Summer Issue 2023
From the Publisher
We are proud to present our third annual Women Leading the Region issue honoring the extraordinary women who advance Southern Arizona. This year’s honorees are thriving in academia, beauty, bioscience, education, healthcare, global management, real estate, law, finance, commercial construction, interior design, public service, housing and technology. Tara Kirkpatrick, Rodney Campbell, Christy Krueger, Tiffany Kjos and Loni Nannini share their stories.
Romi Carrell Wittman files an in-depth report on the University of Arizona Center for Innovation, which marks 20 years. Since its 2003 inception, UACI has supported some 255 startups, with a focus on the fields of biotechnology, environmental science, aerospace, renewable energy and more. UACI helps entrepreneurs launch a business by providing access to people, programming and more. There are fascinating profiles of more than a dozen startups supported by UACI. Additionally, the team offers startups a signature 27-point “Roadmap” to success. UACI’s presence includes Tech Parks Arizona, outposts in Oro Valley, Biosphere 2, Sahuarita, Sierra Vista and Tech Parks at The Bridges. You’ll be impressed by the innovation ecosystem that’s evolved over the past two decades.
Our region continues to experience construction in every category. Jay Gonzales provides a comprehensive overview of the housing industry and current trends. Tom Leyde also files a report from “The Power of Real Estate” summit, which took place recently at Tucson Convention Center.
Dave Perry provides coverage of two recently completed buildings that are, architecturally, on a grand scale at UArizona and Pima Community College and will boost workforce development to a whole new level.
UArizona’s $89 million Applied Research Building is a giant leap for space science. The facility allows the university to reach for the stars and create near-Earth solutions. It is “science, non-fiction” fueled by imagination. The building houses a High-Bay Payload Laboratory beneath a 40-foot-high reinforced concrete ceiling securing two five-ton cranes, fittingly named Wilbur and Wilma. Here, scientists and engineers can assemble and store high-altitude stratospheric balloons, conduct satellite missions and evaluate performance. Also featured is a Thermal Vacuum Chamber, a 40-ton, 13-foot by 24-foot enclosure so large it had to be placed ahead of construction.
A few miles away is the newly opened, $35 million PCC Advanced Manufacturing Building. The three-story, 100,000-square-foot building sits near the school’s new Automotive Technology and Innovation Center. At the Advanced Manufacturing Building, students will learn automated industrial technology, computer-aided design, machining and welding. They’ll study prototyping robotics and automation, and mechatronics (the melding of computer science, electronics and mechanization). Plus, the exploration of optics, photonics and electronics.
Nearly 15 years ago, we launched BizTucson with the theme “Why the World is Watching Tucson.” In our premiere edition, we honored global visionary Mel Zuckerman, who changed the world with the creation of Canyon Ranch. Zuckerman recently passed away at age 94. David Pittman files a moving tribute, honoring the man who created the modern spa movement. Mel and his wife, Enid, have also supported the transformation of health education, with the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at UArizona. We also report on the groundbreaking of the Pima JTED Mel and Enid Zuckerman Building for health care careers at The Bridges.
We are grateful for our loyal readers, the tremendous support of our advertisers and our exceptional editorial team and their high standard of journalism.
Steven E. Rosenberg
Publisher & Owner
BizTucson
