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News, breakthroughs and profiles in science

colorful point clouds outline the shape and structure of lettuce

March 6, 2026

Meet ARID: How desert ag science is growing resilient food systems

Environmental stress drives innovation in Arizona, sparking creative approaches to some of the toughest challenges in agriculture. The CALES Center for Agroecosystem Research in the Desert (ARID) aims to position Arizona as a leader in arid-lands agriculture while supporting more resilient, sustainable, and productive global food systems.

“At the heart of ARID’s work is a deceptively simple question: Can we grow food in hotter temperatures using less water?” said Duke Pauli, the center's founding director and an associate professor in the School of Plant Sciences. The answer is yes, but doing so requires a whole-ecosystem approach, combining plant genetics, microbial ecology, soil science, and digital technologies, he explained.

The kids aren't alright: Saplings show how changing climate may undermine forests

Nov. 6, 2023

CALES researchers' findings from studying young trees can help shape forest management policy and our understanding of how landscapes will change.

Just add water: Returning biodiversity to urban environments

Nov. 4, 2023

Michael Bogan, an aquatic ecologist and professor of natural resources, works with the community to restore biodiversity in the beleaguered rivers of the American Southwest.

students welding in the BE fabrication lab

An enduring legacy

Nov. 4, 2023

Susan Beeler Anderson and Keith Anderson invest in the red and blue as a tribute to their families’ innovative spirit.

Students are often the face of UArizona community-engaged research, such as this partnership with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Food as medicine

Nov. 4, 2023

A CALES researcher forges partnerships to tackle diabetes in Arizona communities.

Invested in growing the next generation of scientists

Nov. 4, 2023

As the Director of the National Science Foundation Water and Environmental Technology (WEST) Center and a professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Ian Pepper and his wife wanted to give something back to environmental science students.

We grow more than vegetables, we grow people

Nov. 4, 2023

A program of the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona, TVF is a working urban farm and healthy living center that fosters life and leadership skills in young people through agriculture, culinary education, outdoor adventure opportunities, and community engagement.

John Palumbo in a Yuma agricultural field

Honoring Excellence: John Palumbo receives award for Integrated Pest Management

Oct. 30, 2023

For his innovative and sustainable strategies benefiting growers in Arizona and California, John Palumbo has received an Excellence Award from the Entomological Society of America.

A red-eared slider turtle at the University of Arizona campus turtle pond.

We need a single list of all life on Earth – and most taxonomists now agree on how to start

Oct. 30, 2023

Species lists, often overlooked but integral to science and society, serve as foundational pillars, shaping our comprehension of the natural world, aiding threatened species management, quarantine protocols, disease control, and more.