U of A President Suresh Garimella meets Yuma leaders, tours U of A Yuma campus and Ag facilities

Dec. 20, 2024
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Yuma Garimella in the field

President Garimella visited the Yuma Agricultural Center’s facility, farm and labs, which included field demonstrations highlighting how the university helps industry track foodborne pathogens In field crops. From left: GCR's Steve Voeller, President Garimella, Yuma Agricultural Center Director Humberto Hernandez and Joël Klauser with Ecorobotix.

Leslie Hawthorne Klinger

University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella and members of the GCR team travelled to Yuma in mid-December to get a firsthand overview of the university's engagement with the region's critical agricultural sector. 

Yuma, which grows 90% of the nation's leafy greens during the winter months, is central to the U of A's agricultural research and workforce development efforts. During his visit, President Garimella toured and met with numerous faculty members and leaders from the U of A’s Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, the Yuma Agricultural Center (one of the locations within the Arizona Experiment Station), Yuma County Cooperative Extension and the Yuma Near You Network campus, discussing the university's partnerships and research aimed at addressing the challenges of workforce development, desert agriculture and water scarcity. 

The visit highlighted the U of A's collaborative work with local growers, the military (specifically the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground and the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma) and other stakeholders, focusing on how research and innovation can ensure the future of food production in an increasingly arid climate. 

President Garimella also met with local farmers and officials, expressing his gratitude for their support and ongoing collaboration toward advancing Yuma's agricultural and economic vitality.