Prerana Sannappanavar

2 faculty leaders decry U of A cuts to Cooperative Extension funding The money comes from the state and shouldn't be cut by the University of Arizona, say faculty leaders Leila Hudson and Katie Zeiders.

🚨: UA's Cooperative Extension program faces a spending reduction at the university level for the second year in a row, said faculty leader Katie Zeiders. "To cap, restrict, or limit these funds goes against legislative intent," she said. Read my latest:

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Millions allocated to help Arizonans cover college costs The newly approved Arizona budget allocated millions in funding for scholarships to help lower-income students attend a state university or college.

NEW: Arizona's FY26 budget has allocated an additional $16.3 million in one-time funding for the Arizona Promise Program, a guaranteed scholarship program for eligible low-income Arizona students. This brings the total funding to $54 million.

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U of A cancer lab turns to crowdfunding to support research A University of Arizona cancer research lab, facing difficulties in getting federal funding, has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for its work.

A University of Arizona cancer research lab, waiting for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, has applied for a crowdfunding initiative and raised about $5,030 as of Friday. Read more:

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UA moves departments, administrators in reorganization The restructuring comes after a recent "no confidence" letter from a group of indigenous faculty members following a proposed leadership change to the school's Office of Native American Advancement an...

NEW: A message to the university community Tuesday reported UA's Office of Native American Advancement and Tribal Engagement and Office of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives have been moved under newly-appointed Provost Patricia Prelock. Read more:

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UA researchers have launched what they believe to be the first open-access catalog of animal traditions in order to explore how social learning both shapes and is shaped by human-driven environmental change:

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U of A teaches how AI can be used in public health The University of Arizona has launched an initiative exploring how artificial intelligence can be used in public health by using tools that “allow researchers to collect digital data from multiple

The University of Arizona has launched a new initiative, including an inaugural Public Health and AI Summer School training program in June, to explore how artificial intelligence can be used in public health. Read more on the program:

tucson.com/news/local/e...

Trump administration has terminated 67 research grants at U of A — so far For Star subscribers: Among the terminated grants at the University of Arizona: Providing psychiatry phone access for moms; and incorporating Indigenous knowledge at Grand Canyon park.

🚨: UA Faculty Secretary Katie Zeiders shared a research and bridge funds update with faculty senators Thursday, reporting 67 grants had been terminated so far. The UA has awarded 26 grants with bridge funds totaling over $1 million. Read my exclusive:

tucson.com/news/local/s...

Arizona group urges Congress: Don't cut Pell grants for students Education Forward Arizona has joined 170 organizations across the country in urging Congress to reject cuts to Pell grants and need-based federal aid for college tuition in the House’s federal

NEW: Education Forward Arizona has now signed a June 6 letter urging Congress to reject cuts to Pell grants and need-based college tuition aid.

The estimated $10.9 billion cut over 10 years would affect about 40% of Arizona students who rely on the aid.

tucson.com/news/local/e...

U of A to offer fast-track medical degree to help ease doctor shortage The University of Arizona will offer a three-year medical degree at its two separately accredited medical schools in Tucson and Phoenix.

NEW: The University of Arizona has now introduced the state's first three-year medical degree programs at its Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix as an effort to combat Arizona's urgent need for primary care physicians. Read my latest:

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U of A can't use successful private fundraising to offset federal losses The University of Arizona has raised more than $1.3 billion for faculty and research positions, research funding and student support through its Fuel Wonder Campaign since 2017.

🚨: Officials discussed the UA's Fuel Wonder fundraising campaign, which has raised over $1.3 billion for faculty and research positions, research funding and student support. However, these funds cannot be used to offset federal losses, they say.

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Indigenous faculty ask U of A to remove administrator A University of Arizona Native American faculty group wants one administrator removed and another reinstated, and says it can't recommend UA to Native students under the current leadership.

NEW: A group of UA Native American faculty have asked President Garimella to remove the assistant vice provost of Native American Initiatives, Tessa Dysart, and reinstate the former director of Native American Student Affairs Julian Juan.

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U of A adds study-abroad option for foreign students worried about visas The University of Arizona will now offer a first-semester study-abroad option in London for international students, to combat declines in international student enrollment due to the Trump administrati...

🚨: UA will now offer a first year, study abroad option in London for international students worried about coming to the U.S. in the midst of the Trump administration's crackdown on student visas, SEVIS records and immigration travel. Read my latest:

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PCC budget holds line on tuition, property tax rate; gives employees raises Pima Community College's next budget doesn't increase tuition, slightly lowers the property tax rate, and provides raises.

Pima Community College's annual FY26 budget includes no increases in student tuition, a decrease in property tax rate, and a 1% minimum raise for regular PCC employees and a 3% increase in adjunct faculty pay. Read my latest:

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U of A has 656 Chinese int'l students as US vows visas crackdown The University of Arizona, which has more than 650 Chinese international students, is “closely monitoring immigration-related developments” after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the U.S. will...

🚨: The University of Arizona, with currently 656 Chinese international students, will be monitoring their visa situation after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will be "aggressively" revoking their student visas.

tucson.com/news/local/e...

U of A will consolidate cultural and resource centers despite students' protest The University of Arizona will consolidate all cultural and resource centers into a single multicultural center, in the wake of Trump administration orders against DEI.

🚨: UA's incoming Provost Patricia Prelock confirmed in a communication with a university administrator the plan to create a single multicultural center out of the current seven cultural centers. Read my exclusive:

tucson.com/news/local/s...

