UO E-Clips is a daily report prepared by the Office of Communications (http://comm.uoregon.edu) summarizing current news coverage of the University of Oregon.
Media mentions for September 27
'Atlas of Yellowstone' draws on knowledge of University of Oregon academic team
The Oregonian: America's first national park (and first in the world) gets an amazingly detailed look in this year's new book, "Atlas of Yellowstone" ... The book is a collection of scholarly work that was compiled, written and edited by three team leaders from the University of Oregon: W. Andrew Marcus, James E. Meacham and Alethea Y. Steingisser (all with positions in the Department of Geography) ... Why the University of Oregon played such a major role in producing the book may be a bit of a mystery, since the geographical connection is weak at best. The main reason is that the university has the programs and the talent (in its InfoGraphics Lab) to take on such a worthy project, which was built upon successful publication in 2001 of the "Atlas of Oregon."
'Free Speech' and the First Amendment Aren't Always the Same Thing
The Atlantic: "Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech," President Obama told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. "Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs" ... Americans seem curiously unaware that, in many countries, thoughtful, modern, secular-minded people don't reject free speech ... Ibrahim Gassama, a human rights activist and a professor of law at the University of Oregon, argues that the American response to violent outbursts like the one in Libya actually misses the chance to talk about the rule of law. "The dangerous thing is to excuse the violence," he says.
Young Adults With Autism Seek Out White-Collar Careers For First Time
The Huffington Post: A few weeks ago, Matthew Koenig, 24, was doing data entry for below minimum wage at a supervised employment center for people with disabilities in St. Paul, Minn. Koenig, who has autism, was happy to have a job in a tough economy, but soon realized the workplace wasn't well suited to him ... Mindful and ambitious, Koenig is one of a growing number of young people with high-functioning autism who are increasingly focused on building meaningful careers ... For workplace disability researcher Laurie Gutmann Kahn at the University of Oregon, it's all part of a broader trend toward viewing "people with ASD as having a different way of navigating the world, which can be extremely useful in a variety of professions," she said.
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Media mentions for September 26
UO Offering New Scholarships For Top Students
Oregon Public Broadcasting: The University of Oregon announced Wednesday that it's rolling out a new set of scholarships for high-performing students. Admissions' officials say current students can keep using the Dean's Scholarship. It's worth up to $2000 a year for students who get through the complex qualification criteria. But graduating high schoolers will be eligible for two new U of O scholarships: the $5000 a year Summit Scholarship and the Apex Scholarship worth $3000 a year. And unlike the Dean's Scholarship, the criteria are based on clear standards: SAT scores and grade point average. Jim Brooks directs financial aid at U of O. "We're hoping it'll be a very simple process, and it'll make it clear to the best and brightest Oregonians that we do want them here at the University of Oregon." Annual tuition and fees at U of O are around $9300 a year -- not including room and board -- for Oregonians. The Summit and Apex scholarships are available to out-of-state students, too and are actually larger, to make up for the higher tuition those students pay.
School starts as Ducks prepare for WSU
Statesman Journal: It's that time of year at the University of Oregon. Fall quarter classes started Monday and the days of 24/7 football have ended. We're talking about student-athletes, after all ... Oregon sophomore cornerback Terrance Mitchell said returning to school provides a necessary distraction from football. "Strengthen my mind up a little bit so I can come back to practice more focused," Mitchell said after Tuesday's practice. "I think it kind of helped me a little bit (Monday) because I had a pretty good practice today" ... Senior running back Kenjon Barner has already graduated with a sociology degree, and he's taking a yoga course as an elective. ... "Once school starts, we get somewhat of an actual life," Barner said. "We get to be around other students, so we look forward to it."
Portland's economy grows in July, U of O index shows
The Oregonian: Portland's economic growth again topped the rest of the state in July, according to the University of Oregon's regional economic indexes. The new data show the metro-area economy is expanding slightly faster than its overall average since 1998. Its growth clip has outpaced the rest of the state for the past year ... The measures show that every region but Portland is growing more slowly than normal. Central Oregon's high unemployment rate continues to weigh on the area's growth, even as the residential construction sector is coming back, U of O economist Tim Duy wrote in the press release.
Watershed Restoration, the New Job Growth Sector
National Geographic: It's late August on Abernathy Creek in western Washington State and a construction crew is awhirl hauling wood to replace log jams that have been absent from this stream for decades -- all part of an effort to reconnect the stream with its floodplain ... Projects like this are also key to human productivity, and they are creating a whole new economy in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Call it the Restoration Economy ... A University of Oregon study from 2010 found that each $1 million invested in forest or watershed restoration generates between 14.7 and 23.8 jobs, and between $2.1 and $2.6 million dollars for the local economy.
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Late mentions for September 25
Average Scores for SAT Tests Drop as Pool of Students Who Take Test Widens
PBS: RAY SUAREZ: Roger Thompson, are you seeing those low scores writ large in your applicant pool and your entering classes? ROGER THOMPSON, University of Oregon: Well, we're certainly seeing more students take the SAT. And I think that's one of the things that we need to think about when we consider how scores are changing over time. If you look at the test scores, we have got far more students participating than we did 20 years ago. And that creates sort of a two sides to the same coin ... You cited the changes that we have begun to see in the verbal and reading. And all of that leads me to be concerned as an administrator about the preparation that's happening in our K-12 school systems around the country.
Teen reports sex abuse outside Autzen during Oregon football game
KVAL: On Saturday evening at around 8:30 during the middle of the University of Oregon vs. Arizona football game, a local high school student reported that she was sexually abused in a gravel parking lot at Autzen Stadium ... Kelly McIver, public information officer for the University of Oregon Department of Public Safety, said that when the girl was allowed to leave, she made contact with her mother and they made a report with the Eugene Police Department. "Kidnapping was one of the considered charges because she was forced to go to a location, not of her choosing, by someone that did not have authority over her and the sex abuse, obviously, was for the inappropriate sexual contact," said McIver.