University Of Arizona

By Mari N. Jensen and Daniel Stolte, College of Science and University Communications

Roy Parker, a Regents’ Professor in the department of molecular and cellular biology, and Marcia J. Rieke, a Regents’ Professor in the department of astronomy, have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Two University of Arizona Regents' Professors – biologist Roy Parker and astronomer Marcia J. Rieke – were elected to the National Academy of Sciences on May 1.

Election to membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors a U.S. scientist or engineer can achieve. Parker and Rieke will be inducted into the academy next April during its 150th annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Parker and Rieke were elected along with 82 others across the country, bringing the number of UA faculty members elected to NAS to 14. There currently are 2,152 active NAS members. Among the NAS's renowned members are Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright and Alexander Graham Bell. Nearly 200 living academy members have won Nobel Prizes.

"We are delighted that not one, but two of our most outstanding faculty members have been elected to join the National Academy this year," said UA Senior Vice President for Research Leslie Tolbert. "Roy Parker and Marcia Rieke are stellar scientists who have spent the major parts of their careers right here, and their election to the National Academy is a tremendous honor for the University as well as for them."

"Both of them work in areas of fundamental science," Tolbert added. "Their research on fundamental properties of matter and life has shaped how we think about early events in the universe and the ways cells regulate the expression of their genes."

Roy Parker

Parker's research focuses on RNA, the chemical that carries genetic information to the cellular machinery that makes proteins. His lab discovered specialized storage compartments within cells called P-bodies that store used versions of the chemical messenger, known as messenger RNA or mRNA.

“It is a terrific surprise and a great honor," Parker said. "It is truly a reflection of all the talented individuals I have had the good fortune of working with in my lab over the years, and I am indebted to them for their efforts.”

"Roy is a brilliant scientist and wonderful human being," said Hanna "Johnny" Fares, interim head of the UA's department of molecular and cellular biology and associate professor. "His scientific work is astounding, having revolutionized, and being the leading authority on, the process of RNA degradation. Roy is one of these rare people who inspires and elevates everyone around him."

Parker is a UA Regents' Professor of molecular and cellular biology and also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

Much of his research has used the single-celled organism yeast to tease out the inner workings of cells. Now he is expanding his work to include how messenger RNAs are involved in regulating viral infections and in the changes in neurons that occur during memory formation.

Parker joined the UA in 1989 as an assistant professor and rose through the ranks, becoming a Regents' Professor in 2001. In addition, he has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 1994.

Among his awards and honors, Parker has been the keynote speaker at many professional society meetings, including the EMBO workshop and the Translation Control Meeting. He was named a UA College of Science Galileo Fellow in 2003, received the National Institutes of Health Merit Award in 2004 and was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Science in 2010. He was president of The RNA Society in 2010.

Parker earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1979 from Carnegie Mellon University and his doctorate in genetics from the University of California, San Francisco in 1985. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Francisco from 1985-86, the University of California, San Diego from 1986-87, and at the University of Massachusetts Medical School from 1988-89.

Marcia J. Rieke

Rieke joined the UA's department of astronomy in 1979 after receiving her doctorate in physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology three years prior.

Rieke has been heralded for the international effort that she has led on the Spitzer space telescope to conduct very deep surveys at far-infrared wavelengths, which will allow astronomers to trace the history of star formation back in time 10 billion years.

Together with her husband, Regents' Professor George Rieke, she co-authored a paper on the infrared interstellar extinction law – one of the most cited papers in all of astronomy. Many of her most-cited papers on radiation from galactic nuclei and starbursts in colliding galaxies are classics in the field.

Rieke is the principal investigator for the near-infrared camera, or NIRCam, on the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest space telescope ever conceived and scheduled for launch in 2018. NIRCam will study infrared light.

Because the universe is expanding, light from the earliest galaxies have been stretched, or "redshifted," from visible light into infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye. NIRCam will be able to visualize infrared light, making it essential to examining the early phases of star and galaxy formation, and studying the shapes and colors of distant galaxies. NIRCam will also help astronomers learn the age of stars in nearby galaxies.

Rieke first heard about her nomination from her husband, George, who was elected to the NAS last year.

"During the National Academy membership meeting this morning, George snuck out of the room and called me," Rieke said. "I'm still in a state of shock. I hope the world recognizes the caliber of the research that is going on here on our campus."

