Speakers
| Speaker | Date | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Old Barrio Architectural Walking Tour | Apr 30, 2026 7:00 AM |
Mike Franks & Brooks Jeffery
The Barrio Viejo walking tour is scheduled for the morning of April 30, 2026. Meet at the corner of West Cushing St and Convent Ave. at 7:00 am.
The tour guides will be:
Brooks Jeffery, Professor emeritus University of Arizona College of Architecture, Historian, Author
Michael Franks, Architect celebrating 45 years of professional practice creating relevant vernacular architecture in and around the Tucson community.
Our tour begins with a brief history of Tucson, its beginnings, indigenous people and their place in establishing our Presidio.
The introduction of Urban Renewal and impact on the historic Barrio Viejo.
Discussion on the evolution of how the vernacular architecture shaped our current Landscape.
Tour duration 1hour and 15minutes
Wear comfortable clothing/hat
and walking shoes
And bring drinking water
|
| Amanda Kraus | May 07, 2026 7:00 AM |
Leveraging the Residential Environment to Support Success for Every Student
 Success for Every Student is one of our university’s guiding imperatives, and living on campus remains a consistent predictor of student success and retention. To strengthen these outcomes, we are deepening our investment in residential experiences that foster connection, engagement, and academic achievement. Beginning this fall, all first-time, first-year students will be expected to live on campus. In parallel, we are launching a new housing development project to expand and modernize our residential portfolio, ensuring we can meet growing demand and evolving student preferences. This informal talk will provide context and rationale for these initiatives, along with additional details about their implementation and what they mean for our campus community. Dr. Amanda Kraus serves as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Arizona, where she has worked for over twenty years. She is also Associate Professor of Practice in Higher Education. Outside of work, Dr. Kraus serves on the board of Visit Tucson and on Southwest Airlines’ Customer Accessibility Advisory Council. Dr. Kraus earned her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, and her B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University. |
| Dennis Bergquist | May 21, 2026 7:00 AM |
TBD
TBD |
| Elena Hernandez | Jun 04, 2026 7:00 AM |
Desert View High School
TBD |
| Jim DeGrood | Jun 18, 2026 7:00 AM |
Prop 411 & City Improvements
 Proposition 411 was approved by voters in the City of Tucson in May 2022. This proposition leveed a half cent ($0.005) tax sales tax within the City for 10 years, with 80% of the funding directed to the improvement of every neighborhood street in the City of Tucson. The remaining 20% is directed to safety improvements, including street lighting, sidewalk, traffic signal and bicycle lane improvements. Now at the end of the 4th year of implementation, this presentation will provide an update on the Proposition 411 improvements delivered and what lies ahead. James R. (Jim) DeGrood, P.E., is the Deputy Director, Department of Transportation and Mobility for the City of Tucson. Mr. DeGrood joined the City of Tucson in December 2022 to lead implementation of the $740 million Proposition 411 program. Mr. DeGrood is a Professional Engineer, a graduate of the University of Arizona, and has over 35 years of local government public works experience, all in the Tucson metro area.
|
| Temitayo Omigbule | Jul 02, 2026 7:00 AM |
My Fulbright Year in Arizona
|
| Ana Hubner | Oct 15, 2026 7:00 PM |
TBD
TBD |