Media Advisory: U of A experts from range of disciplines available as Arizona heat season arrives early

TUCSON, Ariz. — Tucson just recorded its warmest winter in history – zero frost days, breaking a record dating to 2018. This week, the city faces an extreme heat warning, with forecasts approaching what would be an all-time record high for the month of March. In 2023, extreme heat in Arizona claimed more than 900 lives and triggered more than 4,000 emergency department visits in a single year – more than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. 

The third annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit, held in February, brought together different stakeholders to work through how to shade streets, protect outdoor workers and keep vulnerable residents safe during power outages. That collaboration has already produced a heat action roadmap and a worker heat protection ordinance in Tucson.

With Arizona Heat Awareness Week and the start of the extreme heat season approaching, University of Arizona experts from a variety of disciplines are available to speak about extreme heat.

Ladd Keith is a University Distinguished Scholar, an associate professor in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning and a faculty research associate at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy. His research focuses on heat planning, policy and governance to help increase the heat resilience of communities, regions and nations across the world. Keith has helped lead federally funded projects to help communities across the Southwest address extreme heat. He also directs the Arizona Institute for Resilience's Heat Resilience Initiative.
520-621-0804
ladd@arizona.edu

Mona Arora is an assistant research professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Her research focuses on building the community resilience and public health system capacity to address global "wicked problems," including pandemics, disasters and extreme weather events. She is the director of Community Engagement at the Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate Change and Health, or SCORCH, where she collaborates with local, rural, and tribal partners on extreme heat preparedness and response.
520-626-0612
manand@arizona.edu

Heidi Brown is a professor of public health in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Brown's research aims to better understand how our environs influence our health, with a special focus on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. She also collaborates on many research projects designed to prepare for extreme heat, including leading the U of A's Building Resilience Against Climate Effects effort, is the health lead on the Climate Assessment for the Southwest. 
520-626-2262 
heidibrown@arizona.edu
(Note: Brown is unavailable between 12:30 pm and 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Theresa Crimmins is an associate professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and directs the USA National Phenology Network, a network of scientists and non-scientists dedicated to studying nature's calendar. NPN collects, organizes and delivers national phenological data, information and forecasts to support natural resource management and decision-making. Crimmins recently authored "Phenology," a primer on the topic of seasonal events in plants and animals.
520-621-8523
theresam@arizona.edu 

Jeremy Weiss is the program manager of the Arizona Meteorological Network, where he combines science, technology and stakeholder engagement to ensure delivery of high-quality meteorological data and related products, and to support decision-making in agriculture and natural resources. 
520-621-1319
jlweiss@arizona.edu
(Note: Weiss's availability begins March 23.)

Mark Kear is an associate professor in the School of Geography, Development and the Environment. His work involves studying how financial markets can help address inequalities related to reduced state funding for housing, welfare and urban development. Kear's research focuses primarily on manufactured homes, whose owners and renters see a much higher rate of heat-related deaths than those living in traditional single-family homes. 
520-621-1021
mkear@arizona.edu
(Note: Kear's availability begins March 23.)

###

Media contact:
University Communications
media_requests@list.arizona.edu

Established in 1885, the University of Arizona is the state's flagship, land-grant institution. The U of A ranks among America's top institutions, focusing on student access and success while driving a $1 billion research enterprise and engaging communities throughout the state, nation and world. As a leading Research 1 institution and member of the Association of American Universities, the U of A advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships. With two accredited medical schools, designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, recognition as a premier university for service members, distinguished programs in management information systems, planetary sciences, dance, photography, and public and applied humanities, the U of A offers the world to its students while uplifting Arizona.