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Class Spotlight

Excellent academics are the foundation of a Lewis & Clark education. Our professors are experts in their fields who love to teach, and who love to work with and learn from their students.

Your professors will teach you much more than facts and theory. They will inspire you to live your life as a thoughtful and passionate participant in an ever-changing world. Your small classes will create community, and give you the chance try new ideas and find your voice. The exchange of ideas continues outside of the classroom, with plenty of opportunities for experiential learning.

You will take approximately 32 courses during your time here, meaning you will have the chance to explore beyond your chosen major or minor.

  • Laura Everson BA '22

    The liberal arts are an opportunity to learn how to build a community. They teach the value of communication, problem solving, and adaptability. By opening myself up to different perspectives and opinions, I have learned how to look beyond myself and understand that there are a million different ways of looking at a problem.

    Laura Everson BA ’22
    English and Classics (double) | Sitka, Alaska
    More about Laura
  • Elsa Horsted BA '25

    I’ve taken a ton of classes outside my major because of the flexibility to explore other topics, which has made me more well-rounded and knowledgeable. My curiosity for all subjects and lack of commitment to just one is what makes liberal arts the perfect fit.

    Elsa Horsted BA ’25
    Sociology and Anthropology | Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation | Roseville, Minnesota
    More about Elsa
  • Kenan Imamovic BA '25

    Having a liberal arts education allows for personal development and a unique touch to one’s professional development. 

    Kenan Imamovic BA ’25
    Computer Science and Psychology (double) | Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
    More about Kenan

Class Spotlight Stories

class spotlight, experiential education, experiential learning, feature story, film, history, Inside-Out, PBS, Portland, top story, undergrad
Reiko Hillyer, professor of history, teaches her popular Crime and Punishment course at the Columbia River Correctional Institution in No...

PBS Shines National Spotlight on ‘Classroom 4’

PBS is streaming Classroom 4, which captures the transformative Inside-Out course taught by Professor Reiko Hillyer, where students break down the walls imposed by incarceration to study, connect, and change each other.

academics, ArtsLC, class spotlight, experiential education, experiential learning, fine arts, theatre, top story, undergrad
Students in Theatre 249 are able to get a peek behind the curtain on tours led by OSF staff.

From Page to Stage

A unique summer theatre course blends in-depth reading and discussion with the excitement of live theatre, culminating in a weeklong trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

class spotlight, Data Science, experiential education, experiential learning, Portland, top story, undergrad
A student typing on a laptop.

OPB Features L&C Data Science Course

Visiting Assistant Professor Devin Fitzpatrick designed his new course, Data for Good, to challenge students to get their hands dirty—both in messy datasets and in the soil—through a partnership with the Portland-based nonprofit Growing Gardens.

academics, class spotlight, faculty honors, faculty, film, history, Inside-Out, top story, undergrad
Poster for 'Classroom 4' documentary with photo of Reiko Hillyer's Inside-Out Prison Exchange class, with students placing...

Inside-Out Film Wins Best Documentary at 2025 Aspen Shortsfest

CLASSROOM 4, a documentary about Reiko Hillyer’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange class, wins the Jury Award at Aspen Shortsfest.
Center for Community and Global Health, class spotlight, experiential education, experiential learning, FOSA, psychology, top story, undergrad
Jolina Ruckert, who teaches Psychology of Gender, talks with Story Gorge workshop leaders Kyle Glenn (left) and Sean O'Connor.

Psychology Meets Digital Storytelling

Students in an upper-division psychology course are partnering with local video production company Story Gorge to use the art of digital storytelling to explore the experience of gender.

academics, Center for Community and Global Health, class spotlight, environment, environmental studies, ENVX, top story, undergrad
Gwyn Murphy-Cunningham BA '26, a member of the Students Engaged in Eco-Defense Club (SEED), responds to facilitator questions.

Where Environment Meets Community

In this spring’s Environmental Engagement course, students connect classroom learning with real-world conversations, partnering with local nonprofits to address polarizing issues and build mutual trust.