In the field of astronomical instrumentation, Rieke is perhaps best known internationally for her work on space infrared missions and is the principal investigator for the Near Infrared Camera. The camera will be installed on the next generation of astronomical observatory developed by NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope, and promises to provide the most sensitive view of the early universe ever achieved.

An additional measure of Rieke's international stature is demonstrated by her service as the vice-chair of program prioritization panel for he Astro200 NAS Decadal Survey Committee, an exercise in planning mission and facilities for the next 10 years. Billions of dollars in federal investments will be based on her committee's work, where she helped orchestrate the efforts of hundreds of researchers in the field and judged more than 100 project concepts.

In 2007, Rieke was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining the ranks of former vice presidents and Supreme Court justices, Nobel and Academy Award winners and prominent executives.

"The College of Science is proud of its 10 National Academy members," said Joaquin Ruiz, dean of the College of Science and executive dean of the Colleges of Arts, Letters and Science. "Roy Parker and Marcia Rieke are two extraordinary scientists that greatly deserve this honor. "

The following faculty members were elected previously:

J. Roger P. Angel, David Arnett, William Dickinson, John Hildebrand, Randy Jokipii, Margaret Kidwell, John Law, George Rieke (all College of Science), Nicolaas Bloembergen (College of Optical Sciences), William Bowers and Brian Larkins (College of Agriculture), C. Vance Haynes (College of Social and Behavioral Science and College of Science).

Several Events Mark Earth Day Celebration

The University of Arizona will celebrate Earth Day with a series of activities on campus and at the UA's Biosphere 2 facility in Oracle, Ariz.

In addition, Arizona Public Media will premiere a documentary on an effort to purify water by using the sun.

Earth Day Festival on Main Gate Square

Hosted by UA's Students for Sustainability, the UA Office of Sustainability and Main Gate Square, the Earth Day celebration, taking place April 20, from 4-8 p.m. will feature live entertainment, activities for kids and interactive demonstrations. More than 50 University programs, along with local businesses and organizations will be present to inform and engage the Tucson community about their work to make the world more sustainable.

Events for kids include face painting, balloon animals, an inflatable obstacle course and a rock-climbing wall. Entertainment will be provided by the UA's acapella band CatCall and a DJ. Free valet parking for bicycles will be available.

"We are trying to get people to think about their everyday practices with respect to consumption and using resources," said Natalie Lucas, the executive director of UA Students for Sustainability, the group that has been organizing the UA's Earth Day festival for several years. "The idea is to encourage people to be more sustainable and more friendly to the Earth, but most importantly, we see Earth Day as an opportunity for students to connect with the greater Tucson community and provide a networking opportunity with organizations and small businesses."

UA Students for Sustainability brings together students who want to get involved in making the UA a greener and more sustainable campus. More than 20 students are involved in internship projects varying from water harvesting to sustainable food supplies to recycling initiatives.

"For Earth Day, we want people to have fun and enjoy themselves learning about sustainability and the environment," said Lucas, who is a junior with a double major in Environmental Science and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law.

The UA's Green Fund Committee has funded more than 30 sustainability projects and is currently accepting applications from students. In addition, the fund solicits and reviews projects from faculty, students and employees aimed at making campus more sustainable.

"The Lessons of Omani Aflaj" Symposium

In partnership with the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, Biosphere 2 is hosting a special symposium on Friday in connection with the latest addition to Biosphere 2's science outreach program: the Omani Aflaj Water Oasis, which will be unveiled on the Biosphere 2 grounds the following day.

The symposium, held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the UA's Kuiper Building on the main campus, is open to the public and will bring together Omani, European and local water scholars and experts to discuss what ancient methods of water management can teach people about addressing modern water challenges in an arid environment.

Earth Day at Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2 has teamed up with the UA School of Music to celebrate the art and science of Earth Day through exhibits, hands-on interactive displays, guided tours and live music throughout the facility. The event will bring together visitors, artists, scientists and students. Admission is free for children 15 and under.

One of the highlights will be the unveiling of the Omani Falaj Water Oasis, developed through an international partnership with the Sultanate of Oman. Her Excellency Hunaina Al-Mughairy, Omani Ambassador to the United States, and a delegation of Omani dignitaries will participate in the festivities.

