Academic and Training Program Hub

The Location Innovation Lab (LIL) team develops smart-city software systems in the pursuit of fostering a more resilient organization.Working at the nexus of safety and efficiency we co-create custom applications (apps) that are used daily by the University of Oregon. LIL apps support campus operations, emergency management, planning, business continuity, and much more. LIL’s innovations are shared through technology transfer and sponsored research projects.

As envisioned in the 2016 Governor's Campus Safety Work Group Report, the OCDRC's goal is to turn our greatest concern- the protection of our students and educational institutions- into a network that can leverage our limited resources and collective expertise under a shared mission:To make Oregon campuses more disaster resilient now and in the future.OCDRC can leverage limited resources at the state level, develop intercampus partnerships, build local capacities through partnerships, and share resources to advance disaster resilience. The OCDRC has representation from public universities, community colleges, and private and independent universities. We have established a foundation of trust and partnerships and seek funding to advance our collaboration across campuses for risk reduction, mitigation, and overall disaster resilience

The Center for Wildfire Smoke Research and Practice (Smoke Center) is a hub for conducting research and sharing information between practitioners, researchers, and communities across Oregon.

The Oregon Hazards Lab is a research lab within the University of Oregon’s Department of Earth Sciences.Our mission is to use science, technology, and community engagement to understand, detect, and mitigate multi-hazards within the Pacific Northwest. Our work advances knowledge of natural and human-caused hazards and the environment, it helps to protect the public, and it contributes to community-level resilience.Our vision is to develop the most advanced all-hazards, environmental, and ecosystem observing platform in the United States.

The Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (OPDR) is a collaborative effort involving public, private, and professional organizations, along with faculty from the University of Oregon, aimed at fostering disaster resilience and sustainability across the state. Developed by the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement, OPDR employs a service-learning model (employing undergraduate and graduate students) to provide natural hazard assistance to Oregon communities. By emphasizing communication, coordination, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, the program aims to help communities mitigate risks associated with natural hazards.

Our doctoral program in Environmental Sciences, Studies, and Policy (ESSP) offers a unique opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research on environmental topics and issues while gaining a thorough grounding in the methods and knowledge base of a traditional discipline. Each student designs an individualized curriculum responsive to their educational and career goals.Our program prepares students for academic positions in their focal discipline or in interdisciplinary programs, for research occupations, and for leadership roles in creating and implementing environmental solutions in the private sector. Recent graduates of our program now hold academic positions at Oberlin, University of Alaska, Ursinus, Villanova, and Yale.ESSP students gain a foundation in the methods of a particular discipline through their “focal” department courses. Any PhD-granting department at the University of Oregon (except for Environmental Studies) may serve as a focal department. Since our program requires close collaboration between Environmental Studies and the focal department, applicants must be approved by both programs. For more information about the focal department structure of our program, visit About Focal Departments.

Our master’s program in Environmental Studies offers a unique opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary study of environmental topics and issues. Each student designs an individualized curriculum responsive to their educational and career goals. The degree typically takes two years to complete.Students who succeed in our program typically are self-starters, have academic and/or work experience that has given them a foundation of skills and led them to specific goals for their graduate program, and are collaborative and like working with others.Most students in our master’s program are aided by teaching or research assistantships (Graduate Employee appointments) that provide a tuition waiver, stipend, and benefits. Read more about graduate student funding and research support.In addition to the flexible and interdisciplinary nature of our curriculum, students are supported by the world-class environmental resources of our university, the strong sense of community among the Environmental Studies students, faculty, and staff, and the environmental research opportunities and natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

The Environmental Studies department is home to two majors and three minors across the disciplines. We offer a customizable course plan as well as multiple experiential learning experiences. Our students graduate from our program prepared for meaningful work in the environmental job sector, aiming to make a difference in the world.Incorporating faculty from over 30 departments, our programs offer a strong interdisciplinary curriculum and integrates the perspectives of the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, design fields and education, employing a variety of lenses to understand the environmental issues in front of us