The University of Arizona will have a front-row seat to the advancement of sound research through the creation of a new science and technology center.
The National Science Foundation awarded the university a $30 million grant to establish the New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center, which comes with an additional $30 million funding option over five years.
The center will bring together researchers working in topological acoustics to study properties of sound to improve computing, telecommunications and sensing.
For example, applications may include reaching quantum-like computing speeds, reducing the power usage of smartphones, and sensing changes in aging infrastructure or the natural environment due to climate change, according to a university announcement.
"We all know technologies such as the loudspeaker or the microphone, but we also use sound for sensing environments, such as with sonar and ultrasound medical imaging, and for data transmission and processing every day in your smartphone," Pierre Deymier, project principal investigator and director of the New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center, said in a statement. "However, the quiet revolution advancing sound science and technology is afoot. And that is where the new center comes in."
Researchers are already working on topological acoustics projects in their current labs. Administrative and research facilities are expected to shift into the University of Arizona's Grand Challenges Research Building in March 2024, Katy Smith, a university spokesperson, told the Business Journal.
School officials announced the proposed sound and technology center at a Sept. 7 news conference attended by Gov. Katie Hobbs.
“I’m so excited to celebrate this monumental announcement that once again demonstrates Arizona’s strong position leading the nation in technological innovation,” Hobbs said during the announcement. “An award like this is a testament to our state’s dominance in advanced technology, research and development. We see society’s biggest problems as a chance to innovate, problem solve and forge new horizons.”
Sara Chavarria, assistant dean of research development in the University of Arizona College of Education and assistant director of the STEM Learning Center, will lead educational programs for the proposed sound and technology center.
Researchers will write a textbook and digital resources for topological acoustics and launch a mentorship program for underrepresented STEM students, according to the university.
Center partners include CalTech; City University of New York; Georgia Tech; Spelman College; University of Alaska Fairbanks; University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Colorado Boulder; and Wayne State University.