"The Falaj water symposium and exhibits highlight how an ancient technology – still in use today – can contribute to the global conversation on water usage and conservation," said Kathleen Ridolfo, executive director of the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center. "It is our hope that in showcasing this Omani feat in engineering, we can inspire others to rethink current water systems and policies. Sometimes the oldest ideas are the best ideas."
 
The Omani Falaj Water Oasis is the latest additon to Biosphere 2's outdoor exhibits, which will eventually feature a full-scale replica of a Middle Eastern desert oasis, complete with housing structures and a grove of date palm and pomegranate trees. A corresponding indoor exhibit showcases a 10-foot-long model of the oasis explaining the water-harvesting techniques used by the peoples in the region.

The Earth Day celebration is one of the many ways Biosphere 2 educates people on science topics and promoting scientific literacy. This year, special emphasis will be placed on sustainability and music. Rex Woods, director of the UA School of Music said, "Our students will perform a vast array of music from different cultures and styles. We are pleased to work alongside the College of Science in making Earth Day a wonderful experience for the entire family."

Travis Huxman, director of Biosphere 2 and a professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology, said, "This year's Earth Day will showcase many of the UA rising stars – young faculty members who will play a central role in solving some of the most daunting grand challenges facing our earth. We are also very excited about our partnership with the UA School of Music, which will solidify the connection between art and science."

Other activities at Biosphere 2 are planned, including:

New exhibits showcasing solar energy, green roofs and water harvesting.

Arizona-based company GoE3 unveiling the universal car-charging unit that will be installed at Biosphere 2.

The UA Astronomy Club will host activities on the solar system, planets orbiting other stars and ice in the universe.

Visitors get to experience Biosphere 2's newest high-tech, hands-on attraction – the OmniGlobe. The OmniGlobe is a digital globe that can project a virtually limitless array of content from data sets such as the solar system, oceanography, plate-tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, pollution and ecology.

Live music throughout the facility, organized by the UA School of Music.

Animal encounters presented by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Thematic tours focusing on the role of each biome in supporting human life and sustainability.

Meteorite samples and a photographic exhibit of meteorites.

"Seeking Water from the Sun" Documentary

"Seeking Water from the Sun" is a 30-minute documentary produced by Arizona Public Media that explores a scientific effort to resolve a dilemma of basic human need – clean water. This special program will premiere on Sunday, April 22, at 6 p.m. on PBS-HD 6. It features students from the UA's College of Engineering as well as Ardeth Barnhart, program director for renewable energy at the UA's Institute of the Environment, and Wendell Ela, a professor in the UA's department of chemical and environmental engineering.

UA scientists and the Bureau of Reclamation took on the project of designing and building a prototype solar solution to purify water "off the grid" by using the sun. The documentary follows their trials and tribulations as they design and build a solar-powered water distillation prototype, the first step of a plan to purify groundwater for easier access for the Navajo people and their livestock.

The U.S. Green Building Council has announced LEED platinum certification for the two newest residence halls at the University of Arizona. This is the first residential project to earn LEED platinum in the state of Arizona and the second LEED platinum designation for the UA.

 Árbol de la Vida and Likins residence halls join the UA Campus Recreation Center as LEED platinum certified. The two residence halls provided 1,088 new beds for students in the 2011-12 academic year.

 LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized mark of excellence that provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design.

 Buildings receive a total number of points determined by a variety of categories. The number of points results in the level of LEED certification: basic, silver, gold and platinum.

 The LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health:

 · Sustainable site development

· Water savings

· Energy efficiency

· Materials selection

· Indoor environmental quality

 "Sustainability takes a team effort, from contractor, architect to student groups and administration. To get that third-party verification that we have achieved, platinum is something to be proud of. It reflects the highest level of sustainability. We went in with a goal of achieving silver, and to have achieved platinum is pretty amazing and relatively unheard of," said Peter Dourlein, assistant vice president of Planning, Design & Construction at the UA.

 The buildings are mixed-use residential – in addition to the large student housing component, they include office suites, a conferencing center, living-learning classrooms, multiple study and gathering areas and extensive student amenities and courtyards.

The state-of-the-art halls, built in part from recycled materials, feature many sustainable elements including passive water harvesting, drought tolerant landscaping, low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets. Also, nearly 7,000 tons of construction debris was diverted from the landfill, and nearly 2,500 tons of on-site generated construction waste was recycled.

