Eradicating Global Hunger: Is Genetically Modified Food (GMO) a Solution? Julian Kunnie, University of Arizona, Religious Studies/Classics/Africana Studies/Indigenous/Globalization Studies Technological innovations in the early 21st century have promoted the development of genetically modified seeds and foods, as a potential solution to the crisis of world hunger.   Eighty percent of the corn, soy, and cotton cultivated […]

Challenges to Democracy from the Extremes Dr. Albrecht  Classen, University of Arizona, Department of German Studies and Director of Undergraduate Studies The recent death of a demonstrator in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the ongoing tension between political parties, highlights the danger of ideological extremism in the U.S. What is Neo-National-Socialism? How do we address ideological extremes […]

Wednesday, May 16 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Kirk-Bear Canyon Library 8959 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85749 The Gila: River of History with Gregory McNamee Six hundred miles long from its source in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River above Yuma, the Gila has been an important […]

Anyone who has ever stared down an angry bull coming full throttle across an arena will understand why rodeo photographer Louise Serpa often uttered the adage, “Never Don’t Pay Attention.” Born into New York society, Louise ended up out west with her nose buried in the dirt & her eye glued to a camera, becoming […]

Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid and John Wayne: what do these famous characters have in common? They are not who we think they are because of the legends that have grown up around them. From the 1860’s dime novels to the books, movies, and television shows, writers have altered, exaggerated and sometimes lied about these […]

Is Incarceration the Best Approach to Address Criminal Behavior?  Julian Kunnie, University of Arizona, Religious Studies/Classics/Africana Studies/Indigenous/Globalization Studies In 2017, 47,604 people were either incarcerated or under some form of criminal justice supervision in the state of Arizona, with 119 adults/54 minors on death row,  and 2,485 veterans serving prison time. The U.S. represents 5% […]

Tyrone Power, Andy Devine,  Katy Jurado, Steve McQueen and, of course, John Wayne. From the earliest days of film, Arizona has been a setting and subject for hundreds of films. Some, like Junior Bonner and Red River, are considered classics, others, such as Billy Jack and Evolution, surely less so. Some may even be classics […]

Arizona played a key role in preparing to send humans to the moon in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The Apollo astronauts themselves traveled to the Grand Canyon and volcanic fields around the state to learn geology and practice their lunar excursions. Meanwhile, U.S. Geological Survey engineers worked with NASA staff members to develop and test […]

During WWII a select group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines with a unique weapon. Using the Navajo language, they devised a secret code that the enemy never deciphered.  For over 40 years a cloak of secrecy hung over the Code Talker’s service until the code was declassified and they were finally honored […]

The promise of unimagined riches is what brought many of the earliest colonizers to the Arizona Territory. Following the trail to the discovery of the mother lode, they built, then dismantled and finally abandoned communities when mines played out – leaving behind tantalizing clues of difficult hardships. Some towns survived like Bisbee, Jerome, Tombstone and […]