See more class spotlight stories →

  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Indebted Lives with Associate Professor Maryann Bylander</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> This class unravels the history of debt in our financialized society, and invites students to reimagine a world without credit.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/18509-madeleine-macwilliamson"> <a href="/live/profiles/18509-madeleine-macwilliamson">Madeleine MacWilliamson BA ’24</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Political Science </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Data Science </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Psychology of Sustainability with Assistant Professor Jolina Ruckert</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> Jolina is so supportive and knowledgeable that it makes you excited to go to class, and she allowed the main project to be really flexible in order to make room for anyone’s passion or interest to be explored.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/18362-cloe-moreno"> <a href="/live/profiles/18362-cloe-moreno">Cloe Moreno BA ’24</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Psychology </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Health Studies and Art (double) </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Either of the Intro to Constitutional Law classes I took with Professor Todd Lochner</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> He’s very challenging and a bit unorthodox in his teaching—though I readily confess I was a mediocre student in his class. All that being said, Lochner has a way to poke and prod his students, challenging them to defend their views while also building up a more informed understanding and respect for the word of law and the U.S. Constitution.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/17195-ocean-eale"> <a href="/live/profiles/17195-ocean-eale">Ocean Eale BA ’19</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: German Studies </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Political Science </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Screenwriting by Fernley Phillips</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> Fernley has so much insight about breaking into the industry and how to write a spec script. Most of the class is focused on writing and workshopping our own screenplays, which includes reading them aloud and discussing them as a class. It’s so much fun to hear everyone’s ideas and see their screenplays come to fruition.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/14637-william-lew"> <a href="/live/profiles/14637-william-lew">William Lew BA ’23</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Computer science </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Urban Economics taught by Professor Arthur O’Sullivan</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> I find it so interesting to apply economic models to real-world issues to better understand them, and to help come up with potential solutions to real world problems. This course covered relevant issues including houselessness, social norms, transportation, crime, and more.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/19038-lena-essak"> <a href="/live/profiles/19038-lena-essak">Lena Essak BA ’24</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Economics </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Data Science </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Operating Systems with Computer Science Lecturer Alain Kägi</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> <span style="font-weight: 400;">This class taught me the building blocks of computers, and showed me the assumptions I had about operating systems. I was able to put theory into practice by working on fundamental programming problems.</span> </p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/14558-carlos-garcia-moran"> <a href="/live/profiles/14558-carlos-garcia-moran">Carlos García Morán BA ’24</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Computer Science </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Philosophy </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Medicine Healing and Culture with Professor Sepideh Bajracharya</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> This course greatly expanded the way I think about social constructions of health, healing, and illness. Professor Bajracharya invites students to engage deeply with their lived experiences, and facilitates fascinating discussions.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/22580-sophia-riley"> <a href="/live/profiles/22580-sophia-riley">Sophia Riley BA ’25</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Sociology and Anthropology </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>I always had a smile on my face going into my Japanese courses!</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> I love that, over the many courses I took in the Japanese program included plenty of relevant cultural information along with the vocabulary and grammar we were learning. A little bit of folklore here, a little bit of modern Japanese food culture there—we were always learning on multiple fronts, and each class felt like a long, pleasant conversation.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/19756-terin-trachtenberg"> <a href="/live/profiles/19756-terin-trachtenberg">Terin Trachtenberg BA ’21</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Computer Science </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Art and Ecology with Associate Professor Cara Tomlinson</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> As an artist, I often find myself feeling guilty when creating art that utilizes chemical dyes or processes. This class allowed me to explore how to sustainably go about dyeing clothes, making pigments, and so much more in a way that centered what the land/waste provides for us.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/24151-amber-kase"> <a href="/live/profiles/24151-amber-kase">Amber Kase BA ’27</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Psychology </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Religious Studies, possibly Gender Studies </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Comparative Politics</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> I’m a first-year student, so I haven’t taken many classes, but I really enjoy learning about what is going on in the rest of the world and in other countries.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/20425-christi-san-diego"> <a href="/live/profiles/20425-christi-san-diego">Christi San Diego BA ’27</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Political Science </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Digital Media with Professor Dann Disciglio. </strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> Digital Media taught me that art in general does not have a definition. We learn that art expresses and evokes is in part ineffable, we find it difficult to define and delineate it. Also, how AI has evolved and developed nowadays in our society. It changed my perspective of what art truly is.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/20611-miranda-caba-solano"> <a href="/live/profiles/20611-miranda-caba-solano">Miranda Caba Solano BA ’27</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Studio Art </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Hispanic Studies </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Social Justice in the Global Economy with Professor Elizabeth Bennett</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Bennett introduced to new concepts in social justice each week through real-world literature on various topics. Each class, we came together to talk through the challenges and more importantly, how to overcome them. This course taught me to be critical about some of the world’s most pressing issues while also being hopeful that there can be a solution.</span> </p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/19759-mikah-bertelmann"> <a href="/live/profiles/19759-mikah-bertelmann">Mikah Bertelmann BA ’21</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: International Affairs </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Political Economy </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Abstract Algebra with Sweta Suryanarayan</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> It’s so fun getting an introduction to abstract structures that underscore all of higher mathematics, and Sweta is an excellent guide to the world of groups, rings, and fields. It could be very hard at times, but it was incredibly rewarding, and I feel so lucky that I got to take it at such a great place with such a great instructor.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/23424-lucien-petit"> <a href="/live/profiles/23424-lucien-petit">Lucien F. Petit BA ’25</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Mathematics </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: Philosophy </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>Abnormal Psychology</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> This was a fast-paced, rigorous class that had me excited to wake up early to attend at 9 a.m. The lectures were full of real-life and textbook case studies with riveting new knowledge of the human psyche, and a critical analysis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/17729-luz-vazquez"> <a href="/live/profiles/17729-luz-vazquez">Luz Vazquez BA ’25</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Psychology </div> <div class="profile-box_field"> Minor: French Studies </div> </div> </div> </div>
  • <div class="statistics_slide swiper-slide"> <div class="statistics_box" style="text-align:left;"> <div class="statistics_box_inner"> <h4 class="statistics_headline" style="font-size: 3rem;"> Favorite Class </h4> <h6 class="statistics_summary" style="font-size: 2rem;"> <strong>The Art of Solidarity by Magalí Rabasa</strong> </h6> <!-- quote --> <div class="statistics_summary"> <p> This class opened up my mind to many more perspectives and ideas. At first, I was a little nervous because any mention of art is daunting due to my very amateur, stick figure artistic capabilities. However, the practice of standing in solidarity with different groups of people and using art as an expression of unity is what this class was really about! Social movements, progression, and unity is what I hope for in this world, and I had a little taste of that in this class.</p> </div> <div class="profile-box_name" href="/live/profiles/9453-carolina-ruiz"> <a href="/live/profiles/9453-carolina-ruiz">Carolina Ruíz BA ’22</a> </div> <!-- class year --> <div class="profile-box_field"> Major: Hispanic Studies </div> </div> </div> </div>
Bruce posing outside, wearing a dark suit and a blue tie.

Office of the Dean of the College is located in room 201 of Albany on the Undergraduate Campus.
MSC: 47

email 

voice 503-768-7100 

Dean Bruce Suttmeier

  • Office of the Dean of the College
    Lewis & Clark
    615 S. Palatine Hill Road 
    Portland OR 97219