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In This Issue Spring 2020

Qualities of LIGHT

When Rebecca Senf began doing research for a show about LIGHT, the pioneering photography gallery in New York, she pored over the lists of photographers she might interview. LIGHT ran from 1971 to 1987 — “a pivotal time for photography,” she says — and she wanted to get the story right.

Optics Solutions for High-Tech Health Care

The BIO5 Institute is the University of Arizona’s home for cutting-edge research, often leading to innovative technology that is changing how science is done and ultimately impacting the way we live and work.

Soft Brilliance

The octopus makes the perfect prototype for a soft robot, capable of tasks ranging from ship inspections to manufacturing assembly. With a $2.1 million grant, researchers are aiming to put the animal’s secrets to work.

From Big Data to Precision Treatments for Alzheimer’s

A new research project at the University of Arizona Center for Innovation in Brain Science will apply ‌a big-data approach, using bioinformatics and computational modeling to better understand the systems biology of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Changing the Learning Paradigm

When the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Center opened at the University of Arizona in 1980, people with learning disabilities were still being told they could never make it through college.

Blue Light Revealed

Early morning blue light exposure therapy can aid the healing process of people impacted by mild traumatic brain injury, according to new research from the University of Arizona.

Providing Resources for Powerful Change

Patricia and Bruce Bartlett are the most generous donors to the University of Arizona’s Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Center and longtime university supporters. They’re former educators and the parents of Benjamin Bartlett ’10.

Food Security for the Future

A University of Arizona alumna is fighting campus hunger from 2,400 miles away. New York City resident Natalie Auster Levinson ’53 recently donated $250,000 to establish an endowment that will support the operations of the university’s Campus Pantry in perpetuity.

Surveying for Near-Earth Objects

The University of Arizona is spearheading work that will begin efforts to construct a space-based infrared telescope that could provide the capabilities NASA needs to search for asteroids and comets that pose impact hazards to Earth, called near-Earth objects, or NEOs.

Socially Savvy Artificial Intelligence

University of Arizona researchers have been awarded $7.5 million to create an artificial intelligence agent that can understand social cues and human interactions and use that information to help teams achieve their goals.

Turn Your Home into a Healing Space

Whether you are setting up a home office or transforming your home to accommodate social distancing for an entire family, the way you lay out your physical environment can reduce stress and create calm.

Producing Hand Sanitizer for Health Care Workers

Researchers in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are producing much-needed hand sanitizer for health care workers in Southern Arizona hospitals.

A Letter from the President

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. The world seems like a very different place today than it was just a few weeks ago, and this is a time of transition and adaptation for all of us. Every day brings new challenges and changes, and I am grateful to our faculty and staff for their creativity and dedication as we have modified almost all of our daily operations to keep each other and our students safe.

Fuel the Response

Many students have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay for necessities such as housing, utilities and food. The Student Emergency Fund is in place to help cover expenses that could otherwise cause them to withdraw.

Try, Try Again

Lacey John — an Olympic silver medalist in freestyle relay — is the director of the Alumni Career Lab at the University of Arizona Alumni Association, an excellent resource for graduates. The Career Lab supports the diverse vocational needs of the Wildcat family, no matter the professional focus or career level, through digital and personal connections.

360 Degrees of Student Support

The University of Arizona is reimagining the Wildcat Journey to shape extraordinary futures, and the 360 Initiative is a fundraising effort to power this change.

Invested in a Sustainable Path

Mark Jendrisak ’19 started to gravitate toward a career in waste or wastewater management while he was earning his bachelor’s degree.

Garcia Family Foundation Commits to Student Excellence

The Garcia Family Foundation of Tempe has been steadfast in its support of student success and enrichment of the student experience — in the same spirit as the University of Arizona’s bold 360 Initiative.

Ranch Owners Support Equine Studies

When the University of Arizona’s first class of future veterinarians begins their studies this fall, they’ll be working with a teaching herd of horses in an updated facility as part of the Lucia Nash — Circle Z Ranch Equine Education Program.

