Local opinion: A force for good, a moment of momentum

and analysis of the writer:

The installation of a university president is more than a ceremonial milestone. It’s a moment to reflect on who we are, where we’ve been and the kind of future we want to build together.

Since taking on the role of president of the University of Arizona last fall, I’ve been inspired every day by the people who make this institution extraordinary. Our students, staff, faculty, alumni and partners embody a sense of purpose and possibility that gives me great optimism for the road ahead.

I’m deeply grateful to Arizona Board of Regents Chair Cecilia Mata and the entire board for their trust, and to Gov. Katie Hobbs, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and the broad coalition of elected leaders, business partners and community champions in attendance for being part of the installation and signifying their support and partnership. Their engagement in our mission across the state and beyond is critical to our success.

As is the case for many in our community, my life has been shaped by educators who believed in me. One of the most powerful lessons I carry came from my middle school principal, Shriram Bhatta, who handed me a small slip of paper in fifth grade with three words: Do it now. That simple message has stayed with me ever since. It reminds me that leadership isn’t just about ideas; it’s about deliberate action, urgency and showing up every single day with purpose.

We are in a time of uncertainty for higher education, but even with challenges on the horizon, we are making real progress. When we begin the next fiscal year in July, the university will do so with a balanced budget. Tuition and fees will not increase for Arizona undergraduates this fall, and our outstanding faculty and staff will receive well-earned raises. These are not just financial outcomes; they reflect our belief that our people move this university forward.

As Arizona’s flagship, land-grant university, we are rooted in a remarkable legacy. From mapping the moon to exploring distant asteroids, and from leading environmental science to advancing medical breakthroughs, the U of A has shaped discovery on a galactic scale.

Today, we are advancing Arizona’s leadership in space sciences, space technology and national security. We are leading the way in commercializing the promise of fusion energy, which will help safeguard the state’s water future and resilience. We are applying AI and machine learning to improve biomedical discovery and health outcomes. And we are modernizing mining for critical minerals, an essential global industry with a long history in Arizona and vital to clean energy, defense and our everyday lives. These research strengths are how we help solve real-world challenges and contribute to the prosperity of our state and nation.

To not only sustain that legacy, but build on it, we will draw from our rootedness in our home state.

Like the saguaro cactus, a keystone species for the Sonoran Desert, the U of A is deeply rooted, resilient and vital to the ecosystem of this state. To reach our potential and drive toward a bright future as Arizona’s keystone institution, we will unite around our three strategic imperatives:

First, and above all else, access and success for every student, our North Star. This means providing for all students an excellent, research-infused education across the entire lifecycle of their experience. It means, as Thomas Jefferson put it, creating “an aristocracy of achievement arising out of a democracy of opportunity.”

Second, research, scholarship, and creative endeavor that shapes the future by solving urgent global grand challenges of the kind I described earlier.

And third, engagement with our communities. Our land-grant mission calls on us not to just serve Arizona but to work in partnership with fellow Arizonans to build a stronger future together.

Especially at a time of challenge, let us together make this a moment of momentum. We are not just the University of Arizona. Let us be the university FOR Arizona.

And let us do it now.