In Brief: UAPD honored for veteran leadership, Garimella and Perry opinion column, Department of Entomology named 'top workplace'
University of Arizona Police Department officers were honored by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani during a Nov. 13 Veteran Servant Leader Award event in Tucson.
UAPD officers honored as 'veteran servant leaders'
Several University of Arizona Police Department officers were honored by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani during a Nov. 13 Veteran Servant Leader Award event in Tucson. The award recognizes veterans who have continued to serve their communities after their military careers.
Honorees included: Micholjon Amado, Ben Bordner, Donna Breitenfeld, Bernardo Munguia Castillo, Kayla Courtright, Eddie Eismon, Alvaro Rene Hernandez, Colin Keating, Jovanny Lovato, Bob Sommerfeld and Andrew Valenzuela.
UAPD was also named a 5 Star Employer in the 2025 VETS Indexes Employer Awards, recognizing the department's strong commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing and supporting veterans and the military-connected community.
Op-ed highlights how academic medicine delivers the care that 'matters most'
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella and Banner Health President and CEO Amy Perry outlined the transformational benefits of the academic medicine partnership between the university and the health system in an opinion column published Nov. 9 in the Arizona Daily Star.
University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella and Banner Health CEO Amy Perry highlight a proclamation from Governor Katie Hobbs declaring Oct. 24 as Academic Medicine Day.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Board of Regents
The column highlights the impact on students – with nearly 1,000 medical students and over 1,300 residents and fellows trained each year – and on patients, with the collaboration producing 600 joint clinical trials advancing treatments in cancer, heart transplantation, neuroscience and more.
Garimella and Perry also emphasized the partnership's significant economic impact in Tucson and beyond, writing that, in its first 10 years, the partnership generated $59 billion in economic output and tens of thousands of jobs.
"We may impact millions of people, but it is the care of each individual Arizonan that matters most — from the newborn twins who received the state’s first fetal surgery to the young mother whose cancer was cured with a personalized immunotherapy vaccine," Garimella and Perry wrote.
Read more about the partnership's anniversary and impact in a story on the university's news website.
Department of Entomology honored as top workplace
Entomology professors Wendy Moore and Goggy Davidowitz flank Bruce Tabashnik at the Top Workplaces award ceremony October 23, 2025.
The University of Arizona's Department of Entomology was named one of the Arizona Daily Star’s Top Workplaces for 2025, the first U of A department to earn that honor.
The award is based on anonymous employee surveys evaluating workplace culture, leadership, communication and growth opportunities recognizing departments that foster collaboration, celebrate achievements and supporting their staff.
Bruce Tabashnik, department head and Regents Professor of entomology, attributes the accolade to a people-first approach to science and discovery.
"The key is attracting, hiring, and retaining amazing people who are collaborative and love what they do," Tabashnik said. "When we recruit, we look for folks who not only have the expertise, but the cooperative attitude and passion to strengthen our positive culture. And we never miss a chance to celebrate their achievements."
Read more about the honor in a story on the Department of Entomology website.