Community Engaged Colleagues gather at the Tree-Ring Research lab

Community Engaged Colleagues at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research facility.
In December, Community Engaged Colleagues gathered at the Bryant Bannister Tree Ring Building, which houses the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, to collaborate and share updates about how the university is engaging with the local community.
LTRR Community Planner and Outreach Specialist Pamela Pelletier gave a presentation on the history of the lab. Based in the University of Arizona College of Science, the scientific study of tree rings in America was formalized at the U of A in 1937 with the founding of the LTRR by A.E. Douglass. Today, the LTRR is a hub of interdisciplinary research and teaching.
Worldwide, the LTRR is known as a preeminent center of dendrochronology – the scientific method that uses information stored in the annual rings of trees to understand and quantify interactions among our Earth’s climate, ecosystems and societies. Attendees took a short tour and examined specimens of a bristlecone pine known as Prometheus that is estimated to be more than 4,000 years old.
Updates from campus colleagues:
University Libraries announced a $43,240 Library Services and Technology Act grant to support a project that will create a do-it-yourself digitization and preservation lab for campus and community members. The lab is scheduled to open this spring.
The docent program is being finalized at The Coit Museum of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, which is home to one of the world’s leading pharmacy collections.
SARSEF: Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Foundation is celebrating 70 years with the SARSEF Regional Science and Engineering Fair March 3-8. SARSEF focuses on engaging underrepresented student populations in STEM fields by creating opportunities for students in Title 1 schools (those with higher percentages of low-income families).
Community Engaged Colleagues is a gathering of U of A employees across campus who collaborate and share updates about how the university is engaging with the local community. The group meets monthly. For information on how to send representatives and join this group, contact Nicole Roldan at nroldan@arizona.edu.