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In This Issue Spring 2021

In Someone Else's Shoes

The phrase “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” is a familiar reminder to empathize with others. At the University of Arizona’s Anti-Racism Extended Reality Studio, it can now be more than an imaginative exercise.

Rare Gems at the Poetry Center

“Tem” is part poetry collection, part invitation to discovery — a book in the form of a mineral collection box containing 21 origami gemstones, each featuring a line of poetry.

Homecoming Memory

The University of Arizona's first Homecoming — the fifth in the nation — was in 1914. This photo from 1956 celebrates the Homecoming parade and the lost art of float making.

#MadeFourIt

The Wildcats made the deepest postseason run in program history, fighting their way to the NCAA Championship game in San Antonio, with a 54-53 loss to Stanford on April 4.

From Athletes to Donors

Rick ’10 and Callista Elmore ’09 ’14 vividly remember their days as student-athletes.

Giving Back, Not Giving Up

Back in 2006, when Ginny Clements was in her 60s, she read a book that changed her life.

Alumni Spotlight: Mary Peachin ’63

Alumna Mary Peachin ’63 shares travel adventures in her most recent book, "Sleeping Around ... Challenging My Comfort Zone.”

Discovering a Calling

Sandra Grijalva ’14 arrived at the University of Arizona from her hometown of Phoenix with an interest in engineering and math, but she didn’t know where or how far her potential might take her.

Dancing with Light

Yuanyuan “Kay” He fuses darkness and light, stillness and motion in light paintings — a genre of long-exposure, or slow-shutter, photography.

C.A.T.S. Academics

If you think student-athletes have a cushy gig, think again. Days typically begin with sunrise practice. Classes soak up the midday, and evenings are consumed by study.

The Enduring Spirit of Competition

Football letterwinner Glenn Parker ’12 interviewed Arizona Athletics Director Dave Heeke about the latest in University of Arizona sports. They talked adaptability and clear focus during challenging times and what’s next for Arizona football and men’s and women’s basketball.

Bold New Discoveries

“It’s devastating to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, or any cancer,” says Joann Sweasy, director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center. “But we’re here to help, and it’s definitely not a death sentence.”

Beyond Ordinary

Carina Bennett remembers her first day working on the OSIRIS-REx mission: She found herself among space scientists with years of experience. It was rocket science, but she was a filmmaker.

Behind the Scenes with Carina Bennett

I get a lot of fulfillment from my education. I love learning about new things. Chasing down the truth behind the things I wonder about is a huge driving force in my life.

Iceland: The Wildcat Testing Ground

UArizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory programs are influenced by early Apollo missions and Gerard Kuiper’s approach to teaching.

Masters of Space

When the first humans stepped onto the moon just over a half-century ago, on July 20, 1969, they knew they were venturing into the unknown.

A Celestial Detective Makes Her Way from the UK to Investigate Space Rocks at Arizona

Jessica Barnes calls herself a cosmic detective. Her career path began to take shape when she discovered geosciences as an undergraduate at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Uncanny Vision

In 2018, Carlos Vargas, driven by dreams of far-away galaxies, set out for remote eastern New Mexico.

Wind Power

On Earth Day, the University of Arizona announced that it is the largest research university in the country to offset the entirety of its Scope 2 emissions.

Forrest Beckett Keys Memorial Scholarship Endowment

Join us in honoring the memory of Forrest Beckett Keys through support of a scholarship endowment in his name.

Engaging Our Differences Through Civil Discourse

Meet Keith Allred, executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, which was established by the University of Arizona shortly after the devastating 2011 shooting in Tucson.

A Memorial for the Selfless

The garden offers serenity and pleases the eye, but its significance goes much deeper.

Staying Strong

The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine campus, now in the design phase, will be an educational center to further the pioneering work of Andrew Weil.

Wildcats All

Shortly after joining University of Arizona Athletics in 2016, Thomas Harris, now assistant athletics director for diversity, inclusion and employee engagement, developed a project to celebrate cultural heritage months.

8 Ways We're Making an Impact

UArizona placed No. 3 among American research institutions for Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards this year, setting a new university record with 11.

Letter from President Robert C. Robbins, M.D.

There is a new energy on campus as more and more members of our community receive their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Perennial Powerhouse Takes the FIeld

Thanks in part to efforts by head coach Mike Candrea, senior athletes nationwide were granted the opportunity to return for another year of play. All seven of Arizona softball’s seniors chose to come back.

Alumnus Donald Porter Shares a Medical Journey Across Five Decades of Service

Arizona Athletics team physician Donald Porter ’75 ’79 has been treating student-athletes for 32 years. He has celebrated championships and helped student-athletes navigate relationships.

Alumni Spotlight: Alec Kretch '17

Alumnus Alec Kretch has been programming since he was 12 years old. For him, it’s fun — like building a puzzle. So when he found corporate life with a San Francisco tech startup unfulfilling, he took his MacBook and passion for quality in education and headed to paradise.

Lightning Flowers

The debut book by Katherine E. Standefer ’14, “Lightning Flowers,” tells the story of the author’s troubled relationship to her own implanted cardioverter defibrillator within the context of the American health care system, and her global journey to understand what it costs to save one Western life.

January 8th Memorial | The Embrace

January 2021 marked the 10-year anniversary of the shooting in Tucson at a Congress on Your Corner event held by then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Hannah Rosenberg Jones ’07 ’20 and David Yaylali ’18 welcomed future Wildcat Julian Rosenberg Yaylali Oct. 1. He lives in Hermosa Beach, California, and sports his Arizona gear proudly among all the USC and UCLA fans in his neighborhood.

Josh Calton ’14 and Danielle Calton ’13 ’15, who married in 2019, added to their Wildcat family with their first child, Jude, in January.

Marisa Lopez ’16 ’19 and Benjamin Geller ’16 ’19 recently got engaged in front of Old Main, a place that holds meaning for both of them. The couple live in Southern California.

Nida Khoutakoun ’08 proposed to her significant other in July 2020 and got married in a small, socially distanced wedding in October. In addition to choosing UArizona, she says, it was the best decision she ever made.

Vanessa Holland ’15 married Richard Chandler III Sept. 26 in Austin, Texas.

Photo Spotlight

#MadeFourIt

The University of Arizona women’s basketball team delighted
the Wildcat Nation by making it to the Final Four for the first
time in program history. / Mike Christy photo

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The Enduring Spirit of Competition

In This Issue Spring 2021

Paw Prints

Photo Spotlight

#MadeFourIt