University of Arizona in the News

Tumamoc Hill will remain open after university officials saw a marked increase in the number of walkers wearing masks – one of the hill's mandatory guidelines put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Andrea Gerlak, a professor in the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona, writes that heat waves in the face of COVID-19 serve to heighten existing insecurities and reveal systemic inequities around access to water and energy in the U.S.

"There are programs that change their policies with the wind – this year it's Test A, and this year it's Test B," said Evan MacLean, who directs the canine cognition center at the University of Arizona. MacLean said he is optimistic the wave of research will boost providers' success rates, but he warned that it will take time.

The University of Arizona will receive an initial, five-year, $26 million grant from the National Science Foundation, with an additional five-year $24.6 million option, to establish and lead a new National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center called the Center for Quantum Networks.

Small talk with coworkers in the break room and pleasantries exchanged with office staff are more meaningful than you might think, according to an Academy of Management Journal article. Allison S. Gabriel, an associate professor in the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management, is a coauthor of the study.

Biosphere 2 will offer evening self-guided driving tours around the premises. Visitors will be able to explore Biosphere 2 from their vehicles, guided by a mobile app specifically made for that purpose.

Rather than see productivity plummet with undergraduates out of the lab, Michael Johnson, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, and other researchers have pivoted to focus on renewing their existing grants, analyzing neglected data, and writing up results for publication.

Experts say valley fever and COVID-19 can have a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, a cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches and a headache. Dr. John Galgiani, an international valley fever expert and executive director of the University of Arizona's Valley Fever Center for Excellence, is interviewed.

A University of Arizona optical scientist has designed implantable cataract replacement lenses for the eye that allow for mid-range vision and may eliminate the need for glasses or contacts for some people.

"People around town here have been receiving seeds because they've been calling the university and asking what to do with them," said Elise Gornish, a cooperative extension specialist with the University of Arizona. "Absolutely, do not plant them and don't ingest them. Those are the two things we tell people."