Updates from the President

Last month, we proudly announced the 100th spinout company generated from the ideas of ASU faculty and staff. Gemneo Bioscience, created by ASU researcher Joseph Blattman and Professor Hao Yan, developed a new gene-sequencing technology designed to improve health care by personalizing patient cancer treatment to produce better outcomes. The company was founded by its CEO, Anil Shrikande, while he served as an executive-in-residence with the ASU Startup Mill, a program that connects leading edge startups with experienced executives and venture capitalists.

This milestone is meaningful because it reflects our institutional commitment to societal impact and to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that empowers our creative students, faculty and staff to bring their ideas to life. Making this announcement during National Entrepreneurship Week and Phoenix Startup Week was especially exciting given our ongoing efforts to proactively nurture local and national entrepreneurial success.

An integral component of our work in this space is Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE). Founded in 2003, AzTE has distinguished itself as one of the most effective intellectual property and technology transfer teams in the nation by facilitating nearly 3,000 invention disclosure submissions, close to 800 licenses and options and more than $600 million in investment capital. We intend to build on this momentum going forward.

ASU Day at the Capitol is an important annual event designed to highlight the prolific, varied and meaningful work happening at ASU and how it enriches people's quality of life. On February 21, I joined ASU faculty members, staff, students and alumni on the Arizona State Senate lawn to thank the legislators who support higher education, and to help share our university-wide efforts and progress.

Of course, educating learners of all ages is at the heart of everything we do at ASU, and our academic units were well-represented and well-prepared to bring guests up to speed on the leading edge, transdisciplinary programs they offer. ASU research, student outreach, veterans support and alumni were also among the many groups present to answer questions, provide new information and celebrate some Sun Devil spirit. Our students were also out in force to engage with legislators and offer firsthand information about their experiences at ASU.

ASU Day at the Capitol not only provides a venue for strengthening existing connections and creating new ones, but it gives our legislators and their staff members new facts and tangible interactions that demonstrate how state investment empowers new thinkers and ideas, creates new and useful knowledge and generates opportunities for collaboration that helps to fuel Arizona's success.

For the past four years, the Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives have partnered with other sustainability leaders, like GreenBiz Media and Second Nature, to convene the Sustainability Solutions Festival, a month-long series of special events, activities and competitions designed to expand understanding, engagement and collaboration in addressing sustainability challenges. This year's festival also welcomed world-renowned experts, business, NGO and community leaders who attended Greenbiz 17 and the Second Nature 2017 Presidential Climate Leadership Summit, major conferences dedicated to the application of solutions to society's most complex climate and sustainability problems.

Among this year's highlights, ASU was presented the 2016 Climate Leadership Award for its commitment to sustainability, climate change mitigation, and resilience. In addition, I was honored with the President's Leadership Award as a founding signatory of the American College & University President's Climate Commitment. The City of Phoenix also expressed its support of our efforts by proclaiming February "Sustainable Solutions Month." We look forward to continuing our established track record of innovation and excellence in the years ahead. Take a look below.

Driving a complex knowledge enterprise like ASU forward requires the time, energy and enthusiasm of many people who possess a shared commitment to our objectives of advancing in excellence, access and impact. That critical assistance comes in many forms, two of which include my President's Advisory Councils. These groups serve as a sounding board for new university ideas, share their extensive expertise on a wide variety of issues, and suggest new possibilities for moving ASU forward.

Each semester, I have an opportunity to sit down with the faculty members and non-profit leaders, who respectively comprise my Academic Council and Community Council, to bring them up-to-speed on ASU's work and progress, receive constructive feedback, and explore ideas for new engagement. In our most recent conversations, I had the opportunity to obtain feedback on ASU's updated goals for 2025, review aspects of ASU's institutional progress report to the Arizona Board of Regents, and discuss the unique design behind the Beus Center for Law and Society. Council participants generously offer their time and knowledge in support of ASU to help fulfill its charter and objectives, and I appreciate the guidance and advocacy as we perpetually search for ways to support the success of our students and the communities we serve.