About Us
The University of Arizona's Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC)
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC) of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona is a research, teaching, and outreach program. Through its faculty, staff, and students, the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center focuses on innovating technologies for the generation of food, bioenergy, and bioproducts to:
- Develop challenging research programs with application in science, engineering, and practice
- Educate students in a variety of settings and for varying purposes in best practices, creative approaches to problem-solution, engineering, and the methods of science
- Facilitate programs, events, and materials for the industry and general public to learn more about the importance which controlled environment agriculture (CEA) has in meeting current and future problems with creative, practical, and highly successful solutions
Our facilities are located at the Campus Agricultural Center, in Tucson, Arizona, on East Roger Road at North Campbell Avenue, 3 miles north of The University of Arizona campus. The CEAC includes advanced technology greenhouses and growth chambers, as well as office, laboratory and teaching facilities.
What is Controlled Environment Agriculture?
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is defined as an integrated science and engineering-based approach to provide specific environments for plant productivity. CEA integrates science and engineering to maximize plant and biosystems productivity so that regulated, engineered environments have the capacity to maximize production and optimize the use of resources including water, energy, land and space, capital and labor, and human satisfaction.
Our Vision
To develop controlled environment agriculture (CEA) as an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural option.
Our Mission
- Expand the science, technology, engineering and practical application of CEA while optimizing the use of water, energy, labor, land and other resources
- Extend the knowledge of CEA to students, growers, faculty, governments international non-governmental organizations, financiers and CEA's constituent industries
- Demonstrate that our research can resolve CEA plant production challenges such as harsh condition, scarce resources, and societal concerns with educational applications of CEA technology
- Collaborate with University of Arizona departments/programs and other national science, engineering and governmental organizations to promise and facilitate innovation and creative application of CEA technology
- Build a prosperous future where CEA assists the agriculture community to produce food that is clean, safe, abundant, and affordable
Extension and Outreach
Along with teaching students enrolled in the University, the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center also extends its outreach to the public.
Click here to learn more about our extension and outreach at CEAC.