Arizona Institute for Resilience

10/04/2026

The application for the first ever DESERT PFAS Student Grand Challenge with AIR's Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy has been extended.

Junior, senior, and graduate students at The University of Arizona are invited to work with faculty, professional mentors, and community partners to tackle real world challenges related to per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Sonoran Desert.

Selected students will gain professional experience and mentorship while working on projects with partners including Haley & Aldrich, Tucson Water, City of Santa Cruz Economic Development Department, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Each student will also receive a $1,000 award upon completion.

Applications are due Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM.

Learn more and apply: https://udallcenter.arizona.edu/student-challenge

Image The DESERT-PFAS Student Grand ChallengeAn opportunity for junior, senior, and graduate students at U of A to solve real-world challenges related to PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and sustainability in Arizona while greatly advancing your professional preparation & networks. DEADLINE EXTENDED!...

10/03/2026

The Arizona Institute for Resilience at The University of Arizona is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for a one year research position studying the plant genus Sansevieria.

The position will involve analyzing whole genome sh***un data to characterize features of Sansevieria, with research based in the Sonoran Desert.

Interested in applying? Learn more about the position and apply here: https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/27038?c=arizona

Questions? Contact Elise Gornish, director of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, at [email protected].

10/02/2026

What can traditional agriculture teach us about health, resilience, and community?

The University of Arizona professor in University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment SNRE, University of Arizona Indigenous Resilience Center within AIR and Hopi dry farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson is working to address health and economic disparities facing Arizona’s tribal communities through Indigenous agriculture and traditional Hopi dry farming.

His work connects food systems, cultural knowledge, environmental resilience, and community health, while creating opportunities for tribes to strengthen access to healthy, culturally meaningful food.

Read the Tucson Spotlight story to learn more about Johnson’s work and the role Indigenous agriculture can play in building healthier, more resilient communities:

University of Arizona professor and Hopi dry farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson is working to close health and economic gaps facing Arizona's tribal communities.

10/01/2026

Weather shapes water. Water shapes resilience.

Understanding how weather and climate patterns influence water resources across days, seasons, and decades is essential for informed decision-making in the Southwest.

Join AIR and researchers from multiple universities at the Southwestern U.S. Weather & Water Resilience Across Timescales workshop to explore the latest research and perspectives from experts across the field.

Register today: https://air.arizona.edu/events/southwestern-us-weather-water-resilience-across-timescales

Image When All Day, Nov. 18 – 19, 2026 eventAdd to Calendar Add Event to Calendar Southwestern U.S. Weather & Water Resilience Across Timescales All Day, Nov. 18 – 19, 2026 Select your calendar type below: Google iCal File Outlook Enterprise (Office 365) Outlook Personal (outlook.com) Yahoo! Whe...

09/30/2026

El Niño is shaping up to be an important climate signal for the Southwest this year.

A new resource from the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) within AIR breaks down what El Niño 2026–27 could mean for Arizona and New Mexico, from increased opportunities for winter precipitation to the potential for heavy precipitation, localized flooding, and changes in wildfire risk.

El Niño generally tilts the odds toward a wetter cool season across the Southwest, particularly in southern portions of the region, but it does not guarantee a wet winter. The location and persistence of storm systems will ultimately determine where precipitation falls and how much the region receives.

The new webpage brings together key information on El Niño, potential impacts on water resources and health, and what communities across the Southwest can watch for as the season unfolds.

Explore CLIMAS’ new El Niño 2026–27 resource to learn more about what this climate pattern could mean for the Southwest:

El Niño 2026-27 and the Southwest U.S. What is El Niño? Source: https://www.climate.gov/enso   El Niño is a periodic warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that can alter weather patterns worldwide. During El Niño winters, changes in tropical rainfall and atmospheric circulation often strengthe...

09/29/2026

Sharing on behalf of our colleagues at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research in The University of Arizona:

Join Dr. Kelly Hereid, Head of Catastrophe Research at Liberty Mutual Insurance, for a talk on the use and misuse of climate and environmental data in insurance and climate risk analytics.

This will take place this Wednesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. in ENR2 S107.

Dr. Hereid brings a unique perspective from her background in coral paleoclimatology and climate risk analytics. All are welcome to attend.

09/29/2026

Europe’s wildfires are uncovering more than scorched landscapes.

As extreme heat and drought reshape the region, wildfires are exposing unexploded bombs and mines left behind from past wars, creating a surprising connection between climate change, conflict and community safety.

Christina Greene, a researcher with The University of Arizona’s Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) and CLIMAS, brings expertise in the intersection of climate, conflict and humanitarian mine action. Her work helps us understand how today’s climate hazards can interact with risks that have been buried for generations.

Read the full story from AP News Guild:

The wildfires burning across Europe this summer have exposed a potentially deadly threat lurking beneath the blackened landscape: rusty bombs and mines from World War I and II.

09/28/2026

Indigenous voices and perspectives are essential to building a more resilient future.

From October 15-17, the 2026 AISES National Conference brings together students, professionals, educators and leaders to support educational, professional and workforce development for Indigenous peoples in STEM.

The Agnese Nelms Haury Program within the Arizona Institute for Resilience is proud to sponsor this year’s conference, supporting opportunities that strengthen Indigenous pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Learn more about the conference:

Image When All Day, Oct. 15 – 17, 2026 eventAdd to Calendar Add Event to Calendar 2026 AISES National Conference All Day, Oct. 15 – 17, 2026 Select your calendar type below: Google iCal File Outlook Enterprise (Office 365) Outlook Personal (outlook.com) Yahoo! Where https://conference.aises.org ...

09/28/2026

AIR's Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill is accepting applications for research seed funding to support research and outreach across more than 800 acres of Sonoran Desert in Tucson.

Researchers from a wide range of fields are encouraged to apply, including ecology, wildlife biology, public health, social science, archaeology and remote sensing. Awards of up to $5,000 are available per project, with preference given to early career researchers and projects that leverage Tumamoc Hill’s long term datasets.

Applications are due September 30 by 5 p.m. PST.

Learn more and apply: https://desertlaboratory.arizona.edu/

Questions? Contact Elise Gornish, director of the Desert Laboratory at Tumamoc Hill, at [email protected].

Culture, Community, Science The Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill is an 860-acre ecological preserve in the heart of Tucson. The mission of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill is to support research and outreach that provides insight into the cultural and natural history of the Sonoran Desert regi...

09/25/2026

Growing up in Tucson helped shape Ladd Keith’s path toward becoming a leading expert on planning for extreme heat. Now, his research is helping cities around the world prepare for hotter climates.

A feature in Arizona Alumni magazine explores Keith’s journey from a Tucson kid fascinated by SimCity to an associate professor in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning at the University of Arizona, director of the Heat Resilience Initiative within the Arizona Institute for Resilience, and a leader in research translating extreme heat science into practical policy and planning solutions.

His work has helped shape guidance used by cities, the U.S. federal government and the United Nations, demonstrating how research rooted in Arizona can have a global impact.

Read Tucson Grown to learn more about Keith’s journey and his work building more heat resilient communities:

Research by heat expert and College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture Professor Ladd Keith is shaping climate solutions worldwide.