Case Study: University of Arizona achieves campuswide hands-on geoscience education and global research collaboration with MathWorks

University of Arizona Faculty and Students Explore Geosciences in the Classroom, the Lab, and the Field

The University of Arizona’s Geosciences faculty and students needed a shared, platform-independent computational environment to teach inverse theory and analyze large seismic datasets from IRIS while overcoming limited lab resources and a mix of disparate tools. To address this, the department adopted MathWorks tools—most notably MATLAB (via a Campus‑Wide License)—so students and researchers could use a common language for classroom exercises, lab work, and field data processing.

MathWorks delivered a Campus‑Wide License providing MATLAB, Simulink, and 48 add‑on products and the department integrated these tools into courses and research workflows (e.g., inverse methods, plate tectonics, and seismic imaging down to ~600 km). The result was campuswide access and improved communication, removal of resource bottlenecks, enhanced ability to process and visualize IRIS seismic data, stronger career outcomes for students (multiple job offers), and easier international collaboration using MathWorks’ platform.

University of Arizona

Randy Richardson

Professor