University of Arizona in the News

University of Arizona Regents Professor Emeritus of Law Robert Glennon writes that the Navajo quest for water rights continues more than 150 years after their reservation was created.

Space scientists call gamma ray bursts the most energetic events in the history of the universe, ranking only behind the Big Bang. University of Arizona researcher Manisha Shrestha explains how she and her colleagues are studying a supernova that triggered the biggest gamma ray burst ever recorded.

Severe fungal disease used to be a freak occurrence. Now it is a threat to millions of vulnerable Americans, and treatments have been losing efficacy as fungal pathogens develop resistance to standard drugs. Dr. Fariba Donovan, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and member of the college’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence, is quoted.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled 5-4 against the Navajo Nation over claims the federal government failed to effectively advocate for the tribe's allotment of Colorado River water. For University of Arizona assistant professor of geography and development and American Indian studies Andrew Curley, he expected the ruling.

Researchers at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory report the discovery of tiny salt crystals that could only have formed in the presence of liquid water in a sample from a class of asteroid known to mostly lack water-bearing minerals. The discovery strongly suggests many of the solar system's asteroids may not be as dry as previously thought.

The State of Arizona recently paused new housing construction in Phoenix and its suburbs, telling developers the water supply is about 4%, short of what's needed for growth over the next century. But many municipalities are already buying water from elsewhere and driving up prices. "Essentially, we're overdrawing that bank account of groundwater, and we're overdrawing the amount in storage," said Sharon Megdal, the director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center. "I don't want to get into lecturing about supply and demand.

Climate change will continue to make almost every summer a scorcher and experts say marginalized populations will bear the brunt of it, with less access to medical care, air conditioning, and housing with adequate insulation. Research led by University of Arizona assistant professor of planning and sustainable built environments Ladd Keith analyzed links between heat mitigation plans and policies and the location of vulnerable communities in Baltimore, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Houston.

Multiple studies conclude climate change already has led to an increase in wildfire season length, fire frequency and the size of burned areas. According to University of Arizona professor of natural resources Donald Falk, where once fire danger ran from late April into the Monsoon, now it can start as early as February and last until September. "If you're concerned about wildfires then you need to be concerned about climate change and take it seriously," said Falk, who specializes in fire history and ecology, ecosystem resilience and restoration.

Stefano Bloch, an associate professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona, writes that graffiti is now associated with "street artists" rather than violent street gangs.

Many Indigenous peoples, including the Hopi, use slow-water structures for various purposes, such as rock dams at the bases of mesas which divert runoff into fields or capture nutrient-bearing sediment to hold moisture, which allow those farmers to plant different varieties of crops without fertilizers or irrigation. "Crops always need new soil with nutrients," said University of Arizona Indigenous resiliency specialist Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a member of the Hopi people.