As the land-grant university for Arizona, the University of Arizona has a role and presence in every county of the state.

Through cooperative extension and basic and translational research, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences contributes directly to the economic, social and cultural well-being of all Arizonans. The research and practice contributions of the University contribute nationally and worldwide.

For the future, the UA should maintain these core contributions and help to shape the way in which we all live in Arizona through an expanded vision of the land-grant contribution to our way of life.

Many think of cooperative extension centers in agriculture and domestic terms, often operating under stereotypes developed from the first half of the last century – corn and food-preservation techniques. For a long time and certainly going forward, this mission is far more complex. 

The mission encompasses cutting-edge genomics research in partnership with biomedical and engineering research; informatics advances that apply far beyond such things as our core $50 million iPlant grant to the nature of life in all its forms; and key developments in technology, agriculture, life sciences, family life and many other areas that will determine the nature and success of our economy and way of life. 

The UA is at the center of shaping this exciting future, and our land-grant mission provides the perfect framework from which we work on behalf of all the citizens of Arizona. At its heart, the land-grant mission is all about that future.