News

We're Hiring!

Dec. 2, 2020

Recently, the  museum has worked with the University of Arizona Human Resource Department to expand the staff. We are currently looking to hire an Assistant Curator Collection Management Professional and an Exhibit Specialist. The positions are posted at https://talent.arizona.edu/. We encourage people to apply! 

Read more
Museum Hiring Image

Lundin Family Endowed Chair in Economic Geology Assistant Professor

Nov. 9, 2020

The Department of Geosciences at The University of Arizona is seeking to hire an assistant professor within the Geoscience Department. The full title of the position is the Lundin Chair in Economic Geology/Mineral Resource Systems Assistant Professor.  

Read more

COVID-19

Aug. 19, 2020

Due to increased concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to give an update. 

Read more

Tucson gaining national reputation as mining tech hub

Feb. 8, 2020

While Southern Arizona has always been known for rich, mining resources, now the Old Pueblo is gaining a national reputation for being a mining tech hub. From autonomous equipment to dust suppression and ore crushing, the growing number of companies that support mines moving into the Tucson market has been attention-getting.

Read more
Modular Mining in Arizona

UA's planned new gem and mineral museum downtown

Nov. 1, 2019

With its expanded space and upgraded collection, the University of Arizona Gem and Mineral Museum aims to tell this story, bringing the Tucson community together to learn about the influence that minerals have on the planet, the environment and life itself.

The museum, which will now be called the UA Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, is set to open by fall 2020 and will be located in the historic Pima County Courthouse in the heart of downtown. The courthouse, which is undergoing renovations, will also be the new home to Visit Tucson and Pima County’s regional visitor center.

Read more
Mineral Evolution Gallery in Museum (Rendering)

Senior Curatorial Specialist Shirley Wetmore retires

Feb. 3, 2012

The UA Mineral Museum’s special exhibit, “100 Years of Arizona’s Best: The Minerals That Made The State” will commemorate Arizona’s State Centennial with a dazzling display of Arizona minerals on loan from top collectors. Arizona is famous for both its copper wealth and its mineral specimens. This exhibit celebrates the state’s rich mining history with captivating archival photos and a rare chance to see the best of Arizona’s incredible minerals gathered together in one special exhibit.

Read more

Senior Curatorial Specialist Shirley Wetmore retires

Since her arrival at the University of Arizona in 1975, she has worked tirelessly to maintain and improve the collections, promote the Mineral Museum and educate thousands of visiting schoolchildren in minerals and geology.

Shirley first became a volunteer at the University of Arizona Mineral Museum in 1975, shortly after her arrival in Tucson. It was during this time that she helped organize and catalog the Museum’s collection that dates back to 1891...

Read more

Minerals of China

Don’t miss our new exhibit, “Crystalline Treasures: the Mineral Heritage of China.  You’ll see astonishing mineral specimens from China that have never been seen before in a public exhibition.  And you’ll learn about the ancient history and culture of China, a civilization that goes back five thousand years, a civilization that changed the world with the invention of gunpowder, paper, and silk.

Read more

UA Mineral Museum Receives Its Largest Donation of Minerals Ever

The UA department of geosciences’ Mineral Museum recently received the largest single donation in the museum’s history – more than 8,000 mineral samples, including about 1,000 species the museum did not have. The donated samples will be used for research and may help identify rocks on Mars.

Read more

Meet the Trilobites

Long before the dinosaurs ruled the earth, the trilobites ruled the seas. Ancient relatives of lobsters and horseshoe crabs, trilobites flourished in the warm seas that covered much of Arizona millions of years ago. “Meet the Trilobites – Arizona’s First Inhabitants,” the new exhibit at the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, features world-class trilobite fossils from around the globe. Come travel back in time and discover the wondrous world of trilobites!

Read more