It's scary. It's surreal. And each brain injury is different; they're like a snowflake. If you've seen one snowflake, you've seen one snowflake." [5:14] "If you think about a brain injury, it's not like another disability. It was unexpected. There's little the person could have done to prevent it, usually; they were unprepared." [6:37] "The risk of brain injury is 4 to 6 times greater after one [concussion] and eight times greater after two." [7:53] "Recovery's so variable depending on the injury— we can't say, "You know, in this much time you're going to be okay." No one can do that, right? We wish we could, but we do know that social support of the family is the best predictor of function and quality of life after brain injury, and I've said it so often that a brain injury adversely affects the entire family unit." [9:00] "All 50 states have a Return-to-Play law, but only 14 states have a Return-to-School law, with Oregon being one of them. Texas recently passed theirs. And so, we just continue to help other states. It's like, "You must have this in place." Our students are counting on us." [16:38] Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

23 min
10/22/2025

S2E3: Strong Families, Healthy Kids

On this episode we're joined by Beth Stormshak, Philip H. Knight Chair, Professor at UO's College of Education, Director of the Prevention Science Institute, and President and Founder of the Family Check-Up. Stormshak talks about the challenges families face in communicating with their children and how the Family Check-Up helps families thrive. She shares practical tips for supporting kids as they grow and explains why strong communication is such a powerful tool for families. Topics The Biggest Challenges Families Face Today [1:15] Inside the Family Check-Up Model [3:26] How to Support Children's Development [5:41] Why Communication Matters in Prevention [10:16] Key Lessons for Supporting Kids [14:37] Guest Beth Stormshak, Philip H. Knight Chair, Professor at UO's College of Education, Director of the Prevention Science Institute, and President and Founder of the Family Check-Up Resources Family Check-Up, find out more about Stormshak's evidence-based model developed at UO aiming to help families strengthen communication, support positive child development, and reduce behavioral and emotional challenges in families. Prevention Science Institute at University of Oregon, learn more about UO's multidisciplinary research institute dedicated to studying ways to improve people's lives as they grow and change through research, training, and community programs. University of Oregon's College of Education, learn more about UO's programs in teaching, counseling, and human services, where students gain hands-on experience and practical skills to support children, families, and communities while preparing for careers in education, mental health, and related fields. Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

17 min
10/08/2025

S2E2: Helping Kids Navigate Stress

On this episode we're joined by Dr. Sunny Bai, Assistant Professor of Children's Behavioral Health and Psychology at the University of Oregon's Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health. Bai shares her latest research on family life, explores parent's communication styles with their children, and offers tips to support youth as the school year begins. Topics The Science of Family Life [00:26] Inside Parent-Child Communication [6:06] Key Insights from Family Life Research [9:32] Supporting Youth Through School Stress [14:44] Surprising Findings in Family Research [19:50] Guest Dr. Sunny Bai, Assistant Professor of Children's Behavioral Health and Psychology at the University of Oregon's Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health. Resources Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health, learn more about UO's institute and facility on the Portland campus, which focuses on educating the next generation of children's behavioral health professionals, advancing research in child behavioral health, and providing community-based programs to support the mental health and well-being of children and families. Psychology Department at UO, explore UO's Department of Psychology, which offers programs to both undergraduate and graduate students interested in the study of human behavior, including areas such as child and adolescent development, biopsychology, and social behavior, while helping students build a foundation for careers in mental health, education, and related fields. SAFE Lab, find out about Dr. Bai's Strengthening Adolescents and Families Everyday (SAFE) lab, where research examines family life, the effects of stress on parent—child relationships, and how internalizing disorders in adolescence affect children and families, with hands-on opportunities for students seeking research experience to contribute to ongoing projects. Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts

22 min

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

On the This is Oregon podcast, we take you inside the research and discoveries happening at the University of Oregon, a leading research university and member of the Association of American Universities. We talk with UO faculty and experts from a variety of fields who are working to address today's most pressing issues in Oregon and beyond—helping us all live healthier, better lives.

Creator

University of Oregon
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

21
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2024
Show Website

This is Oregon