Ariane Middel, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton schools, and director of The Shade Lab at ASU, was one of the go-to experts for a recent radio show interview on the critical need for refuge from the often extremely hot, sunny outdoor environments of Arizona’s desert regions — especially in the most densely developed urban areas such as Phoenix. Her research team’s work includes creating heat maps that can be used to pinpoint places most in need of more shade in the metro area. Middel points out the threatening impacts of extreme heat on both human physical and psychological health. She also identifies her favorite shade tree on ASU’s Tempe campus.