Programs and Projects Current

Programs & Projects

Udall Center Programs

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A mosaic of book covers that came to be as a result of the Udall Center Fellows Program.

Udall Center Fellows Program

Since 1990, over 160 UArizona faculty members from more than 40 departments have been relieved of their teaching duties for a full semester to focus on public policy research. This work has resulted in dozens of books, academic papers, and new sources of project funding for those selected to serve as Udall Center Fellows.

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The first cohort of Mo's Policy Scholars pose on the Udall Center steps with their mentors. All have their arms in the air in celebration.

Mo's Policy Scholars

Each year, select Udall Center faculty and staff pair up with undergraduate juniors and seniors to provide those students with hands-on experience working on real UArizona research projects and programs.

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Mexican free-tailed bats leaving their roost in a tree in California at sunset.

EMIGRA -- Especies Migratorias y Gobernanza de sus Ambientes

This project, led by Udall Center Research Professor Laura López-Hoffman with support from Research Director Jonathan Derbridge, aims to quantify the benefits provided to human beings by migratory species in their various habitats and use the information to guide species-specific conservation efforts across international borders.

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The NEPAccess team work together while sitting around a long table in a well-lit conference room.

NEPAccess

The NEPAccess project, led by Udall Center Research Professor Laura López-Hoffman with support from Research Director Emily McGovern, involves creating a knowledge-discovery platform for finding and analyzing decades of applied science and records of public participation in U.S. environmental decision-making processes.

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Greg Barron-Gafford, Andrea Gerlak and another researcher discuss agrivoltaics in front of a solar array at Biosphere 2.

Agrivoltaics: Innovations at the nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems

Former Udall Center Fellow Greg Barron-Gafford is working with Udall Center Director Andrea Gerlak and others to study how growing crops under solar panels can help increase crop yields and reduce water usage through funding from the US Department of Energy, the US Department of Agriculture, among others.

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Aerial image of downtown Tucson in daylight.

Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL)

Researchers from UArizona, ASU and NAU are examining the threats to urban areas in the Copper State posed by extreme heat during this five-year project funded by the Department of Energy. Udall Center Faculty Research Associate Ladd Keith is leading the research team at UArizona.

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The semi-transparent silhouette of a young woman in front of a bright sun and city skyline.

Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN)

GHHIN is a group of global climate, health, and heat experts that are taking a critical look at how communities can mitigate and manage the inevitable increase in extreme heat events. Udall Center Affiliate Faculty Researcher Ladd Keith is a member of the GHHIN Management Committee.

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Middle school students work to build an ocotillo out of colorful Kinex toys during a visit to UArizona in September 2023.

Sunnyside Middle School STEM Peer Mentoring

Udall Center Assistant Professor Adriana Zuniga-Teran joined up with Lauffer Middle School STEM teacher Jackie Nichols and nonprofit CommunityShare to design and implement a multi-tiered peer mentoring program for the 2023-24 school year.

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Adriana Zuniga-Teran, Natasha Pauli and others sit at a long table with a red curtain during a panel presentation.

Shades of Urban Greening

Led by Assistant Professor Adriana Zuniga-Teran with support from colleagues at UArizona, the University of Western Australia, Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Tucson Water and the Sonoran Environmental Research Institute, this project aims to evaluate the landscaping preferences of people in dryland urban areas and examine the social, design and environmental impacts of plant foliage color in those areas.

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An aerial view of the Colorado River, a blue-green ribbon snakes through red canyons.

Colorado River Governance

Led by Udall Center Director Andrea Gerlak, a team of researchers and collaborating organizations are monitoring the health of the Colorado River and the policies governing how the river’s water resources are managed and distributed to international stakeholders.

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A person walks through the rain on the UArizona campus while holding a black umbrella.

Green Infrastructure for Cities

Our research team is working to help cities better utilize the renewable natural resources at their disposal in order to build a more resilient and sustainable future for all. We partner with schools, faith organizations, governments and more in our research and outreach in this area.

Information page forthcoming.

Native Nations Institute

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Research and Policy Analysis

In conversations with NNI researchers, Indigenous leaders and managers often identify two types of resources necessary for effective policymaking: 1) reliable, rigorous analyses that provide evidence about new approaches to governance and development, and 2) written accounts of Native nations' successes in various policy-making arenas. These concerns are at the heart of the Native Nations Institute's research and policy analysis.

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NNI Executive Director Joan Timeche address a crowd. A slide projected behind her reads "What characteristics make a good leader?"

Tribal and Direct Services

NNI provides specialized services to Native nations, organizations, and communities requesting assistance with issues ranging from constitutional reform and institution-building to strategic planning and economic development on a fee-for-service basis. Services are also provided to non-native professionals and professional entities looking to learn how to better partner with Native nations and Indigenous Peoples.

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Professor Rob Williams teaches a course during January in Tucson 2023.

Education and Professional Development

Through a collaboration with the James E. Rogers College of Law Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program, NNI’s Indigenous Governance Program provides professional development, leadership training, and graduate education for anyone interested in a deep, practical understanding of Indigenous governance, law & policy.

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Digital Resources

Engage with a curated library of more than 1600 resources in NNI’s Indigenous Governance Database or view a comprehensive set of tools on tribal constitution making and remaking in the Constitutions Resource Center.

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Visit the Native Nations Institute website

Collaborative Policy Programs

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Professor Rob Williams and IGP Manager Tory Fodder pose for a photo in the UArizona Law School lobby.

Indigenous Governance Program (IGP)

In partnership with the James E. Rogers College of Law Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program

In addition to NNI’s annual flagship masters-level learning event, January in Tucson, the IGP also offers a Master of Professional Studies, a Graduate Certificate and a Legal Continuing Education Certificate in Indigenous Governance.

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Saguaros dot a Sonoran Desert landscape at sunset.

Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions (CCASS)

In partnership with the Arizona Institute for Resilience

CCASS brings together a wealth of expertise at the University of Arizona to support sound management choices in the context of climate change, linking science, information needs of managers, and decision-making.

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A modern windmill sits on a grassy hilltop near the coast at sunset.

NADBank and CECnet Mailing Lists

The Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy manages the mailing lists for the North American Development Bank (NADBank; formerly Border Environment Cooperation Commission [BECC]) and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

Click here for directions on how to subscribe to news updates from these organizations.