Graduation season opens up opportunities to spotlight some of the accomplishments of Department of Information Systems faculty and students. Our feature photo, right, is a group of students, with faculty advisor Daniel Mazzola, at the Spring Avnet Tech Games.

A project being dubbed as Rio Salado 2.0 will tap university expertise, get Valley community input, and students will be involved in the design and research of the area from Granite Reef Dam in the East Valley to the Tres Rios Wetlands in the West Valley.

Some of the benefits of scientific research conducted in universities are obvious. Great laboratory discoveries expand our understanding of the world, cure diseases, and make life better in myriad ways.