Congressional military legislative aides visit UA campus

Last Wednesday, Federal Relations hosted congressional military legislative aides (MLAs) for a visit to campus during their annual Arizona Defense Tour. Each year, the MLAs make a trip to Arizona to visit military installations, defense industry partners and other entities associated with national defense, including the University of Arizona. President Robbins welcomed the staff for a brief lunch meeting where they heard presentations from Daniel Apai of the College of Science and Jason Denno of the College of Applied Science and Technology on important space-related defense research happening at the University. 

Buell Jannuzi, Head of the Department of Astronomy, provided a briefing on the work of the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory. Founded in the 1980s, the Mirror Lab was primarily funded through support from the National Science Foundation and the United States Air Force. These types of investments demonstrate the important role for public universities to play in keeping our nation safe by providing an educated civilian and military workforce and through important research with industry partners and the Department of Defense. The staff then had the opportunity to tour the Mirror Lab to see the impressive mirrors, which were built for the Giant Magellan Telescope.