Wonder Unites Us

Celebrating a spirit of curiosity that drives us to do more.

Fall 2022
Image
Student standing in front of a building

Charlie Goldberg

/ Chris Richards photo

At the University of Arizona, wonder fuels everything we do. It can spark an idea, feed your imagination and shift your mindset. 

“I always loved the ocean,” says Samantha King, a first-year Ph.D. student in ecology and evolutionary biology who grew up in Florida. Working on her master’s degree, she got involved in coral research. “I am excited to try and do my part to find a little piece of the puzzle to help restore and protect this ecosystem. That’s what brought me here, to the Biosphere 2, where you have an opportunity simulate a reef system and test questions you can’t necessarily do in the field.”

Dani Schwartz, a junior in the W.A. Franke Honors College, works with King at Biosphere 2. She started out as an English major. “I ended up taking an introductory oceanography class and something just really clicked,” she says. “And I realized that’s the field I wanted to go into.” She heard a talk from a former director of ocean research at the Biosphere 2, and when an internship opportunity opened up, she jumped on it. “I like to say that I just annoyed them so much that they gave me the position,” she says. 

Charlie Goldberg also is an undergraduate research assistant, majoring in astronomy, physics and planetary sciences. It’s a natural path for someone who’s loved looking at stars since he got his first telescope at age 8. Even now, he says, “I pull out the backseat of my car along with my telescope and sleeping bag and I watch the stars from Mount Lemmon. It’s really quiet, really peaceful. And I love seeing the sunrise, especially when you’re really busy during the semester and classes are getting crazy.”

Find more at wonder.arizona.edu and to learn about how wonder drives students contributing to globally impactful research projects and design-build projects.
 

Wonder Makes Us Arizona

A culture of discovery makes meaningful collaboration possible.

Read more

Image
Three women standing in front of water at Biosphere 2

Hailey Bowers, Samantha King, Dani Schwartz

/ 160/90 photo

Subscribe to the Alumni Insider

The Arizona Alumni Insider is a monthly newsletter for University of Arizona alumni. In it you will find information on alumni events around the country, news about university rankings and accomplishments, profiles of Wildcat alumni, donors and students who are making a difference, special opportunities just for Wildcats like you, and so much more.

Subscribe now