Congressional staff tour U of A facilities

Elliott Cheu, interim senior vice president of research and innovation, explains the impact of University of Arizona research to congressional staffers.

Murat Kacira, director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center and professor of biosystems engineering, speaks to congressional staffers during a tour of a greenhouse at the center.

Barbara Bruno, graduate student manager of the UAg Vertical Farm and biosystems engineering student, explains how researchers can control light intensity and color at each growing shelf in the facility.

Congressional staffers descend into a mine at the University of Arizona San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory.

James Werner, assistant director of the San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory, shows congressional staffers the student-run, multi-level mine. In addition to serving as a teaching environment, the laboratory has long been a training and research resource for federal and state agencies, as well as organizations devoted to underground research, tunnel safety and mine rescue.

Congressional staffers speak with Suzanne L. Eckert, head of collections at the Arizona State Museum and a professor of anthropology, about the unknown, complex glazing process used to create Native American ceramic bowls at the museum.

Brandon Sanders, coordinator of football alumni and high school relations for the University of Arizona football team, shows congressional staffers around the football complex. In addition, athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois talked with the delegation about the impact of athletics on student-athletes, the university and the community.