University of Arizona in the News

Many experts say lawns are problematic in the increasingly hot and dry southwestern U.S., which is in the grip of its worst megadrought in 1,200 years. But new research indicates ripping out lawns could actually create a little bit more heat. "That's one of the tricky things about studying heat," said University of Arizona assistant professor of planning and sustainable built environments Ladd Keith, who wasn't involved in the research.

The painting "Woman-Ochre" by Willem de Kooning returned home to the University of Arizona Museum of Art after being stolen in 1985.

After virtually disappearing for two years in the U.S. as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down society, there are hints that the flu could reemerge this fall, potentially causing an unusually early and possibly severe flu season. As a result, many experts are urging people to get their flu shots right away to make sure they are protected. The usual flu season starts in November in the U.S. and peaks in January or February.

Pets do quirky things. At least it may seem that way to their humans. But these traits often make perfect sense to the pets, say scientists who study animal behavior. Such conduct often is a modern incarnation of their evolutionary roots, and also draws upon their current bond with humans. Dogs, for example, often "make their beds" – as humans describe it – by scrabbling on blankets, sheets or doggy beds, then turning a few times before settling down, a habit that probably comes from an age-old instinct to create a safe, warm place to sleep.

The University of Arizona is one of nine schools receiving recertification of a Seal of Excelencia, from Excelencia in Education, an organization focused on Latino college completion. The group included the university among its inaugural cohort of seal recipients in 2019, as recognition for offering programs, policies, leadership and institutional culture for supporting Latino student success.

Experts say this has been the deadliest year ever for migrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. More than 800 migrants have died border-wide in the fiscal year that ends this week. Drownings are part of the reason why. Hundreds more have perished from extreme heat in remote borderlands, or in the backs of tractor-trailers. "The border conditions are incredibly inhospitable, and they have been since the late '90s," said Robin Reineke, a professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona.

Global emissions of methane from existing gas infrastructure may be up to five times higher than had been believed, a new study has found. The oil industry practice of burning unwanted methane is less effective than previously assumed. Riley Duren, a research scientist at the University of Arizona, who was not involved in the study, said it shows inefficient flaring 'is a more systematic issue," adding "it's likely the case that combustion and flaring is less efficient than assumed."

The push for shorter work hours goes back more than a century. In 1830 in the U.S., when most people had farms, seven days a week was a norm. As manufacturing began to grow in the latter half of the 19th century, unions and states began to push for shorter hours. Companies often ignored such efforts, so progressives concentrated on children and, in the 1900s, young unmarried women in factories, who legislators feared might be harmed by such long hours, according to University of Arizona professor of economics Price Fishback.

Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre" returned to the University of Arizona Museum of Art this month. The painting was recently restored after it was badly damaged during a theft more than 30 years ago. It will go on exhibit at the University of Arizona Museum of Art on Oct. 8. "Seeing it come back was this moment of relief and peace of mind," said the museum's interim director, Olivia Miller. "Everyone on campus is excited. Everyone at the Getty is excited.

In May, the James Webb Space Telescope beamed back test pictures of a neighboring satellite galaxy, and the results far exceed the quality of images taken by NASA's previous infrared observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope. "It's not until you actually see the kind of image that it delivers that you really internalize and go 'Wow!'" said the University of Arizona's Marcia Rieke, chief scientist for Webb's near-infrared camera. "Just think of what we're going to learn."