Updates from the President

Arizona State University is designed to make a difference. In times of great challenge and uncertainty, there is also an opportunity to refine our focus and accelerate our mission. With this in mind, ASU has launched a global campaign, Changing Futures, to inspire new partnerships and philanthropy capable of preparing tomorrow’s game changers and the ideas that will produce better outcomes for humanity as a whole. I invite you to watch the video above and to learn more about this university-wide effort to create the change we want to see. This is our moment.

It’s hard to believe that the academic year is behind us. Our university community had a very special time celebrating the Class of 2025 and a record 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom already have employment awaiting them.   I had the honor of conferring degrees during University Commencement and congratulating thousands of talented, creative and service-oriented Sun Devils. You can watch our graduate and undergraduate ceremonies online.

The success and vast potential of our graduates only reinforces the importance of ASU’s charter, mission and goals. With so much riding on our ability to solve complex problems, understand and optimize new technologies, and adapt to a rapidly changing landscape, I reissued my challenge to higher education –evolve or die. Rapid and significant change is coming from all directions, and outmoded models of teaching, learning and discovery won’t get us where we need to be. The future of success, health and prosperity of our nation depends on innovation, adaptability and agility.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education recently announced new classifications for U.S. colleges and universities. I’m proud to add that ASU is one of only 21 research 1 universities to earn the new designation, which is based on enhancing student access to education and providing pathways to competitive wages for graduates.

Shortly before graduation season, I had the opportunity to visit the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a delegation from ASU to celebrate the first year of our partnership to expand access to quality academic programs through online learning. UT Chancellor Donde Plowman demonstrated tremendous hospitality as we brought our teams together to collaborate further to develop innovative teaching and learning tools. UT shares our commitment to finding new and better ways to create pathways to positive impact in lives of learners, and our alliance shows how different institutions can come together to create much needed solutions. 

During this month’s CNBC CEO Council Summit, a gathering of hundreds top executives from across the country, I had the opportunity to share details of ASU’s transformation into a model New American University. In conversation with Morgan Brennan, co-anchor of “Closing Bell: Overtime,” I highlighted our evolution as an egalitarian, student-centric and tech-enabled university, addressed the importance of human capital and our commitment to workforce development, and the new era of engineering education at ASU.

As we continue to innovate independently and with partners, it is imperative to remember that university research matters. It is the ‘invisible hand’ that drives national progress on all fronts. University research advances ideas, people, technologies and discoveries, improving our daily lives in meaningful ways and fueling America’s global competitiveness and national security. As a top public research university, ASU is at the forefront of this work to create a stronger, healthier and safer future for us all. I invite you to learn more at the website below and to share it with others who care about the state of research.