UA Hosts National Leaders for Cutting-Edge Research Campus Tour
Federal Relations brought Washington to Tucson last week as the UA hosted visits from NASA CFO Jeff DeWit, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-5), and staff from six AZ congressional offices who participated in a Space 101 briefing. From ancient tree rings to distant asteroids, UA faculty highlighted many of our unique research capabilities. We showcased UA’s cutting-edge research as well as our role in educating a workforce of Fourth Industrial Revolution problem-solvers.
NASA Visits the University of Arizona
CFO DeWit’s visit brought him face-to-face with principal investigators, researchers, and projects centered around NEOCam and OSIRIS-REx. DeWit was not only impressed with the important and exemplary work done at the UA but remarked that OSIRIS-REx is one of the most cost-effective missions ever at NASA. We discussed new and exciting opportunities for future NASA projects and left with specific follow-up action items to secure those opportunities. DeWit and his wife, Marina, who works with the US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, met many of our space all-stars (including our stellar students) and were impressed both by the expertise concentrated here at the UA, but also the educational impact we have in developing the next generation of space researchers and engineers.
Space 101 Briefing with Congressional Staff
We designed the Space 101 with congressional staff as a forum to showcase research championed by our federal delegation, as well as to educate them on UA’s rich history in space, and introduce future research opportunities for their support. All Space 101ers were impressed to learn that our Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab is the only facility of its kind in the world. In conversations with our Earth Science and NEOCam researchers, we focused on how UA’s research is solving for the real-world problems of climate change and planetary defense. Our congressional colleagues left with a deeper understanding of UA’s legacy in space and prepared to help us achieve our new endeavors in exploration and research.
Representative Biggs Tours UA Campus
Congressman Andy Biggs, AZ’s only Member of the House Science Space & Technology Committee, returned to his graduate alma mater to spend the day in our Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, hypersonic wind tunnel lab, and Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. He had the opportunity to interact with students throughout the tour who showed off their expertise on asteroids, hypersonics, and tree rings, which he found especially impressive. Our Hypersonics researchers were joined by a representative from Raytheon who conveyed the economic impact of having a university partner with the capability for applied research in Tucson, which resonated with the Congressman. At the end of all our visits, we reflect with our invited guest(s) on future opportunities for engagement and outreach, and this visit was no exception. Congressman Biggs is interested in bringing UA’s star power to DC, with faculty bringing telescopes from Tucson to Capitol Hill for a stargazing briefing in the coming months!
