Professor, Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics, College of Engineering

Yao-Jan Wu was awarded $5.2 million  from the Arizona Department of Transportation to lead the Arizona Transportation Institute. As the  institute’s executive director, Dr. Wu  spearheads a multi-university consortium dedicated to modernizing Arizona’s infrastructure. His research integrates information technology with  transportation engineering, focusing on intelligent systems, traffic safety, and data-driven optimization. This significant investment supports the institute’s mission to provide innovative, research-based solutions for real-world transit challenges while fostering vital partnerships between public universities and state government. By advancing sustainable planning and workforce development, the Arizona Transportation Institute ensures Arizona remains at the forefront of safe and efficient national transportation innovation.

Executive Director, Cyber Convergence Center, College of Applied Science and Technology

Jason Denno was awarded a $3.07 million grant for the “Army OSINT Office 2024-2025 CyberApolis Proposal.” This award advances CyberApolis, a world-class virtual learning environment and synthetic  “living” city developed at the University  of Arizona. As the architect of this sophisticated platform, Denno provides over 12,000 students and  government agencies with hands-on, unscripted training in offensive and defensive cyber operations. By simulating real-world scenarios from human hacking to computational propaganda, CyberApolis bridges the experience gap for cybersecurity professionals. CyberApolis continues to strengthen national security by providing a university-born, government-approved infrastructure that prepares the workforce for the complexities of modern information environments.
 

Regents Professor, College of Medicine – Tucson
Director, Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation

Dr. Marvin Slepian has led an extensive research career advancing innovative diagnostics and therapeutics for cardiovascular disease. He is founder and director of the Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation and recipient of the 2024 University Distinguished Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award. His work has pioneered biomaterials, tissue engineering and drug delivery systems, leading to clinically approved technologies including stents, polymer sealants, heart valves and total artificial hearts. A named inventor on more than 150 issued and pending patents, Slepian is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a member of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Public Advisory Committee. His career reflects the translation of research into practical applications that serve society.

Associate Professor, College of Science

George Sutphin studies the molecular basis of aging to identify clinical targets for slowing aging and treating age-associated diseases. Trained as an engineer, he transitioned to aging biology and now combines systems and comparative genetics to identify molecular processes involved in aging and their interaction with environmental and genetic factors. His work aims to extend healthy human lifespan and delay diseases including neurodegeneration, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sutphin has served on the trainee governance board of the Gerontological Society of America and is chair of the American Aging Association.

MPH, Professor, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Director, Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research

Dr. Jeff Burgess’ work has advanced understanding of occupational and environmental health, particularly for firefighters and other high-risk workers. For more than three decades, he has led pioneering research that reshaped national and global understanding of occupational exposures, cancer risk and long-term health outcomes. His work contributed to the World Health Organization’s 2022 classification of firefighting as a Group 1 carcinogenic exposure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Burgess led the AZ HEROES study, which produced the first real-world evidence of higher COVID-19 risk and mRNA vaccine effectiveness among first responders in the United States.

Regents Professor, College of Medicine – Tucson
Director, Center for Innovation in Brain Science

Roberta Diaz Brinton’s work spans discovery, translation and clinical trials focused on Alzheimer’s disease and formed the foundation for the Center for Innovation in Brain Science. She established the center’s mission to address the complexity of neurodegenerative diseases of aging, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and ALS. Brinton pioneered research on women’s brain aging, identifying menopause as a key factor in increased Alzheimer’s risk. Through the center, she has created an interdisciplinary training environment supported by multiple National Institutes of Health-funded grants.

Associate Professor, College of Medicine – Tucson
Director, ArtWorks, Sonoran Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Yumi Shirai’s work demonstrates how the arts advance inclusive health and community engagement. She leads ArtWorks, an outreach program serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that fosters collaboration between artists with disabilities and University of Arizona students. Over 15 years, she has built community partnerships and elevated artists with disabilities through exhibitions and publications. Her scholarship integrates arts-based practice with social and behavioral science across clinical, educational and research settings. Shirai developed the Creative Café storytelling framework, which was runner-up for the 2024 John A. Hartford Business Innovation Award.

Professor, College of Science
Deputy Director of Research, Biosphere 2 

Scott Saleska is an interdisciplinary scientist whose work in global carbon cycling and climate-critical ecosystems advances understanding of biological resilience. His research integrates natural and physical sciences to examine ecological processes at climate-relevant scales. His work in the Amazon rainforest clarified tropical forest seasonality and drought response, culminating in a 2024 Nature publication. In the Arctic, he pioneered ecosystem genomics to study permafrost-climate feedbacks. At Biosphere 2, he leads interdisciplinary teams and advances convergence research that informs climate science and policy.

