Updates from the President

ASU’s official charter states that “we measure ourselves not by whom

we exclude; but by whom we include and how they succeed…”. On

February 18, I had the opportunity to join a panel of ASU leaders in

a conversation about what inclusion means and its role as a key

component of The New American University. Our university community

dialogue, “Creating Success by Whom We Include”, was hosted by

the Faculty Women of Color Caucus.

While the Internet and our airwaves are currently filled with divisive

rhetoric, it is critical to remember that the strength, prosperity and

competitiveness of our nation’s democracy is deeply rooted in our

 ability to advance inclusion and educate people. ASU recognizes

this fact and takes seriously its responsibility to demonstrate

inclusion in all we do. To date, our commitment has enriched our

comprehensive knowledge enterprise at every level, and we will

 continue to practice and grow these efforts in the future.

 To see the full content of this special discussion, visit the link below.

For the past three years, Arizona State University has been proud to

Host the Sustainability Solutions Festival – a two-week diverse series

of activities for thought leaders, community members, students and

families interested in advancing global sustainability. During the

festival, we throw open the doors of the university to show the many

ways we are working to develop new and better sustainability

education, research and practices. We also take the time to

acknowledge the innovative minds and collaborators who work to

make this vital progress possible.

Among the Festival’s wide array of events are Night of the Open

Door (a “hands on” opportunity for our communities youngest

thinkers to experience ASU’s sustainability work), and GreenBiz16

(a large forum for sustainability business leaders from around

the world). In addition to recognizing esteemed partners like Rob and

Melani Walton and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, the Festival also

included the exciting announcement that ASU has joined the Ellen

MacArthur Foundation as a Pioneer University and Circular Economy

100 member.

At the end of the day, sustainability is a key mechanism by which

we assure intergenerational liberty, and ASU is committed to making

to advancing meaningful contributions.

The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering have reached a critical

point in their evolutionary development where they are being called

upon to produce 21st century “master learners” capable of trans-

disciplinary problem-solving and creating knowledge that will drive

the future structure and outcomes of our society. Their discoveries,

inventions and understanding will serve as the building blocks of our

economy, the advancements that will change how we work, live.

grow and thrive.

To that end, we recently announced that Dr. Kyle D. Squires will

lead the Fulton Schools as their new dean. This appointment is the

latest achievement in a career comprised of teaching, research, and

higher education leadership that has literally developed faster

solutions to everything from aircraft to sports equipment. Dean

Squires was selected following a national search that included broad

input from a cross-section of faculty, staff, and community leaders.

His appointment is based on his proven leadership at ASU and being

the best-equipped candidate to assume the helm of an increasingly

complex organization.

Dean Squires’ leadership will lend fuel to the higher education

transformation that we are leading, and I encourage you to learn

more about him and our institutional efforts to advance world-class

engineering education at ASU. 

Coming off of my recent Phoenix Startup Week remarks on the

power of education technology to enhance human knowledge as

we know it, I am pleased to share that McGraw-Hill and ASU have

come together to select and announce the 2016 winners of

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. This distinction,

founded in 1998, honors leaders who are spearheading

groundbreaking innovation in education and includes a $50,000

award.

Among the recipients of this prestigious award, which I had the honor

of helping to select, are:

Anant Agarwal

CEO of edX, who has revolutionized access to global online

education

Alberto Caravalho

Miami-Dade School District Superintendent, who has

developed new, successful models for improving outcomes

in complex urban districts

Sakena Yacoobi

CEO of the Afghan Institute of Learning, who has

transformed educational access for girls and women in

Afghanistan.

ASU is very proud to partner with McGraw-Hill to support this

important acknowledgement of contemporary thought leaders

in educational technology, administration and practice. We look

forward to presenting the awards themselves at the upcoming

ASU + GSV Summit, April 18-20 in San Diego, California.