We’re committed to aligning our actions with our words.
We must maximize access to novel ideas for the broadest and most diverse group of individuals. This benefits society at large by providing intellectual tools to tackle the wicked problems of our generation.
Osvaldo Sala Director
Our stories
Open Door 2024
In the spring of 2024, the Global Drylands Center invited community members of all ages to learn about the desert life surrounding us at ASU Open Door. 2 of the 42 plants we featured at the event were planted on campus, intended to keep curiosity growing in the hearts and minds of all participants.
Hoffmannseggia glauca (Waxy rushpea): The Pima, Apache, Cocopa and Pueblo ate the tubers or bulbs of this plant raw, boiled or roasted.
Chamaesyce albomarginata (Rattleweed spurge): This plant was formerly used as a folk remedy for snakebites, hence the common name. However, this species is not proven to be medically effective in treating rattlesnake venom.
SciAM: What Dune should teach us about the beauty of ‘wastelands’
Many people feel the allure of deserts, with perceptions often influenced by spaghetti westerns of the 1960s. These movies are filled to the brim with anti-heroes dispensing justice as they see fit, splashed across barren landscapes.
This phenomenon of ‘identity theft’ applied to a landscape that comprises forty percent of the terrestrial area on Earth, has continued into the modern era. Audiences now sit anxiously in their theater chairs, waiting to see the fate of Dune’s desert planet, Arrakis.
We hope that as moviegoers continue to see their favorite films, they also see the desert for what it is – an intrepid landscape filled to the brim with life, and filled with more stories to tell than Hollywood could fit into any piece of cinema.
BioScience Talks – “In their own words: Osvaldo Sala”
Each episode of BioScience Talks, hosted by James Verdier, opens up a dialogue with celebrated scientists, wherein we can learn more about the scientists and their life stories.
Osvaldo Sala was invited to speak with James; listen to the entire episode.
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Asombro Institute
Next to the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a research site that is the heart of the Global Drylands Center. Within this beating heart is a collaboration between the center and the Asombro Institute. Our graduate and doctoral students all connect with researchers from Asombro and contribute to a myriad of workshops and events hosted by the institute.
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
The Global Drylands Center is proud to link arms with the McDowell Mountain Conservancy, furthering its mission to serve as stewards for the Sonoran Desert. Within their broad scope to support biodiversity protections, invasive plant mitigation and ecological restoration, we pledge to leverage our network and knowledge to bolster their efforts.
SACNAS | Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science
The Global Drylands Center is proud to support undergraduate Arely Castillo, a previous Sala Lab researcher, in their efforts to engage with SACNAS – a community we are happy to share the connection with. SACNAS has been a positive environment for students in STEM, a value that we support and share.