Diversity should be seen as the "low bar," keynote speaker Maribel Alvarez told attendees of the two-day event. "It is proven that diverse teams and organizations improve decision making and lead to better problem solving, foster creativity, flexibility and innovation." Alvarez, interim associate vice provost for diversity and inclusion, kicked off the symposium, which drew 500 registrants.

Scheduled for completion in January 2023, the Applied Research Building will be filled with cutting-edge equipment and technology to usher in the next generation of space exploration and more.

In this Q&A, Deepta Bhattacharya, professor of immunobiology, discusses the omicron variant, vaccines, booster doses and the best ways to stay healthy. "I don't think we should assume that we should just get omicron and be done with it," Bhattacharya says. "If you are able to ride out these next few weeks taking all the precautions and not getting sick, it would definitely be worth it."

Talks on the Black experience, inequality, the influence of hip-hop and other topics are slated for the monthlong celebration. Also on tap: traditional African drum and dance performances.

When Ian Escalante's injuries kept him from playing sports as a kid, he turned to video games to find the camaraderie he was missing – so he knows firsthand how gaming can bring people together. Now the director of Arizona Esports, Escalante explains all things esports, including his vision for putting inclusivity at the center of the University's program.

Face coverings, vaccination and testing remain the best strategies for minimizing the risk of COVID-19. In this roundup, find more details on those strategies plus two short videos on improving the fit of your mask and how to take a saline gargle test.

The two-day virtual symposium will include keynote presentations, workshops and learning labs covering topics ranging from student success to self-care. "I would hope this symposium is not just an opportunity for us to think and share, but also to create an atmosphere where people can turn issues they don't have knowledge on into areas of expertise," says symposium organizer Denise TrimbleSmith.

The transformation of a mine used for teaching and research is just one example of the high-impact projects supported through the fund. Read more about the project as well as the process for submitting spring 2022 PIF proposals, which are now being accepted.

The James Webb Space Telescope, student loans, Italy's citizenship debate and social media misinformation were the topics of articles published on The Conversation last month.

Congratulations to these recent honorees: John Ruiz, Liesl Folks, Mark Van Dyke, Terry Matsunaga, Bruce Tabashnik, Arizona's Science, Engineering and Math Scholars program, Robert Miller, Brad Lang, Oscar Lopez, Claudia Kappl-Joy, the Fostering Success Program and Sama Alshaibi.