Environment & Public Health

A rapidly changing environment brings new health challenges, and UArizona faculty address these issues through interdisciplinary projects, ranging from managing public health crises, to water and food contamination, to the connections between health and climate change.

Our research

Traveler Special Report: Coping With 21st Century Wildfires

Gazing out at night from the Clay Butte Lookout, the Clover-Mist Fire in Yellowstone National Park flickered like hundreds of twinkling campfires in the distance. But in reality, it was glimmering from flares of a wildfire that had burned nearly 400,000 acres as part of the historic 1988 complex of fires that blackened the park and adjacent national forests.

Tumamoc Hill mask-wearing rate near 50%; UA wants higher numbers

As the temperatures in our area start to cool off, University of Arizona officials are continuing to monitor people walking on Tumamoc Hill.

Black and Hispanic People More Likely to Live in High-Risk Flood Zones, Study Finds

Some reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program could have disproportionately negative impacts on the same groups, according to researchers.

decorated bedroom

Sustainable Spaces

Right now, it is as important as ever to stay home and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, there has never been a better time to focus on making your at-home workspace and study space truly feel like your own. Decorating, organizing, and even DIY-ing can be done at a low cost and a low environmental footprint.

Future Tucson will likely deal with more days of extreme heat

The record-setting heat that Tucson and much of Arizona experienced this summer is a red flag — a warning of things to come, experts say.

Carson Zoom Event

Carson Scholars Recap Summer Activities and Look Forward to the Fall

The environmental scholars and artists who make up the 2020 cohort of the Carson Scholars Program mean to change the world—even as the world has changed around them. The 12 scholars, from disciplines as diverse as creative writing to engineering, continue to pursue both their own projects and the training the program gives them in science communication.

Colleges combating coronavirus turn to stinky savior: sewage*

Days after he crossed the country to start college, Ryan Schmutz received a text message from Utah State University: COVID-19 had been detected at his dorm. Within 10 minutes, he dropped the crepes he was making and was whisked away by bus to a testing site.

The risks of severe heat

 

The hottest summer in the city’s history came during a global health crisis, leaving many residents at risk for heat-related issues.

Pima County, University of Arizona partner to hand out free masks on Tumamoc Hill

The Pima County Health Department and the University of Arizona are collaborating to increase face mask use on Tumamoc Hill.