history phd asu

Public History

The Public History Program at ASU is one of the oldest in the country. Founded in 1980, it invites students to explore local and community history, digital humanities, historic preservation, oral history, cultural resources management, historical administration, museum studies, archival training and scholarly publishing. We train students to put history to work in the world—in National Parks, museums, universities, archives and the private sector.

Public History at ASU provides a competitive program of grant funding to cover the costs of travel to conferences, supports the development of internships, offers possibilities for paid research assistance through existing community-based public history projects and connects students to a network of regional and national professionals in the field. Graduates of the M.A. and Ph.D. program hold professional positions in historic preservation, government service and archival management, as well as faculty positions at Baylor University, Central Connecticut State University and West Virginia University.

Training at ASU emphasizes the intersection of theory and practice in public history. Students work with faculty conducting research in a variety of historical and applied fields, from archives and museum studies to historic preservation and digital humanities. A professional experience helps students to develop their networks and introduces students to the process and settings in which they will build careers. Short-courses, a unique feature of the ASU program, introduce students to leading thinkers and field professionals, providing insights and connections to the international professional community. ASU believes that public history training must move beyond the classroom. We treat Arizona as a living museum. With our students and community partners, we curate the region’s rich environmental landscapes from its cities to rivers to deserts.

Faculty members embrace a breadth of research fields, geographically, temporally and thematically. Public history students frequently tailor their program of study with courses from various disciplines such as Anthropology, Public Programs, Public Administration, Museum Studies, Urban Planning, Geography, Religious Studies, Women’s Studies, African-American Studies, American Indian Studies, Transborder Studies and Sustainability, among others. 

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History, phd, on this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD History

The PhD program in history offers outstanding opportunities for graduate study in North American, European, public and global-comparative history.

The School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies' world-class faculty members deliver courses and individualized mentoring in a wide range of historical topics, such as urban history, environment and sustainability studies, politics and policy, immigration, gender, race and ethnicity, and comparative history. In addition, doctoral history students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the numerous collaborative opportunities that exist throughout the university in ASU's many innovative schools and centers.

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (16 credit hours) HST 502 Public History Methodology (3) HST 640 Historical Methods (3) HST 641 North American History (3) HST 643 Global History (3) HST 644 Area Studies in History (3) HST 682 Advanced Research Skill (1)

Electives and Research (44 credit hours)

Other Requirement (12 credit hours) HST 591 Seminar (6) HST 792 Research (6)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) HST 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information In general, all credit hours must be at the 500 level or above. Graduate credit may be awarded for 400-level courses; it must be approved in advance and documented in the student's file.

The doctoral program requires a minimum of 84 credit hours and may be completed in four to five years. Students with a master's degree may apply 30 credit hours toward the 84 required credit hours with approval of the academic unit and the Graduate College. If the student does not already have a master's degree in a related field, then the remaining 30 credit hours are made up of electives and research to reach the 84 credit hours required for the doctoral program.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree, in any field, from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. The most competitive applicants have a GPA of 3.30 or higher.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• writing sample
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. The history program requires a TOEFL iBT score of at least 90. A student whose native language is not English also must submit a copy of an article or research paper in the student's native or principal research language in addition to the English writing sample required of all students.

Students are required to submit a minimum of three email addresses of faculty or others qualified to speak to the student's suitability for graduate study in history. Letters of reference should be submitted by the recommenders in addition to the electronic reference form they are asked to complete.

The statement of purpose is to be addressed to the history admission committee and should explain the applicant's scholarly background and training, career goals, the primary field the applicant wishes to pursue, the proposed research specialization, and why the applicant wants to pursue graduate study at ASU; it should be about 500 words in length.

The writing sample, either published or unpublished, may be an article, a research paper, or any other extended sample of expository skill, and it must be no longer than 35 pages in length. Longer writing samples should not be submitted without first consulting the graduate director. Documents and files should not be password protected. Acceptable file types are .rtf, .pdf and .doc.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Identify and complete applications for funding opportunities that can support their research
• Demonstrate mastery of three domains of historical knowledge as well as display expertise in their proposed topic of study
• Accomplish meaningful contributions to the profession through accepted publications and presentations

Career Opportunities

Graduates possess the foundational skills in research, writing, and communication and fundamental training needed for careers in research, archival work, higher education, teaching, public history, government service, and a host of other areas in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

They serve as first-rate historians, highly qualified instructors at two-year schools and universities, researchers and consultants for business and government, archivists, foreign service officers, management professionals, community organizers and public servants. Other career examples include:

• editorial and publishing professional
• K-12 school teacher
• museum director and staff
• nonprofit director
• university professor

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-5778

History and Philosophy of Science PhD Students

Spark Igniting conversations

A Day in the Life: Marc Vance, History PhD student

Blog post by Marc Vance

Most mornings begin at 5:45 AM with two of my three dogs letting me know that it is time to get going. The third, Maisy, is a bit older and enjoys her sleep. The other two, Sam and Bailey, go on their quick morning walk to smell the same rocks and bushes they smelled the day before. After they are taken care of, I typically will go for a 30-minute run or hour gym session depending on what I have to take care of that day.