$5M Gift from Leonard A. Lauder Advances Ovarian Cancer Research

The chairman emeritus of the Estée Lauder Companies has made a $5 million gift to the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Leonard A. Lauder’s gift supports the clinical and translational research of David S. Alberts, M.D., an expert in ovarian cancer research and treatment.

A Magical Season

Adia Barnes ’98 has established a winning tradition at the University of Arizona and has won the hearts of Wildcat women’s basketball fans around the country. Last year — Barnes’ third season as head coach — the team won the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. This year, Barnes orchestrated the most impressive season in the history of the program.

Intention Matters for Kind Communication

A simple, flower-shaped sticker, stamped with the words “Be Kind,” has become a familiar sight on many Tucson vehicles. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work being done by the local nonprofit Ben’s Bells to promote kindness in the community.

Our Canine Friends May Help Protect Mental Health

As more and more people began practicing social distancing and self-quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation became a subject of interest for many.

Answering the Call to Serve

The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center was able to lighten the load for the Arizona Department of Health Services and each of its county counterparts by answering the flood of phone calls from residents concerned about COVID-19.

Startup Provides Free Online Tools for Educators

As educational institutions begin to move courses online because of COVID-19 concerns, librarians and other educators have experienced an immediate increased need for easy-to-use, engaging e-learning tools. In response, Sidecar Learning, a startup based on software developed at the University of Arizona Libraries, has announced that it is offering free licenses to all U.S. higher education institutions until May 31.

Scientists Race to Make Specimen Collection Kits

Scientists across the University of Arizona worked quickly to expand the ability of American public health authorities to test for COVID-19 by making more specimen collection kits available.

A Wildcat Love Story

Sometimes the University of Arizona is more than just the backdrop for a love story. For the Berges, love for each other and for their alma mater was deep and lasting. After graduating and marrying, the couple became active volunteers and steadfast donors.

Alex Reynoso ’74 checked off another bucket list item after touring South Africa. Here, he’s pictured with Nelson Mandela’s image on the former military fort wall after taking an enlightened tour of the famed Constitution Hill Museum in Johannesburg.

Future Wildcat Conor Andrew Nemeth was born in February 2019 to Forever Wildcats Andrew Nemeth ’01 and Ashley Nemeth. Conor resides in South Bend, Indiana, with his brothers, Declan and Sean.

Cami and Sean McDowell ’03 recently welcomed future Wildcat Beckett McDowell to the world. Beckett is the first recipient of the Wildcat for Life gift bag at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson.

Three Arizona Wildcats met at Cortina’s Italian Deli in Anaheim, California. All three graduated from the College of Pharmacy in 1970. From left: Al Manack ’70, Sam Pinterpe ’70 and Al Scorsatto ’70.

Daniel Stephens ’79 was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is recognized internationally for his innovations in vadose zone and groundwater hydrology, which have contributed substantially to scientists’ understanding of the vadose zone and its role in replenishing and protecting our aquifers.

Dimitrios Alexiou ’96 and his three future Wildcats recently took a trip to the Grand Canyon. From left: Zaza, Zoe and George dressed in their favorite Wildcat gear for the trip.

Doug Hoffmann ’82 was recognized as the Minnesota PGA Golf Professional of the Year for 2019 in a ceremony at Target Field in Minneapolis. Doug is a PGA Master Professional and the director of rules and competitions for the Minnesota Golf Association.

Linda Umstead ’68 began an ongoing series of paintings titled “Rising Seas” that depicts prominent Honolulu landmarks as she imagines they will appear in a century. She hopes her works will inspire city and state planners to look beyond their own lifetimes for future solutions.

Samantha Bernau ’13 recently studied ongoing research projects such as radio tracking, cheetah conservation and ecosystem management as well as the design of school and community programs in Namibia. Samantha, a software engineer at IBM, lives in Tucson and is a graduate student in Miami University’s Global Field Program.

Photo Spotlight

Old Main at Sunset

Chris Richards photo

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Optics Solutions for High-Tech Health Care

In This Issue Spring 2020

Paw Prints

Photo Spotlight

Old Main at Sunset