Three new academic programs have been introduced at the University of Oregon: a bachelor of science in materials science, an education specialist degree and a brewing innovation minor.

Jayson Paulose, associate professor of physics, spoke about the new material science B.S. aimed at bridging the fields of chemistry and physics.

“The program is very much a joint effort, developed by a group of several faculty in MSI (Material Science Institute) from both physics and chemistry starting back in 2022,” Paulose said.

According to Paulose, the team challenged themselves to create a degree with a focus on “applied science” and “real-world problems” within the institute.

Paulose said that he and his team asked themselves, “How can we come up with a new major that really meets the needs of today’s workforce, modern technology and also trying to meet the needs of today’s students?”

The requirements will build on existing physics and chemistry courses with the integration of a degree-specific curriculum. 

“In their first or second year, students will take a research immersion course, working directly with a faculty lab on hands-on problem solving around an actual research project,” Paulose said. 

Alicia Lancaster, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, is involved in undergraduate research at the Material Science Institute lab, focusing on crystal lattice vibrations and heat transfer in materials. For her, the degree fills a programmatic gap. 

“I think the overlap between chemistry and physics is where I want to be in my research. It’s hard to put together a class schedule that fits those interests, so the materials science B.S. is really beneficial since my research isn’t totally related to my current classes,” Lancaster said.

The material science degree will be housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, run jointly by the Department of Physics and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

“What I’m really excited about is how broad it is (and) how interdisciplinary it is,” Paulose said.

According to Paulose, the major has been approved at the university level, but it is still in the final stages of approval at the state level. 

“We expect to begin offering the first new courses around the major starting in fall 2025, but it is not confirmed yet at this stage,” Paulose said.

For students in their postgraduate level of study, a new opportunity has been in the works at the College of Education. Angie Whalen, a clinical professor and associate dean at the COE, discussed the expansion of their school psychology program to include an education specialist degree. 

“There’s a huge shortage of mental health providers who are working in schools, K-12 school district settings,” Whalen said. “We are wanting to be able to graduate more school psychologists to go out and meet that need in school districts in Oregon and around the country.” 

The program, which currently exists as an M.S., will be renamed to better reflect the three years of full-time graduate training required for entry-level licensure.

Whalen commented on the “unique” preparation that students get to experience.

“I think our program is unique in that students get that supervised clinical training, but they also have access to opportunities to be involved with innovative and cutting-edge research in the field of education,” Whalen said.

The first two years of the program involve graduate-level coursework and part-time clinical training. In their final year, students will participate in a 1,200-hour supervised clinical internship in a school district under the guidance of a licensed school psychologist.

According to Whalen, the program’s goal of providing hands-on work experience has driven the need for expansion to the Portland campus. 

“We’re limited in the number of students that we can admit and prepare in Eugene because they have to do a lot of internships and supervised clinical experiences under the supervision of school psychologists,” Whalen said.

Beyond these two new degrees, UO has created a brewing innovation minor. Lindsey Rubottom, the brewing innovation instructor and manager, said their hope is to proceed with the Knight Campus’ goal to “advance innovation training.”

The courses themselves will range from the history of beer to hands-on brewing. According to Rubottom, throughout the sequence of courses, an entrepreneurial approach is at the forefront. 

The Knight Campus funded the construction of a fermentation innovation lab and hired a brewing instructor/lab manager to lead the brewing innovation minor.

According to Rubottom, the lab has a brewhouse, fermenters, an analytical laboratory and a cold room. All of these allow “students to apply their skills in collaboration to design a new product.”

Students in the minor will have access to both an educational and professional experience through the Knight Campus resources.  

“The minor is an interdisciplinary program, drawing from chemistry, biology, business, journalism and history,” Rubottom said. “There are no course prerequisites required.”