University of Arizona in the News

The James Webb Space Telescope has reached its final destination, more than a million miles from Earth. Marcia Rieke, the principle investigator for the near-infrared camera aboard Webb, participates in a discussion of Webb's mission and design.

This story reports on the transformation of the environmental nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance into a government-funded sponsor of risky, cutting-edge virus research in both the U.S. and Wuhan, China. It references a series of recent studies by University of Arizona professor Michael Worobey, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and colleagues, that posited a new analysis of public data that indicated the COVID-19 virus first leapt to humans from animals sold at a "Wet Market" in Wuhan.

Increasing numbers of cyber attacks by hackers who seek access to personal information means there is a growing need for more cybersecurity professionals. This story reports on a $6 million from the state's Technology and Research Initiative Fund earmarked to boost enrollment in the University of Arizona College of Applied Science and Technology's award-winning cyber operations program.

When COVID-19 vaccines first became available, Native Americans acted swiftly and with determination to get their shots. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed they achieved the highest vaccination rates of any race or ethnicity. Agnes Attakai, director of health disparities outreach and prevention education at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, said she observed a high uptake of booster shots. But there have been some clear differences compared with the early vaccine rollout.

The James Webb Space Telescope is close to beginning its mission – a colossal survey across a 13-billion-year span of universal history. Critical to that work will be the performance of Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument. "(MIRI) is special – in the wavelengths it covers, the science it enables, its (technological) challenges, and in the way it was built," wrote University of Arizona professor of astronomy George Rieke in a blog post with a colleague.

First announced in 2017, Age of Empires 4 promised to provide players with all sorts of great content, like the addition of The Holy Roman Empire and The Rus as playable factions. Now, a new batch of content will actually allow players to earn college credit. The "University of Arizona Online Illuminated History Experience" accompanies the game's campaign mode. Students who are enrolled at the University of Arizona or Arizona Online can then get tested on their knowledge. Successful completion of this task will earn one credit hour at UArizona.

If the United States switched completely to cleaner energy vehicles and power plants, it would not only benefit the environment, but also save an estimated 110,000 lives and $1.2 trillion in health costs over the next 30 years, the American Lung Association says in a new report. The report finds that additional health benefits include avoiding nearly 3 million asthma attacks nationwide.

The number of Latino students enrolling in college in Arizona had been steadily increasing in recent years, considered key to overall efforts to significantly boost Arizona's college-educated population, which lags behind other states. An analysis of enrollment data by The Arizona Republic found that the pandemic disrupted the college plans of thousands of Latino students in Arizona, leading to sharp decreases in Latino enrollment at local community colleges and at Northern Arizona University.

This story reports on an effort by the Lummi Nation in Washington state to employ a combination of culturally based healing and western approaches to address methamphetamine use among its members. "This is not just unique to Native people.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches named Tommy Lloyd its national coach of the year Tuesday after he led the Wildcats to a 33-4 record, Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles, and a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.