A quick breakfast of three fried eggs, just so there is enough yoke to dip my bread in, I typically spend the next hour catching up on emails from professors, students and other organizations that I am a part of. Currently, I am helping as a docent for the Holocaust by Bullets exhibit being featured at the Hayden Library from February 27 to April 17. Some of those emails consist of reaching out to organizers or volunteers, preparing for this exhibit we have waited so long for. What the rest of the day looks like can range from several different responsibilities.

Going into my third year as a History PhD student, I am preparing for my comprehensive exams. My area of research focuses on the Holocaust and Jewish experience in Vichy France, with concepts of resistance, survival, and persecution. I have the pleasure to be working with three of SHPRS fantastic faculty, Dr. Volker Benkert, Dr. Anna Cichopek-Gajraj and Dr. Victoria Thompson who have set up three courses to make sure I am as prepared as I can be for my exams. These classes consist of weekly meetings, where I meet with one of the three each week and discuss the books I have read from my comps list. The idea is to read three books from each list per week and prepare to discuss and field questions from the professors as a kind of mock oral exams. To give an example, I am writing this just before meeting with Dr. Thompson to discuss three books on Vichy France. In our meetings, she and I will discuss areas like their main arguments, how it will relate to my research, and what sources are being used. It may not sound exciting but tackling three books a week takes up a large chunk of my free time and has been a wonderful experience so far.

If I am not preparing for these meetings, I am focusing on my other responsibilities. I have the pleasure of being a teaching assistant for our online program with Dr. Karin Enloe as well as our World War II online graduate program with Dr. Yan Mann and Dr. Jacob Flaws. Following my meeting with Dr. Thompson today, I will have online office hours with our graduate students in the program to help them prepare for their research and final papers. Being a teaching assistant for the World War II program has been a humbling and great experience. The ability to work closely with those who helped put the program together, as well as teach such an interesting subject matter in history, just furthers my understanding of what the future holds.

While it may seem that I spend all of my time indoors, I have an amazing wife to thank to get me to breathe in the fresh air. Herself an alum of Arizona State, my wife make sure that we get out and spend time together exploring Arizona while it is still possible before summer rolls around. Our weekends are usually packed with different events or trips. Recently we have gone to an Arizona Coyotes hockey game, where they played my home state team the Colorado Avalanche (Go Avs), an ASU hockey game (probably seeing a theme here), the Arizona State Renaissance Fair, a concert in Mesa, and our first successful hike of The Lost Dutchman trail. It is these small few moments away from my studies and responsibilities that allow me to reset and continue to focus on this amazing journey as a PhD student. These days usually consist of early mornings, like I stated earlier 5:45 comes quick, and very late nights, sometimes I won’t shut off until midnight or 1 AM. However, I would not trade any of it for anything.

Published February 17, 2022

• A Day in the Life
• PhD student

Recent Projects

Hst 515: studies in historiography, history in the wild.

A Journal of The Plague Year

History and milestones

On Feb. 8, 1886 — almost 30 years before Arizona was granted statehood — the Territorial Normal School, Arizona’s first higher education institution, opened its doors to 33 students in a four-classroom building in Tempe.

From humble beginnings, and through a series of name changes that led to a 1958 vote of the people and a 2-to-1 margin of victory for the advancement of Arizona State College to Arizona State University, ASU’s century-plus trajectory has led to its being recognized as the “most innovative” university in the country by U.S. News & World Report — six years in a row.

University milestones timeline

The history of Arizona State University is rich, bold and vibrant. The timeline below reflects an honored tradition of excellence and inclusion while also celebrating the growth and development forged to meet – and make – the future.

Select Section

1885-1950: Becoming a university

1951-2001: 50 years of innovation, 2002-present: new american university.

• Drag the scrollbar handle (the white arrow below) to the left or right.
• Use the left or right arrows on your keyboard.
• Click the left or right arrows in the timeline.