 The student rooms feature "smart thermometers" that recognize if the room is unoccupied to reduce energy use, "green outlets" that shut off power when room is unoccupied, and windows that allow maximum outdoor light and direct ventilation.

 A few of the most significant elements are roof-mounted solar panels to provide a significant portion of the hot water needs and strategically located building overhangs and awnings to maximize protection of the windows from the hot Arizona sun.

 Both halls also feature web-based software that can be accessed by students to monitor the amount of energy the building and analyze utility data, and allow for the comparison and contrasting use of energy.

 Dourlein said the LEED certification is not just about energy efficiency, it is also about creating an overall healthier environment, living in unison with the surrounding environment and engaging the student community.

"The UA campus is itself a living learning laboratory for sustainability. We will now monitor and see how the new designs and new technology impact the building and its occupants. While the construction may be done, the outcome on the occupancy is the real proof in the pudding. Over time, we will reevaluate energy use and other sustainability measures to see how we are doing and we improve from the experience."

ABOR Names Ann Weaver Hart as UA Presidential Candidate After an extensive nationwide search, the Arizona Board of Regents today announced Ann Weaver Hart as the candidate for the president of the University of Arizona. Hart is currently the president of Temple University and has served as president of the University of New Hampshire and provost and vice president for academic affairs at Claremont Graduate University. Her prior appointments also include professor of educational leadership, dean of the Graduate School and special assistant to the president at the University of Utah.

"Dr. Hart is a dynamic leader with a distinguished resume and an impeccable track record of successfully managing and advancing world-class research institutions," said ABOR Chair Fred DuVal. "We are extremely pleased that Dr. Hart has agreed to pursue the presidency at the UA. Her extensive background as an accomplished chief executive officer and experience in academic medicine will be a tremendous asset to the UA and the entire state."

"A Consummate Leader, Educator and Administrator"

During her six-year tenure as president of Temple University - America's 27th largest university and home to the academic medical center Temple University Health System - Hart is responsible for taking Temple's academic reputation to new heights. She has significantly increased undergraduate and graduate applications while raising the academic qualifications of incoming students; produced an institutional record number of Fulbright scholars; improved the freshman retention rate and time to degree; grown research expenditures by nearly $30 million; fostered technology transfer and economic development efforts; and advanced Temple's ranking with the National Science Foundation seven spots. The Chronicle of Higher Education cites Temple's graduation rate as increasing at the second fastest rate among public research universities nationwide, a feat accomplished under Hart's leadership.

"Dr. Hart is a consummate leader, educator and administrator and embodies all of the leadership characteristics we are seeking in the next president of the UA," said Regent Rick Myers, co-chair of the UA Presidential Search Committee. "She has left indelible marks with each position she has held and has transformed Temple University into a higher performing institution at nearly every level and undoubtedly will do the same at the UA."

Dr. Hart also led the development of Temple's "Framework 20/20," a $1.2 billion campus development plan; produced a comeback in football and men's and women's basketball after hiring new coaches that landed numerous NCAA conference titles and led Temple's football team to two straight winning seasons and its first bowl game in three decades; increased the school's endowment; significantly expanded Temple's international presence; and implemented a complete redesign of Temple's community relations to strengthen relations with elected officials and further enhance the value of the university to the broader community.

In addition, Hart led the University of New Hampshire for four years, a research-extensive university with land, sea and space grant university designations. It also is the flagship of the University System of New Hampshire. Hart was responsible for providing a first-class undergraduate and graduate education to students and fostering the university's role as a major partner in research, development and outreach in every county in the state.

Poised to Make a Positive Difference

Regent Dennis DeConcini, UA Presidential Search Committee co-chair, stated, "We hope that Tucson and the entire state of Arizona will welcome Dr. Hart's candidacy with open arms. We have the utmost confidence that she has the ability to effectively guide the University of Arizona in providing a high-quality learning environment, advancing its ambitious research goals and agenda and leveraging the University to make a positive difference in the state."

Hart will visit the UA campus on Feb. 13 to meet with students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the public before the Board makes its final decision on the UA presidential candidacy. A schedule will be made public when finalized.

Hart received a bachelor of science in history, master of arts in history and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Utah. She currently serves as a member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Board of Directors and as a member of the APLU's Commission on International Programs, which she previously chaired.

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