U of A reactions are mixed on Arizona's new anti-encampments law Some hail the new law as protecting campus safety, while others decry it as censoring protesters' voices.

🚨: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed HB2880 into law, officially prohibiting encampments on university and college campuses from taking place. University of Arizona students and faculty have lots to say. Read my exclusive:

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PCC folds multicultural celebration into main graduation this year Pima Community College will present 5,983 degrees and certificates to 4,714 graduates this week.

Pima Community College will be joining elements of its diversity or "Multicultural Convocation" into its main 2025 commencement ceremony due to budget considerations, officials say. Read my latest:

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U of A tally so far: $61M in US funds lost, $1M set aside on bridge fund U of A tally so far: $61M in US funds lost, $1M set aside on bridge fund.

🚨: The University of Arizona has allocated $1 million for its bridge funding program to support 73 research awards impacted by the Trump administration's changes in federal research funding. Read my exclusive:

tucson.com/news/local/s...

U of A hosts diverse graduation ceremonies despite DEI orders UA’s main commencement ceremony is Friday night, but weeks leading up to it have been filled with graduation and convocation ceremonies hosted by colleges.

🎓:The University of Arizona's cultural centers will be continuing their tradition of hosting convocation ceremonies for diversity communities, despite the slate of Trump administration orders asking DEI to be removed from universities. Read:

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Juan Ciscomani warns he won't support Medicaid cuts, Oak Flat land swap controversy | May 9, 2025 Podcast Episode · The Press Room · 05/09/2025 · 27m

Pls check out the new episode of The Press Room @azpm.org. Thx to @preranawrites.bsky.social Jim Nintzel, Paola Rodriguez, and Dan Shearer for joining me to talk about possible Medicaid cuts, UA faculty wanting to push back at the Trump Administration, and more. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/j...

Tucson clinic ends gender-affirming care for teens El Rio Community Health says it is discontinuing hormone therapy for transgender youths due to Trump administration orders.

Tucson families with transgender youth are devastated with El Rio Health's decision to cancel hormone therapy due to a slate of Trump administration orders and notices on protecting children from "mutilation." Read my exclusive:

tucson.com/news/local/s...

U of A plans a 7% budget cut for central administration The University of Arizona's preliminary budget also cuts colleges' spending by about 2%.

🚨: UA announced the preliminary FY26 budget which includes: the elimination of the financial deficit, through 7% cuts to administration and 2% cuts to colleges among others, and employee raises promised by President Garimella. Read my latest:

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NEW: 91% of University of Arizona faculty members who voted on a faculty referendum approved to urge UA President Suresh Garimella to defend the university's core values, sign the AAC&U letter, and more. Read my exclusive:

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U of A eliminates million-dollar VP job, puts health colleges under provost University of Arizona announces departure of senior vice president for health sciences, says health sciences colleges will now be under the provost.

NEW: The UA announced the departure of a controversial hire from seven years ago who served as the senior vice president for health affairs, a position which will be terminated. Also, the UA's health sciences colleges will now report to the provost.

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U of A faculty voting on measure urging Garimella to fight Trump orders University of Arizona Faculty Senate leaders are asking all faculty to vote in an online “referendum” urging UA President Suresh Garimella to defend against “ideological attacks on universities,"

🚨: UA faculty are now voting on a referendum which urges President Garimella and ABOR to legally contest Trump's unlawful demands and sign a collective action from AAC&U, among others.

The voting results are out next week. Read my latest:

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UA student’s life upended after his visa is suddenly revoked then reinstated - AZ Luminaria It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Amir, a University of Arizona Ph.D. student who, in early April, was putting final touches on his resume to go on the job market and was preparing for his oral exam...

I spoke with a University of Arizona PhD student who had his visa revoked and then, two weeks later, his status reinstated.

He was weeks away from his oral exams when his life was upended.

“This for me was racist, more than anything,” Amir told me.

azluminaria.org/2025/04/29/u...

U of A researchers lament new National Institutes of Health demands The National Institutes of Health says all universities wanting U.S. research money must stop all DEIA programs and any disinvestment from Israel, to the dismay of University of Arizona researchers.

The National Institutes of Health announced a new policy for universities to stop DEIA programs and Israel boycotts. Researchers at the University of Arizona dismay over the many impacts this has on the UA and medical research nationally and globally.

tucson.com/news/local/s...

University of Arizona plans big role in world's fusion energy chase For Star subscribers: Harnessing fusion energy on Earth "will transform the planet," and University of Arizona researchers want the school to commercialize it.

🚨: UA Senior Vice President for research Díaz de la Rubia believes fusion energy commercialization will "transform the planet forever." His goal is for the UA to be the leading academic institution in this U.S.'s mission. Read my exclusive:

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Tucson's economy should fare relatively well if recession hits Economists at the University of Arizona cite government, education and health-care sectors as Tucson’s strong points in the face of a possible national recession. But they also say the current

According to economists at the UA, Tucson's economy is protected by sectors like the government, education and health-care in the face of a national recession predicted at 35-40% in the latter months of 2025. Read my special edition story:

tucson.com/news/local/b...

Trump's DOJ reverses course after judges reject 'baffling' argument on foreign students Trump administration attorneys tried to argue the government's termination of international students' record in a federal database had no effect.

At a Wednesday hearing in Tucson U.S. district court, a Trump attorney argued an international student's SEVIS account cancellation doesn't affect their legal status, as reported by my colleague @emilybregel.bsky.social. Read her insightful exclusive on the hearing:

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