Local opinion: For Arizona and the world, research can drive opportunity

and analysis of the writer:

In rural Arizona, long drives for basic necessities are a fact of life. USDA data show that 36% of rural census tracts in the state lack a grocery store within 10 miles. In 15% of these areas, the nearest option is 20 miles or more away. For families without reliable transportation, these distances mean fewer fresh foods, higher costs, and less time for work or school.

These gaps reflect a broader pattern: the erosion of everyday choices that shape people’s lives. Rural communities in Arizona are facing shrinking populations, aging infrastructure, and limited job prospects. Many young people are leaving in search of opportunity, while those staying are contending with inadequate healthcare, education, and transportation.

This is not just an Arizona story. Across the Southwest, and indeed around the world, communities are grappling with the challenges of poverty, economic insecurity, and unequal development.

In my recent Arizona Daily Star guest opinion, I argued that poverty is not simply a lack of income. Poverty limits people’s ability to make choices about their lives. When people struggle to meet immediate needs and confront income uncertainty, long-term planning becomes difficult. When institutions fail to act, civic engagement declines, leaving those most affected with the least influence.

Unequal development deepens this cycle. Economic growth often bypasses vulnerable communities. From downtown Phoenix’s gleaming towers to the Tohono O’odham Nation 90 minutes south, the contrast is stark. Globally, the same pattern builds city skylines alongside informal settlements without basic services.

Addressing these interconnected problems requires more than standard economic programs. It demands a deep understanding of why certain interventions succeed, how they can be adapted to different contexts, and who must be involved in shaping them.

Three elements are essential:

Research that actually helps people. We need collaborative teams that bring together social and behavioral scientists to understand how policies affect real people: their opportunities, decisions, and well-being.

Education beyond the classroom. Universities should strengthen training students not only in technical skills but also understanding how to work effectively with different communities. Education must also extend beyond campuses. Communities need accessible information about their options, and organizations need training to run programs that are grounded in evidence. Building agency at the individual, group, and institutional levels is key.

Bringing evidence to Main Street. Too often, research insights never reaches policymakers, and practitioners implement programs without learning from data. We need forums where researchers, community leaders, and policymakers can share knowledge and experiences. Policy discussions must avoid the silos that keep experts and affected communities apart.

Arizona is well-positioned to lead in this work. Our universities conduct world-class research across relevant disciplines. Our diverse population offers multiple perspectives on complex issues. And our land-grant tradition holds us to a mission of using knowledge for public good.

An integrated approach could bring these strengths together. Imagine researchers from economics, law, and behavioral sciences working directly with international institutions, local governments, foundations, and communities. Workshops could connect global development experts with Arizona practitioners, informing both scholarship and practice. University programs could strengthen curricula while building capacity within communities. Research could focus on the critical intersection of poverty, agency, and development.

This is not easy work. It requires rigorous testing of solutions, humility to adjust when approaches fail, and the courage to act on evidence, even when it challenges conventional thinking. But the potential payoff is significant: better policies, stronger communities, and progress that lasts.

When evidence meets agency, communities move beyond coping with hardship to building resilience and defining their own future. Arizona has the knowledge and diversity to be a model for this approach.

The Initiative for Agency and Development (IfAD) at the University of Arizona, launched in 2020, is responding to exactly these challenges. By linking research, education, and policy discourse, it is connecting Arizona’s local experience to global lessons — and global solutions back to local needs.

Next time you drive past a struggling small town or see a ‘For Lease’ sign in a rural storefront, ask: What would it take to bring real opportunity here? The answer might surprise you — and it starts with listening to what actually works.