UO E-clips, Dec. 11

Hi-tech on hold (Eugene Weekly): One of President-elect Obama’s strategies for pulling the country out of recession is to invest in new and “green” technologies and education that will put the U.S. back in a leadership role in the global economy. But will an infusion of capital into U.S. companies and universities happen quickly enough to keep ahead of the Chinese, Brits and Russians? With the downturn in the economy, a lot of advanced U.S. technology is currently on hold, awaiting capital. ...Whether Obama’s strategies will mean more money right away for the UO’s growing nanotechnology center remains to be seen. UO is considered to be on the forefront of “green nano” and chemical-related nano research.

UO professor makes case to invest in ‘green’ jobs (Register-Guard): A University of Oregon professor has urged a congressional committee to look at creating “green” jobs in rural areas to help stimulate the economy. “With our country in one of the most severe recessions in decades, we need a large infusion of government spending to stimulate the economy and dampen the effects of its rapid contraction on families, businesses and communities. It is critical that Congress act now to prevent a prolonged recession by focusing on spending that can employ workers and businesses quickly,” Cassandra Moseley said in testimony Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the nation’s capital.

A brush with history (Shoshone News Press, Idaho): With a combination of intensive research and long-distance travel, Vincenza Scarpaci, a historian of the Italian-American experience at the University of Oregon, canvassed the country in search of immigrant stories. After laboring four years and sifting through endless information, Scarpaci had included 35 states and 164 different locations in her book, documenting the lives of Italian-American families from coast to coast. As it turned out, one of those locations was a small mining town called Kellogg, ID.

UO economist tells Congress green jobs needed (Associated Press, appearing in the Oregonian): A University of Oregon economist says one way to help the economy recover is to create more green jobs. Cassandra Moseley told a U.S. Senate committee today that investments in clean energy and natural resources projects create those green jobs. Moseley told lawmakers in the nation's capital that the list of potential projects includes restoration of forests, grasslands and rivers; sustainable wood-based energy development; and energy-efficient renovation of federal buildings. Moseley also says rural areas benefit from those kinds of projects, and small towns are getting hit extra hard by the recession. Moseley is director of the Ecosystem Workforce Program at the Institute for a Sustainable Environment at the University of Oregon.