The number of heat-related deaths in Arizona soared to a new high last year as people endured the hottest summer on record and the complications of the pandemic. The deaths of at least 494 people were linked to heat during 2020, state health officials said this week, a preliminary number that may continue to grow as more deaths under investigation are resolved. More than 300 heat-associated deaths have been confirmed in Maricopa County, a number that could also climb. The statewide toll far surpassed the previous record of 283 heat-related deaths reported in 2019. Over the past five years, state figures show, heat has been linked to more than 1,500 deaths in Arizona.
Eight Geographers Honored for Service, Teaching, Scholarship Published December 15, 2020 Done WASHINGTON,D.Câ¦.The American Association of Geographers (AAG) announced the recipients of its 2021 AAG Honors, the highest honors bestowed on its members. Among them is Dr. Carol Harden, University of Tennessee Knoxville, who has received the AAG Lifetime Achievement Honors. Dr. Harden, a leading figure in contemporary physical geography and environmental science, is recognized for her career of over a half-century in research, teaching, and service to the profession and the discipline. She is one of the top U.S. physical geographers working in Latin America, and among the leading field-oriented physical geographers. Her Latin American research has focused on soil erosion and land-use impacts, particularly in the Andean region. Exerting tremendous influence across the entire discipline, Harden has played key roles at the NationalAcademies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and National GeographicSociety, as well as editing the journal of Physical Geography. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Environmental ProtectionAgency, U.S. Forest Service, and Tennessee Department of Environment andConservation, among many other agencies.