In Brief: Juneteenth events, research office changes name
The university will mark Juneteenth with a speaker series and 'Art of Food' dinner
The "Art of Food" dinner event will feature food inspired by the Harlem Renaissance – which spanned the 1920s and 1930s – and a talk from Johnique Woods, associate director of event planning with Arizona Student Unions.
The university's 2025 Beyond Juneteenth speaker series begins June 5 with a talk by Lehman Benson, vice president for Black advancement and engagement. The lecture will explore how Juneteenth serves as a reflection on history and a call to action for the future.
Each talk takes place at 2 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Pima room. The presentations are free and open to the public. Other speakers in the series include:
- June 12 | Community Council for Student Success
A representative of the Community Council for Student Success will discuss the organization's advocacy for students, faculty and staff. - June 17 | Cheree Meeks, Assistant Dean for Leadership and Student Development, W.A. Franke Honors College
Meeks will explore the history and impact of the NAACP through a look at the organization's legacy of advocacy and leadership.
The series will culminate with an "Art of Food" dinner event on June 26 from 4-6 p.m. at the Health Sciences Innovation Building Forum. The dinner will feature food inspired by the Harlem Renaissance – which spanned the 1920s and 1930s – and a talk from Johnique Woods, associate director of event planning with Arizona Student Unions. Tickets, which are $25, are available online.
Juneteenth is celebrated each June 19 to commemorate the arrival of Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed – to announce that enslaved people in Texas were free. The university began observing Juneteenth as a paid holiday in 2023.
Research, Innovation & Impact changes name
The Office of Research, Innovation & Impact is now the Office of Research and Partnerships. The office says the new name reflects a sharpened focus on how research delivers public value through intentional collaboration.
Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation
"Partnership is how we move from discovery to real-world innovation that improves the lives of people everywhere," said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and partnerships. "It's how we connect the expertise of our faculty, staff and students with the needs of communities, industries and the nation."
The shift is meant to underscore the university's role not only as a generator of knowledge but also as a hub of collaboration to address urgent, global challenges. Partnerships amplify the value of research by transforming discoveries made in labs and classrooms into economic opportunity, societal benefit and global progress, de la Rubia said.
The office helps foster university's approximately $1 billion in research activity, supporting areas including funding opportunities and seed grants, proposal development, commercialization and university intellectual property.
Read more about the change in a story on the Office of Research and Partnerships website.