Territorial Normal School established

ASU’s predecessor is created in 1885 by the Thirteenth Territorial Legislature to train teachers and teach agriculture and mechanical arts. Today, Arizona State University offers high-quality, nationally and internationally recognized programs on five metro Phoenix campuses, the Colleges at Lake Havasu and at learning centers across the state.

Old Main dedicated, brings electricity to Tempe

Constructed before Arizona achieved statehood, Old Main is dedicated on Feb. 4, and is the first building in the township of Tempe to be wired for electricity. Today, Old Main is headquarters for the ASU Alumni Association — home to a half-million ASU graduates who have positively impacted our global community.

Roughriders, one and all

President Theodore Roosevelt speaks at Tempe Normal School: “It is a pleasure to see such buildings, and it is an omen of good augury for the future of the state to realize that a premium is being put upon the best type of educational work. Moreover, I have a special feeling for this institution, for seven of the men of my regiment came from it."

ASU launches business career services

The Department of Commerce first appears in the 1916 course catalog. The commercial employment bureau was specifically created by the Department of Commerce, and was the first unit within ASU to offer career services outside of teaching.

First graduate degree offered

Arizona State Teachers College offers its first graduate degree, a master’s in education. Today, ASU's nationally ranked Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College is a leader in teacher education, excelling at both teacher preparation and academic research while creating knowledge, mobilizing people and taking action to improve education.

Arizona State Teachers College becomes Arizona State College

ASC earns authorization to grant bachelor’s degrees. Today, ASU offers more than 350 undergraduate degrees and 400-plus graduate degrees across 17 colleges and schools and ASU Online.

Business school launches Bureau of Business Services

The Arizona State College BBS offers students an at-the-time rare venue for real-world, hands-on experience. Today, more than 53 percent of ASU students complete at least one internship before graduating.

The people’s choice — Arizona State University

A measure placed on the ballot by citizen initiative recognizes the longstanding efforts to advance the fast-growing college. The measure — Prop 200 — is passed by the state’s voters by a 2-to-1 margin and results in the college’s new moniker: Arizona State University.

School of Engineering is created

The School of Engineering is launched and the first engineering class graduates. Today, the nationally recognized Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is home to leading world-class research centers, including two National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Centers.

PBS station KAET-8 launches from ASU

KAET-TV launches at ASU, offering educational programming directed at students attending the university. Today, with studios located at the ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, more than 80 percent of Arizonans receive the Emmy Award-winning KAET signal, among the most-viewed public television outlets per capita in the country.

Center for Meteorite Studies founded at ASU

ASU purchases the Nininger Meteorite Collection, keeping it in the U.S., and launches the Center for Meteorite Studies. Today, the collection is the largest of its kind in the world.

ASU West campus established

ASU West campus is established by Arizona Legislature as the university’s second campus. Located on the western edge of Phoenix, bordering the city of Glendale, today the West campus is home to the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degrees across six colleges, and is designated a “Phoenix Point of Pride.”

Sun Devils 22, Michigan 15

The 7th-ranked football Sun Devils beat the Michigan Wolverines in the 1987 Rose Bowl, the first of two ASU appearances in “The Granddaddy of Them All.” Today, Sun Devil Athletics boasts 26 NCAA varsity sports, third-most in the Pac-12 Conference.

America's first residential honors college

University Honors College at ASU is the first of its kind in the U.S. In 2005, Reader’s Digest ranks Barrett, The Honors College as No. 1 in the U.S. In 2014, The New York Times recognizes it as “the gold standard” among the country’s honors programs.

Unprecedented in golf

The ASU men’s and women’s golf teams win their respective NCAA championships. Led by Phil Mickelson and Missy Farr, respectively, the teams’ same-year title achievement is unprecedented in college golf still today.

ASU gains Research I status

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies ASU as a Research I institution. Says ASU President Lattie Coor: “No university in the country has come further, faster than ASU.” Today, ASU is recognized by the National Science Foundation as the fastest-growing research university in the U.S., ahead of Harvard, Yale, Duke and others.  

ASU Polytechnic campus established

Founded as ASU East, the Polytechnic campus today offers degree programs in interdisciplinary sciences, engineering, management, technology and education, and is home to ASU’s aviation programs, including a state-of-the-art flight simulator.

Institute of Human Origins comes to ASU

Recognized as an international leader in the field of paleoanthropology, the Institute of Human Origins moves to ASU, led by “Lucy” discoverer Donald Johanson. Today, the institute is one of the preeminent research organizations in the world, devoted to the science of human origins.

