Centers, Institutes and Programs

Sonoran Desert cactus and wildflowers

Header photo by Zack Guido

The centers, institutes and programs under the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies encourage the growth of climate science and resilience solutions, community outreach and interaction, and international and global strategies and partnerships. By working together, AIRES units will build a "Roadmap to Resilience" that integrates research, education and solutions for local and global applications.

Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice

The Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice (Haury Program) was established in 2014 at UArizona to support research and community-based outreach to solve a range of sustainability challenges and their disparate impacts.

haury.arizona.edu

Bridging Biodiversity and Conservation Science

The Bridging Biodiversity and Conservation Science group (BBCS) is a cross-campus initiative, established in 2017, that addresses the interdisciplinary scientific and societal grand challenges associated with developing and implementing the emerging transitions needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change. To do this, the BBCS links campus strengths in conservation, human health biodiversity, and societal well-being.

bbcs.arizona.edu

Center for Applied Hydroclimate Sciences

The Center for Applied Hydroclimate Sciences (CAHS) aims to work with several other existing entities within the University of Arizona in the area of climate science and water resources. The center hopes to provide better hydroclimate predictions and projections to help leverage better decision making and science translation, inform natural resource managers and policy makers in arid regions, and provide infrastructure for big-data management.

cahs.arizona.edu

Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions

The Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions (CCASS) draws on an interdisciplinary group of researchers who study, inform, and work collaboratively with  governmental, non-governmental, and private sectors to offer creative and unique approaches to complex problems related to climate change and its impacts.

ccass.arizona.edu

Climate Assessment for the Southwest

The mission of the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) program is to improve the region’s ability to respond sufficiently and appropriately to climatic events and climate changes. The program promotes participatory, iterative research involving scientists, decision makers, resource users, educators, and others who need more and better information about climate and its impacts. 

climas.arizona.edu

Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill

A unique combination of ecology and culture, the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill is an 860-acre ecological preserve in the heart of Tucson. Its innovative, sustained, long-term environmental studies have made it a U.S. National Historical Landmark. A 2,500-year-old village sits atop Tumamoc Hill and the rich cultural context of four millennia of human society lie at its feet. The Hill's name derives from the Tohono O'odham place name Chemamagi Do’ag, Hill of the Horned Lizard, which signifies the profound cultural importance of this site.

tumamoc.arizona.edu

Educational Initiatives & Scholars Programs

AIR's Educational Initiatives include the Carson and Diana Liverman Scholars Programs which are dedicated to training the next generation of environmental researchers in the art of public communication. Other initiatives include the Global Change Minor (PhD) and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs).

environment.arizona.edu/educational-initiatives

Indigenous Resilience Center

The Indigenous Resilience Center’s mission is to provide support for Indigenous students, staff and faculty while modeling and teaching respectful tribal engagement. The goal is to build and support a collaborative team of STEM faculty who will work within the Center to create a robust community of Native and Indigenous STEM scholars and students that respectfully honor Traditional Knowledge and tribal sovereignty in all their endeavors.

environment.arizona.edu/irc

Institute for Energy Solutions

The Institute for Energy Solutions (IES) is at the forefront of innovation in energy-related research. Through cross-disciplinary programs, training and outreach activities, the institute develops solutions to emerging problems pertinent to Arizona, the Southwest U.S. and similar global areas. They leverage the depth of expertise among the University affiliates to address challenges in energy and its relation to society, water, climate and the economy.

energy.arizona.edu

International Programs

The AIR International Programs advances resilience scholarship in international contexts and supports resilience research by stewarding the Arizona Institutes for Resilience International Development (AIRID) Network. We support faculty, students, and researchers at the University of Arizona who work on resilience topics in regions most sensitive to global environmental changes and on topics that advance international sustainable development objectives.

internationalprograms.arizona.edu

Research Impacts & Evaluation

The Research Impacts and Evaluation Program, led by Alison Meadow, focuses on how academic research can generate societal impacts through collaboration and engagement with communities, resource managers, and other decision makers. RIE evaluates research programs both at UArizona and across the country to provide research teams with assessments of their collaborative research processes and impacts.

rie.arizona.edu

Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center

The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) was established in 2011 to provide objective scientific information, tools, and techniques that land, water, wildlife, and cultural resource managers and other interested parties can apply to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change impacts in the southwestern United States.

swcasc.arizona.edu

University Climate Change Coalition

In December 2018, the University of Arizona joined the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), joining 21 leading North American Research One universities, including the University of California system, Arizona State University, and many more. Together, these institutions are all working to expand our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and working with community partners to encourage climate-related resilience.

environment.arizona.edu/uc3

Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center

The Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center facilitates innovative research and technology development to ensure sustainable water supplies that protects and promotes environmental and human health. Critical to WEST’s success is the partnership between the University of Arizona, the private sector, utilities, and the community at large.

west.arizona.edu