The University of Arizona will take center stage Thursday at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting on campus in Tucson. President Suresh Garimella and other senior leaders of the university will present a comprehensive review of the operational and financial landscape of the university about eight months into his tenure as the university's 23rd president. 

Garimella will be joined by Patricia Prelock, the university’s provost, and members of her academic leadership team, as well as Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and partnerships. They will share insights on how the university's impact will be enhanced through three recently announced strategic imperatives, collectively titled Delivering on our Promise:

• Success for Every Student – Prelock and her team will describe challenges and opportunities in advancing a student-centered learning experience. Their focus will be on how the university can further support belonging, retention, degree completion and post-graduate achievement for all learners, including graduate and online students. Central to this focus is strengthening the university's support for teaching and research faculty, fostering collaborative learning environments and advancing innovative curricula.
• Research that Shapes the Future – Díaz de la Rubia will describe how the U of A's strengths as one of the world's top universities drive discovery, innovation and solutions to global challenges. This includes areas of strategic focus: space and national security, fusion energy and the path to commercialization, AI and quantum networks, cancer and immunotherapy, the future of agriculture and water, and mining and critical minerals processing. The meeting will also highlight six teams of U of A experts who have been chosen as the 2025 Big Idea Challenge awardees and will received funding to accelerate transdisciplinary projects with the potential to transform lives, shape policy, drive economic impact and provide training for the next generation of talent.
• Engagement with Our Communities to Create Opportunity – With a focus on the university's distinctive mission as a land-grant institution, Garimella will share a vision for partnerships, support and impact across Arizona and beyond. This will include the university's mission to provide partners with access to the full range of expertise and resources and the importance of place-based excellence and sustainability, as well as the impact of the university's health programs, partnerships with Native Nations, statewide presence of Cooperative Extension and community enrichment from Arizona Arts and Arizona Athletics.  

In addition to the strategic imperatives-focused presentations, Chief Financial Officer John Arnold will report that the university has successfully reached a balanced budget for fiscal year 2026 while providing raises for employees and not raising tuition for in-state undergraduates. Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois will provide information about her department's strategic plan, the Bear Down Blueprint, and UA Foundation CEO JP Roczniak will share updates on fundraising. 

"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."

Watch Garimella and other U of A leaders present to the Arizona Board of Regents via live stream on Thursday from 1:30-4:10 p.m. at ABOR Live.