University of Arizona

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Class of 2016 Prepares for Evolving Job Market

(Photo: Patrick McArdle/UANews)

According to the Pew Research Center, the millennial generation — defined as those born between 1981 and 1996 — surpassed Generation X to become the largest share of the American workforce in 2015, with 53.5 million millennials either holding jobs or seeking them. The University of Arizona's Class of 2016 is at the tail end of this generation. As such, it finds itself in a position to permanently shape the future of American employment.

"I believe that the millennial generation brings a consumer ideology to the workplace," said UA retailing and consumer sciences professor Anita Bhappu. "They've grown up as their family's digital retail expert, which has created this well-tuned consumer lens that they use in all facets of their life, particularly when it comes to finding a career."

4-H'ers Win Big at Pima County Fair

Pima County "4-H'ers" are winning big at this year's Pima County Fair, going on now through April 24.

It's not *all* about winning, though.

Toxic-Spill Researchers Win $600K Haury Challenge Grant

Karletta Chief helps make the team's presentation for the Haury challenge grant. (Photo: Ernesto Trejo/UANews)v

A team of researchers investigating the effects of last year's Gold King Mine toxic spill on the Navajo community has won the first $600,000 challenge grant awarded by the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice at the University of Arizona.

Documentary on West's Water Issues to Premiere

The Colorado River at Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona, five miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell

"Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West," a compelling documentary film that was two years in the making, places the University of Arizona's vast expertise on water issues front and center.

CALS’ Record Intellectual Property Year—the Science behind the Patents

Photo credit: Tech Launch Arizona

In 2015 the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences tripled the number of executed license and option agreements and launched three start-up companies—equaling the total number of CALS start-ups created over the previous five years. It was also a record year for intellectual property income in CALS; while a one-time payment for an animal health technology patented in the 1990s accounted for a large part of this result, the rest came from an invigorated focus on commercialization as a pathway to bring scientific discoveries from the lab to the marketplace.

The CALS Office of Research has been working with Tech Launch Arizona (TLA) to create greater alignment between CALS strategic goals and the Tech Launch Arizona mission of creating social and economic impact through commercializing UA inventions stemming from University research.

UA Scientists Challenge Conventions of Irrigation

A team of researchers from the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions, including several scientists from the UA, thinks there may be a smarter way to irrigate crops. Over the course of four years and with $10 million from the USDA, it will test the safety and sustainability of alternative sources of water for agriculture.

EarthWeek 2016 to Feature Student Research

EarthWeek 2016, a showcase of research by undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, or SEES, at the University of Arizona, will be held Thursday and Friday on the UA campus.

Sharon Megdal Receives Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award

Sharon Megdal accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women of Influence event.

UA professor Sharon B. Megdal received this year's Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th annual Women of Influence event for her outstanding achievements and contributions in water policy and water resources management.

Presented by Inside Tucson Business and Tucson Local Media, the Women of Influence awards honor the strong leadership of women in the community and the workplace. On March 22, more than 600 people from across Pima County celebrated this year's 47 finalists, who were chosen from more than 120 nominees in 18 categories.

As Pre-Diabetic Rates Rise, Collaborative Program Targets Youth

EPIC Kids, which builds on existing partnerships between the UA and YMCA, is being piloted at the Ott Family YMCA and Mulcahy YMCA at Kino Community Center in Tucson through mid-April, and the team will work toward expanding the program nationwide. (Photo: Sofia Gomez)

A UA-led team intends for EPIC Kids to serve as a model for community-based and youth-focused diabetes prevention, hoping that it will be implemented at YMCA locations across the country.

Confronting the Future's Grand Challenges

Image: Alice Cheung, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The Plant Reproduction 2016 (a joint meeting of the Frontiers in Sexual Plant Reproduction IV and the 24th International Congress on Sexual Plant Reproduction), held March 18 - 23, brought over 200 participants from 26 countries to Tucson, Arizona to collectively learn about research advances and discuss grand challenges in the field of plant reproductive biology.

UA, Whitehead Institute Startup to Discover New Drugs for Neurodegenerative Disease

Tucson, Ariz. – It is estimated that neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gherig’s Disease) affect over 55 million people worldwide.

Report: Science Can Estimate Climate Change's Role

A house in New Orleans that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (Photo: Stephanie Doster/UA Institute of the Environment)

A committee of climate experts that includes the UA's Kathy Jacobs says that it is possible to attribute changes in the frequency or severity of some extreme weather events to climate change.

Yuma's 6th Annual Harvest Festival Supports Scholarships

Photo Credit: Lynn Ketchum

Yuma’s 6th Annual Harvest Dinner, held Thursday, February 25, once again brought industry leaders, local harvesters and friends of the agriculture community together to celebrate Yuma’s contribution to our nation’s dinner tables and raise funds for the Yuma County Ag Producers Scholarship Fund.

Shortage of large animal veterinarians threatens health of Arizona livestock industry

Photo Credit: Judy A. Davis

COCHISE — Traditional veterinary medicine for large food animals in rural Arizona has all but vanished, leaving the state’s livestock industry increasingly vulnerable to disease and even death.

CALS Diversity Committee's Advice on Respecting Gender Identities, Pronoun Usage

“To be the most sought-after place to be a part of we must commit to the most thought-diverse and inclusive environment. Our range of disciplines helps and zero tolerance must be part of our DNA. But it’s not the 'why' or the 'what' we’ll have problems with; even with the best intentions, we don’t always know 'how.' CALS' Diversity Committee is dedicated to delivering tangible strategies so we can meet our goal.” – Dean Shane Burgess

Science City: Arizona's Largest STEM Event

Photo Credit: Lynn Ketchum

Hosted by the UA's BIO5 Institute, the College of Science, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, it gives visitors to the Tucson Festival of Books the opportunity to learn about research and experience innovation.

Gardening Tips from UA Horticulture Agent Peter Warren

(Photo courtesy of Peter Warren)

Gardening in the desert can be tough, given high temperatures and dry conditions.

UA Cooperative Extension, part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, helps gardeners navigate this challenging environment, offering a variety of classes, demonstrations and professional assistance to help people hone their gardening skills.

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