Associate Professor, College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture 
Director, Heat Resilience Initiative, Arizona Institute for Resilience

Ladd Keith is an urban planner whose research focuses on heat planning, policy and governance to improve resilience in communities worldwide. He is the U of A lead of the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory, funded by the Department of Energy, the co-lead of the Center for Heat Resilient Communities, funded by the National Integrated Heat Health Information System and the heat research lead of the Climate Assessment for the Southwest, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He serves on the Management Committee for the Global Heat Health Information Network, a World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization joint initiative to protect global populations from the health risks of extreme heat. His Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™️ for Heat supports planning practices nationwide.
 

Associate Professor, Wyant College of Optical Sciences, College of Engineering

Su is an internationally recognized leader who translates physical principles into deployable technologies with societal impact. Her research integrates optical physics and systems engineering to develop ultra-sensitive sensing platforms for biomedical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and national security. She pioneered frequency-locked optical resonator technologies, including the FLOWER platform. Her work is supported by federal funding, including a U.S. Army Phase II contract and National Science Foundation CAREER and National Institutes of Health awards. Su is a fellow of Optica and SPIE.

Manager, Facilities and Planning, BIO5 Institute

Robert Sandoval oversees daily building operations, security systems, and long-term facilities planning to support the BIO5 Institute’s research environment. He manages move-ins, move-outs, space modifications, renovations and major construction projects, ensuring smooth transitions with minimal disruption to scientific work. He also supports laboratory operations by assisting with equipment purchases and overseeing the BIO5 Media Facility. In addition, he manages building access and collaborates with University Facilities Services on preventative maintenance to maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient research space. With degrees in biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology as well as hands-on laboratory experience, he brings a strong understanding of research workflows and infrastructure needs. This background enables him to plan effectively, support scientific teams, and optimize building systems to enhance overall operational efficiency.

David and Minnie Meyerson Distinguished Professor, College of Education

Sunggye Hong’s research advances equitable education, social participation and improved life outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. His research addresses a central human and social challenge: how educational systems, technologies and professional practices can be redesigned so that individuals with visual impairments can fully participate in school, STEM fields, work and community life. He has established interdisciplinary collaborations spanning special education, planetary sciences, engineering, rehabilitation counseling, and community organizations to address the structural and systemic conditions influencing access and inclusion for students and adults with visual impairments.

Professor, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Erin Leahey is a leader in the interdisciplinary field known as the science of science. Her research examines scientific research practice, careers, innovation and disruption. Her 2023 publications in Nature and American Sociological Review documented declining disruptiveness in scientific papers and patents and identified how novelty type affects scientific impact. These papers have been cited more than 1,000 times and shaped global science policy conversations. Leahey received the 2023-24 Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Award. Her current research explores open data’s impact on collaboration, humility in scientific inquiry and university technology transfer. 

Founded in 1975, Canine Companions is the largest nonprofit provider of service dogs for people with disabilities in the U.S. and an international leader in assistance dog research and practice. Led by Chief Veterinary and Research Officer Brenda Kennedy, the organization’s research department has expertise in biology, genomics, veterinary medicine and psychology. Since 2016, Canine Companions has collaborated on dozens of peer-reviewed publications with University of Arizona researchers. The partnership spans 10 collaborative initiatives addressing canine health, behavior, genetics and cognitive aging, as well as human-focused research on the impact of service dogs on people with disabilities, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder. The partnership has secured more than $14.5 million in federal and foundation funding.

Founded in 1939, the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, or CNRS, is a leading global research institution. In 2021, the University of Arizona became the CNRS’s first International Research Center, establishing the France-Arizona Institute for Global Grand Challenges. The partnership has fostered workforce development, international student research and external funding pursuits. The CNRS operates two joint research structures at U of A: the Iglobes International Research Laboratory and the Pima County Human-Environment Observatory. The CNRS hosts approximately 40 visiting scholars annually. It has invested more than $7.9 million since 2021 in researcher mobility and graduate student support, with continued annual baseline investments.

Director, Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions 
Arizona Institute for Resilience, Office of Research and Partnerships

Katharine Jacobs has dedicated her career to advancing interdisciplinary research on water and climate challenges. At the University of Arizona’s Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions, Jacobs led the Colorado River Conversations Program and the Lower Santa Cruz River Basin Study. She currently directs the Arizona Tri-University Recharge and Water Reliability project. She began her career at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, where she pioneered knowledge-integration approaches to water problems at state and national scales. As executive director of the Arizona Water Institute, she united Arizona’s three public universities around water sustainability research. She also served in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, directing the Third National Climate Assessment and advising the Executive Office of the President on water and climate policy.