Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords of Tucson is the newly elected chair of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, of the Committee on Science and Technology.
This is of importance for the nationally prominent UA and ASU programs in planetary and space sciences and astronomy.
[right, Rep. Giffords with UA Pres. Robert Shelton and others recognizing the UA-led Phoenix Mars Lander mission, set to land on May 25, 2008]