The nationwide university community has launched an effort to urge Washington to restore investments in research and education that ensure America’s role as innovation leader, power the economy and create jobs. UA President Ann Weaver Hart has joined other leaders in the call.

The UA was named one of the top 100 universities in the world by the Center for World University Rankings. Recognized for publishing highly cited research in influential journals, the University was 78th on the worldwide list and 49th among American universities.

By now most of the University of Arizona community will have heard of the loss of the 19 brave firefighters who perished this weekend in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Yavapai County. Please join me in expressing our deep sympathy and sorrow to their families and friends. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the many Yarnell residents who, in addition to grieving for the loss of the fallen heroes, also lost homes and businesses to this devastating and deadly wildfire.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the UA's Steward Observatory and the department of astronomy. "We have the best location of any educational institution in America. The University ought to make itself famous with a telescope." With those words, part of his long and persistent effort to bring a world-class observatory to the UA campus, pioneering astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass set forth his best argument.

James A. Hyatt has been selected as interim senior vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at the UA. In this position, Hyatt will serve as the UA's senior business and financial officer with responsibility for University budgeting, business processes and relationships with University-related corporations. He will begin his duties July 1.

The UA's Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry 2013 faculty grants will fund five innovative research projects, including television documentaries, a digital archive and a virtual seminar series. The grants provide start-up support for professors to establish their research projects, positioning them to leverage future competitive federal or private funding.

Whether it's a bicycle collision or difficulty breathing, the UA community can count on quick help from students trained and certified as EMTs. The UA Student Emergency Medical Services group has been operational for three semesters and provides assistance in medical emergencies. Its leaders emphasize thorough training and certification.

The UA's James 4-H Camp and Outdoor Learning Center in the Prescott National Forest serves as a setting for staff retreats, UA research projects and children's summer camps. The camp is getting a green retrofit in preparation for the 2013 camp season, as Arizona 4-H celebrates 100 years.

Three UA faculty members have been named Regents' Professors by the Arizona Board of Regents: Neal R. Armstrong in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, Hsinchun Chen in the Eller College of Management, and Xiaohui Fan in the department of astronomy. The title recognizes achievements of national or international distinction.

Fifty UA College of Medicine-Phoenix students were conferred with their medical degrees at ceremonies on May 8 in the third graduation for the downtown Phoenix medical school. The college, which has graduated 114 physicians in three years toward addressing Arizona's doctor shortage, opened in 2007.

More than 5,700 undergraduates just earned UA degrees, and while the job market is starting to look up, it remains competitive. For those still looking for jobs, a variety of UA Career Services resources continue to be available, including online job postings, career fairs, seminars, career counseling and more.

UA senior Ashely Dickerson created TogetHER, a program that works to empower young girls from inner city communities. The program's recent summit, "Dream Without Limits," was held at the UA for elementary and middle school-aged girls, encouraging and empowering them to believe in themselves and in their dreams.

For the first time in more than 40 years, graduating UA students will gather at Arizona Stadium to celebrate commencement. The UA's spring undergraduate and master's commencement ceremony will take place at Arizona Stadium on May 10, at 7:30 p.m. UA supporter Robert F. Moran, chairman and CEO of PetSmart, will be the commencement speaker. Doctoral candidates will be honored at a separate ceremony at Centennial Hall on May 11 at 11 a.m.

Forget the stereotype of the long-winded professor. At the UA, professors and instructors are embracing Twitter – with its famously brief 140-character posts – to connect with their students, engage them in discussions, foster new interactions and help them leverage social media for successful careers.

The UA has been honored in the EPA's first-ever Campus Rainworks Challenge, a new design competition that inspires the next generation of landscape architects, planners and engineers to develop innovative green infrastructure systems. The proposed UA project would convert a campus parking lot into a common area with storm water retention basins, underground water harvesting cisterns and more.