News

VIP leaders Dr. Laura Condon and Dr. Scott Saleska are contributing to two of the university’s five new DOE Genesis Mission AI projects. Condon is helping develop an AI model to improve national water and flood forecasting, while Saleska is using AI to study how water, plants, and microbes interact underground. Their work helped UArizona stand out as one of only four universities to earn five lead awards, showing how VIP teams are tackling real environmental challenges with AI.

Dr. Zafer Mutlu and his students have made a significant discovery in quantum materials. They found that graphene nanoribbons, which are tiny semiconductor strips, could one day replace silicon microchips and remain stable in extreme environments. Their experiments showed that gamma radiation creates an electrical current in the ribbons, meaning GNRs could serve as sensors to detect high radiation levels in fusion reactors.

The Vertically Integrated Projects program is thrilled to welcome Gerardo (Jerry) Lopez, M.A.T., M.Ed., PhD, as our new Faculty Director. Dr. Lopez is an Associate Professor & Extension specialist focusing on STEM, food safety, and environmental microbiology in the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences. VIP engages undergraduate and graduate students in long-term, multidisciplinary project teams that cover a broad array of research, scholarship, and creative activities. Dr. Lopez has led the VIP Team Investigating the Foodborne Parasite Cyclospora in Environmental Waters for three years; we look forward to his new role in VIP leadership.

Dr. Chris Impey, Dr. Scott Saleska, and Dr. Travis Sawyer were all chosen to be 2026 Fulbright Scholars. Congratulations on this prestigious honor and thank you for representing VIP across the globe!!

Dr. Kimme Hea has been named the new Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. She has served on the VIP Executive Committee since VIP's inception in Fall 2020. We are so proud and look forward to being connected to your work in your new role at the University of Arizona!

VIP Team Lead Duane Cyrus is leading the event's main performance! He choreographed a deeply engaging piece, using dance to celebrate generations of Black innovation. Cyrus's expressive work is for Juneteenth and Beyond showcases his identity as a choreographer and storyteller. His VIP Team, Careers in Dance: Traveling Dance Ensemble is a popular professional development and performance course for dance and arts management students.

The multi-agent system that drives Biosphere 3's real-time environmental monitoring was developed by the AI & World Models VIP team under the leadership of Jeff Larsen and Ash Black. Their method turns tough environmental concerns into practical conclusions by processing data from over 1,800 sensors across Biosphere 2!

Larsen and Black's VIP Team also used this technique in Yuma agricultural research, where their models demonstrated how accurate water distribution may save up to a billion gallons over ten years. Their work shows how undergraduate researchers can drive significant advancements in conservation and science.

The Water Whys VIP team, under the leadership of Sara Kobilka, was highlighted in the STEM Access Exchange newsletter. By inviting speakers for the Visual Science Communication Seminar Series, Kobilka and her students contributed to national math-accessibility initiatives and helped introduce state-of-the-art accessible techniques to the University of Arizona.

VIP Leader Dr. Jennie Gubner and students visit a local Tucson senior community to interact with Tucsonans across language barriers, spark memories, and ease age and stress related factors through a music workshop. They are putting into practice the fact that music creates connections between people!

Dr. Goggy Davidowitz and his VIP Team MISAS are using solar‑powered drying towers to save surplus produce and turn it into useful resources, supporting a more sustainable and circular food system. His research was highlighted in Yale Climate Connections!

Dr. Winslow Burleson and his research team earned national recognition from the NSF I‑Corps program for their work advancing immersive simulation technology for healthcare training. Through the program, Burleson, Gustavo de Oliveira Almeida, and mentor Steven Wood conducted extensive customer discovery that reshaped their approach and highlighted real needs in CPR and emergency‑response training. Their Spirit of I‑Corps Award marks a major milestone as they continue refining their innovation toward real‑world impact.

Tech Launch AZ is a standout program at the University of Arizona that recently spotlighted the Redox Flow Batteries VIP Team and their innovative work. The program plays an important role in connecting research with the business world, helping students and faculty turn their ideas into real, marketable technologies. One example highlighted in the article is Dr. Thomas Gianetti’s development of a non‑toxic, sustainable, organic-based redox flow battery designed for long‑duration energy storage. As Gianetti explains, the goal is to create solutions that make a real impact.

Tomatoes grown under solar panels in Arizona ended up making about twice as much fruit as tomatoes grown in full sun, and they needed less water to do it. Dr. Greg Barron‑Gafford’s team found that the shade from the panels kept the plants cooler and reduced stress. The study shows that growing food and making solar power at the same time can actually help both.

According to Margaret Evans' tree-ring study, warmer temperatures, not just a lack of precipitation, are causing a new type of drought in Arizona's forests. Samples from high-elevation regions collected by her team show that trees that were formerly shielded by colder weather now suffer during warm years just as much as low-elevation trees, resulting in narrow rings even when rainfall is similar to previous droughts. "The big difference between the droughts we're seeing now compared to the droughts we saw in the 1900s, these are warmer droughts," she says, adding that this warming causes a "synchronizing drought" in which every tree shows the same amount of stress. As Arizona moves toward long-term aridification, Evans observes that "the trees are an indicator of what's happening to the whole system," suggesting more ecological pressure.