A new president, interstellar discoveries, dogs to the rescue: Top 10 U of A stories of 2024
A new study finds that veterans paired with service dogs may be as much as 66% less likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
K9s For Warriors
From canine companionship to intergalactic intrigue, several projects involving University of Arizona research, scholarship and expertise generated news around the world in 2024, and University Communications was there to document it.
Here is a selection of the university's top news stories of the year.
The Arizona Board of Regents voted unanimously on Aug. 9 to appoint Suresh Garimella as the university's 23rd president. Garimella is celebrated in higher education for his innovative leadership, his profound commitment to the land-grant mission, and an exceptional record of putting students first. He assumed the presidency on Oct. 1. Additionally, Tomás Díaz de la Rubia was appointed senior vice president for research and innovation, effective in November, and Desireé Reed-Francois started as the university's director of athletics in March.
Bennu holds the solar system's 'original ingredients,' might have been part of a wet world: June 26
A deep dive into the sample of rocks and dust returned from near-Earth asteroid Bennu by NASA's University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission revealed some long-awaited surprises. After the successful removal of two fasteners from the sampler head that had prevented some of the asteroid sample material from being accessed, the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team embarked on study of the sample that revealed Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system. The asteroid's dust is rich in carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. (CNN, The New York Times)
Webb telescope takes its first images of forming planetary systems: March 27
By taking advantage of the dust-penetrating capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope's infrared instruments, designed and built in part by U of A scientists, astronomers obtained the first direct observations with the new NASA space telescope of gas and dust feeding a nascent planetary system with raw material for planet formation. (BBC Sky at Night, Salon)
Veterans with service dogs may have fewer PTSD symptoms, higher quality of life: June 4
A study from the College of Veterinary Medicine found that veterans paired with service dogs may be as much as 66% less likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Professor of veterinary medicine Maggie O'Haire, a study co-author, said researchers sought "to bring evidence behind a practice that appears to be increasingly popular, yet historically did not have the scientific base behind it." (CBS News, USA Today)
Looking through the lens of time with the Millennium Camera: Jan. 8
On Tumamoc Hill, hikers climb and descend daily. Animals skitter across the desert floor. Saguaros grow and die over decades, sometimes centuries. But for a millennium, a photographic camera will stand sentinel over Tucson, prompting passersby to stop and think about what the future may hold. Dubbed the Millennium Camera, the device was dreamed up by experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats, a research associate at the U of A College of Fine Arts. (The Verge, Hyperallergic)
Samples from Huanan Seafood Market provide further evidence of COVID-19 animal origins: Sept. 19
A study published in the journal Cell points to raccoon dogs sold at a wholesale market in Wuhan, China, as the likely source of the spillover of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from animals to humans, spawning the COVID-19 pandemic. "It doesn't 100% prove that those animals had SARS-CoV-2, but it shows that you can just say goodbye to the idea that these (coronavirus-susceptible) animals weren't even there at the time the pandemic started," said study co-author Michael Worobey, head of the U of A Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. (NPR, The Associated Press)
Freeze-frame: U of A researchers develop microscope that can see electrons in motion: Aug. 21
Assistant professor of physics and optical sciences Mohammed Hassan led a group of researchers in developing the first transmission electron microscope powerful enough to capture images of electrons in motion. (Popular Science, Live Science)
Arizona's growing political influence, explained by a U of A political scientist: Sept. 17
Arizona's political landscape is evolving, and the 2024 presidential election may mark a pivotal moment for the state. Arizona's growing population, diversity and shifting demographics are key factors in the state’s transformation into a contentious political battleground. During election season, several U of A experts provided key context on issues surrounding political campaigns, voter behavior, electoral trends, social movements, and issues shaping the local and national political landscapes. (BBC, Mashable)
How did humans and dogs become friends? Connections in the Americas began 12,000 years ago: Dec. 4
A study led by assistant research professor of anthropology François Lanoë showed people and the ancestors of today's dogs began forming close relationships as early as 12,000 years ago – about 2,000 years earlier than previously recorded in the Americas. (The Washington Post, Gizmodo)
Construction began this year on a new building that will house the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, on the Phoenix Bioscience Core in downtown Phoenix. CAMI will anchor an innovation district that aims to establish the Phoenix Bioscience Core as a hub of cell and gene therapy research, startup activity and corporate engagement. (Construction Superintendent Magazine, KJZZ)
Here are some other stories that generated significant interest:
