Addressing the Arizona Board of Regents from the Grand Challenges Research building on the University of Arizona campus Thursday afternoon, President Suresh Garimella emphasized a shared commitment to student success, research excellence and community engagement – strategic imperatives developed through a collaborative process with students, faculty, staff and the greater U of A community. 

Garimella led a comprehensive review of the university's operational and financial landscape. He was joined by university senior leaders sharing insights on how the university's impact will be enhanced through implementation of the strategic imperatives, Delivering on Our Promise.

Opening the presentation with an overview of recent U of A accomplishments, the strategic vision captured in those imperatives and the university budget, Garimella noted the potential of the U of A community "as a force for good."

"We are so proud of the University of Arizona, and of our land-grant mission of engagement with Arizona," he said. "From the Cooperative Extension to educating Arizona's healthcare workforce, we create partnerships and programs that enable our entire state to thrive economically and societally."

Arizona excellence

Provost Patricia Prelock and her academic leadership team followed Garimella by discussing initiatives aimed at advancing the U of A as a leader of innovative, student-centered learning. They emphasized efforts to cultivate a sense of student belonging, improve retention and support student success, while reaffirming the university's commitment to faculty support, interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of forward-thinking curricula.

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"The University of Arizona remains deeply committed to the success of every student," Prelock said. "We do recognize the challenges that may arise and we're anticipating others, but we're prepared to meet them with resilience and forward thinking, ensuring that every Wildcat has the opportunity to thrive and make meaningful contributions to Arizona and beyond."

Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president of research and partnerships, provided regents with an overview of the U of A's research mission, strengths and goals. He also discussed the Big Idea Challenge, a seed-funding initiative led by the Office of Research and Partnerships. The program fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among research teams investigating global and regional challenges.

Six teams of U of A experts were recently chosen as the inaugural awardees. Their work addresses data, information systems and artificial intelligence; defense and national security; energy and environmental sustainability; the future of health and biomedical sciences; the human experience; and space sciences. Each team will receive $250,000 in funding, as well as strategic guidance from the Office of Research and Partnerships and other university partners to help develop their ideas from innovative concepts to real world benefits.

"The University of Arizona is an amazing institution – among the best in the world," Díaz de la Rubia said "The numbers are spectacular, but it's also the impact that we have, and how we translate what we do into technologies, into solutions and partnerships that bring our discoveries out into the market and create value for the local community and for the state."

Garimella emphasized the importance of community engagement and the university's role of creating meaningful positive impact across the state as a centerpiece of the land-grant mission. He shared a new video with the regents to illustrate the U of A's engagement efforts.

"As Arizona's land-grant university, the University of Arizona creates opportunities, expands knowledge and partners with communities to address the state's most pressing needs," Garimella said "We are proud to be the university for Arizona, creating opportunity for community."

Chief Financial Officer John Arnold presented an update on the university's financial outlook, reporting that the university has successfully reached a balanced budget for 2026 while providing raises for employees and not raising tuition for in-state undergraduates. Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois detailed her department's strategic plan, the Bear Down Blueprint – with special guest appearances by standout student-athletes Noah Fifita from Arizona Football and Emma Strom from Gymnastics – and UA Foundation CEO JP Roczniak provided a fundraising update. The board approved the fiscal year 2026 budget for the U of A.

"With President Garimella's leadership, the cohesive leadership team that we have in place and strong financial alignment across our colleges and administrative units – we are well positioned for the future," Arnold said. "We will continue investing in our strategic imperatives to support student success and reinforce long term financial stability, and I am confident that we are on the right track to rebuild a stronger and more resilient University of Arizona."

Regents business

The results and impact of U of A research in partnership with Arizona State University and fire service research partners were also highlighted Thursday. The study aimed to reduce cancer risk among firefighters associated with certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. Funded by a $4 million Regents' Research Grant from the board of regents, the project examined differences in blood PFAS concentrations among frontline workers in Arizona and is the first to evaluate PFAS levels in health care personnel. 

To help address the shortage of primary care physicians in the state, the board approved a new three-year pathway for U of A students to earn a medical degree from the Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix.

Welcoming Wildcats

During the meeting, the board approved the appointment of Prelock as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Prelock joined the U of A in May following her tenure as interim president at the University of Vermont. A distinguished scholar in clinical speech-language pathology, Prelock served as UVM's provost since 2019 and previously as dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and as chair of the Department of Communication Sciences.

"I am honored to serve as the provost for the University of Arizona, and I am looking forward to working with the board of regents," Prelock said. "It's hard to believe nearly a month has passed since I began my role as provost. It has been inspiring to witness the incredible work across this campus and to be able to contribute to the ongoing effort to make the University of Arizona a leader in world-class education, impactful research and meaningful service to the people of Arizona."

The board also approved the contract of Becky Burke as the new head coach of the women's basketball team. Burke arrives from the University at Buffalo, where she led the program to a record-setting 30-win season and a Women's National Invitation Tournament championship.

A former standout student-athlete, Burke played for the University of Louisville, where she led the Cardinals to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the national championship game in 2009 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2011.

The meeting reinforced the university's commitment to being a force for good in Tucson, across Arizona and beyond.

"We proudly serve as Arizona's public, land-grant university," Garimella said. "This mission has defined our work for nearly 140 years, and has shaped our distinctive excellence in education, research and community engagement. We will further this legacy by preparing exceptional graduates, conducting research that advances human knowledge and enables prosperity and continuing to engage with our communities here in Arizona and beyond."