REDMOND–The University of Oregon plans to establish a Field Studies Center in Central Oregon as part of its proposal to bring a UO branch campus to the region, UO Provost John Moseley announced today (Tuesday, Nov. 14) in Redmond.

The center will provide a logistical and intellectual home for field-based research in archaeology, cultural anthropology, geomorphology, geology and geophysics, linguistics, community service and other areas.

Initially, the center would be directed by Mel Aikens, UO professor of anthropology and director of the UO Museum of Natural History and of the Oregon State Museum of Anthropology on the UO campus. Aikens has been doing research and teaching field studies classes in Central Oregon since 1970.

"The establishment of a UO campus in Central Oregon provides us with significant opportunities to both expand and enhance our research, educational and public services endeavors east of the Cascades," said Moseley. "We envision the Central Oregon Field Studies Center as a nexus for collaborative research interactions and professional training opportunities between UO research faculty and the multiple communities with shared interests that exist in Central Oregon."

In addition to serving as a staging facility for a variety of field-based research projects currently underway in Central Oregon by UO faculty and students, the center also will foster collaboration involving Central Oregon Community College (COCC) faculty and students, the community and various public and private agencies.

The UO has a long and distinguished record of research, education and public service in Central Oregon. Faculty and students, who have been conducting field studies in the region since UO was founded 125 years ago, have made significant contributions to knowledge of the geological and archaeological history of Central Oregon. That work continues and includes the following:

Geology: Thomas Condon, the UO’s first professor of science, began studying fossils in the John Day region in 1865. Scientific papers by UO students and Condon’s famous book, "The Two Islands," laid the foundation for the study of Oregon’s unique geology and set the stage for current understanding of plate tectonics. The UO continues Condon’s work in the region and, since 1930, has taught an annual six-week geologic field school.

Seismology: Faculty and students also are engaged in significant research into seismic and volcanic activity in the area. The Pine Mountain Geophysical Station, located next to the UO astronomical observatory, houses a modern broadband seismometer that forms the backbone of the Oregon seismic array. The seismometer, because of its sensitivity and location, is capable of measuring the micro-earthquakes that typically signal the beginning of volcanic activity.

Archaeology: The UO summer archaeological field school in Central Oregon was established in 1937 by Luther S. Cressman, who is known as the father of Oregon archaeology. Excavating in Fort Rock Cave in 1938, the field school recovered many sagebrush bark sandals from below a layer of Mount Mazama volcanic ash. A sagebrush bark sandal of the Fort Rock type was later proved through radiocarbon dating to be more than 9,000 years old.

Since Cressman’s time, the UO has maintained an active program of research and training in archaeology in Central Oregon. The ongoing research of the field school’s Northern Great Basin Prehistory Project focuses on reconstruction of past life patterns, paleoclimatic study and human responses to changing environmental conditions. This research led to the discovery at Paulina Lake of the remains of the oldest house in North America. Like the sandal, radiocarbon dating of this structure proved it to be more than 9,000 years old, meaning that Central Oregon had a home with a lakeside view before the pyramids or Stonehenge were built.

Geomorphology-Geoarchaeology: The UO’s geomorphology field school, established in 1992, explores changes in the landscape of the Central Oregon region over time, including study of soils and rock strata. Operating in close collaboration with the archaeology field school, this field school provides students with perspectives and techniques for integrating archaeological and paleo-environmental research into the study of long-term human relationships with an ever-changing natural environment.

UO faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in the region also are studying streams and how they are affected by practices such as logging and over-grazing–research that is of interest to government agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as to Native American tribes.

Linguistics: Since joining the UO’s linguistics faculty in 1982, Scott DeLancey has worked to preserve Northwest native languages. The Northwest Indian Language Institute was conceived in response to a request from the head of the Warm Springs Indian language program and provides education, on-site training and consultation in the preservation of these languages. A field studies center would improve the UO’s ability to offer these services in Central Oregon.

Community Service Center: The UO has provided community planning, resource assistance for rural environments, and student-originated studies in Central Oregon for the past 25 years. Projects include a survey analysis of Bend residents about tourism, a survey assessing Oregonians’ preferences for winter recreation, and a study of economic trends for the ski industry.

Rural assistance projects include drafting a comprehensive economic development plan for the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and helping implement an economic development and telecommunications action plan for the community of La Pine. Student researchers also assisted the Crooked River Watershed Council in its development and in evaluating riparian and channel conditions in the watershed.

As part of the UO Central Oregon campus plan, the UO recently announced key leadership posts, named those who will fill them, and outlined the proposed program structure for the UO Central Oregon campus. The proposal includes five divisions: science and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, education and extended studies.

In addition, the UO’s branch campus plan includes a Learning in Retirement Program and a Cultural Events Program that will draw from the extensive calendar of events offered by the UO School of Music, Department of Dance and Department of Theater Arts, as well as from the speakers and other distinguished visitors who now visit the Eugene campus.

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