New American University launched

Michael M. Crow becomes the university’s 16th president and unveils his vision for a “New American University.” Since 2002, ASU has established more than a dozen new transdisciplinary schools and launched large-scale research initiatives and innovative programs in the humanities and social sciences. During Crow’s tenure, ASU has nearly quadrupled research expenditures and completed an unprecedented infrastructure expansion.

Partnership with Mayo Clinic established

ASU and Mayo Clinic partner in the advancement of medical research and education to improve health care delivery. Among the first initiatives: the ASU College of Nursing and Health Innovation-Mayo Clinic Campus program, allowing cohorts of senior nursing students to complete clinical training on the Mayo campus, instructed by Mayo Clinic nursing faculty.

Biodesign Institute a U.S. first

The ASU Biodesign Institute launches as the country’s first interdisciplinary research institute entirely devoted to the principles of bio-inspired innovation. It is Arizona’s single-largest research infrastructure investment in the biosciences. Today, Biodesign Institute scientists have disclosed more than 500 inventions, resulting in more than 200 U.S. and international patent filings, 45 patents issued and a dozen startup ventures.

ASU hosts 'Super Bowl of Politics'

Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium is the site of the final presidential debate before the 2004 election, featuring nominees John Kerry and George W. Bush. Today, ASU Gammage, an architectural landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is one of the largest university-based presenters of performing arts in the world.

ASU implements solar power

An installation atop the Tyler Street Parking Structure on the Tempe campus marks the launch of solar energy generation at ASU. Today, solar energy at the university avoids more than 23,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide output, roughly the same as the annual emissions of 4,800 passenger vehicles.

ASU-Phoenix partner on Downtown Phoenix campus

ASU and the City of Phoenix announce a transformative partnership for the development of the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, which is approved by a 2-to-1 margin by the city’s voters. Opened for classes in 2006, today the campus offers degree programs across seven colleges and schools and is home to the Beus Center for Law and Society.

ASU School of Sustainability is first in U.S.

The nation’s first comprehensive degree-granting school of sustainability is established at ASU. Today, as part of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, the school offers 11 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees, certificate and minor programs, and has graduated nearly 1,000 sustainability master learners.

SkySong Innovation Center opens

After two years of construction, a unique hub for innovation and technology opens — the ASU SkySong Scottsdale Innovation Center. Today, SkySong is a 42-acre, mixed-use development with more than 1.2 million square feet of space, a 21st-century center for innovation, commercialization, entrepreneurship and business development.

"ASU commitment is real success" — President Obama

In what may have been the largest U.S. graduation in history, sitting U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the May ASU commencement address. “The commitment at an institution like ASU, which is diverse and gives opportunity to all, that’s the hallmark of real success,” he tells a crowd of more than 70,000. ASU announces the Obama Scholars program, an expansion of the university’s key student financial aid program. Today, more than $200 million has been invested in the program and nearly 2,500 Arizonans have graduated as Obama Scholars.  

'Curiosity' rover lands on Mars with ASU-developed instruments

“Curiosity,” a car-sized, six-wheeled robot, touches down at Gale Crater on Mars. Professors, researchers and students from ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, as well as university alumni, are involved with several of the Rover’s instruments.

ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City opens

ASU creates its Colleges at Lake Havasu City to bring the university’s innovative approach to higher education to a location unserved by the state university system. Today, students at Havasu choose from more than 20 four-year undergraduate degree programs in high-demand career fields.

Thunderbird becomes part of ASU Knowledge Enterprise

The internationally recognized Thunderbird School of Global Management becomes ASU’s fifth metro Phoenix campus, combining the strength of a global business-education powerhouse with the resources of the country’s most innovative university.

School for Future of Innovation in Society launches

Founded by Michael M. Crow at Columbia University in 1999 and moved to ASU in 2004, the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes is the predecessor to ASU’s newest school, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, which launches in 2014.

Professor advances lifesaving Ebola drug

ASU Regents Professor Charles Arntzen’s research helps advance the production and delivery of a promising treatment for the Ebola virus. For his innovative work — using specially modified tobacco plants that are harvested, ground up into a green liquid, purified and turned into tiny doses of the drug ZMapp — Arntzen is the No. 1 honoree among Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business.”

NASA picks ASU for moon mission

CubeSat, a spacecraft the size of a shoebox, is chosen by NASA to orbit the moon and create a map of water-ice on its surface. CubeSat will be designed, built and operated at ASU, and the project is the third major space mission involvement for which NASA selected ASU in 2015.

ASU partners with Starbucks, edX for unique degree offerings

Groundbreaking ASU partnerships with Starbucks and edX create unique entry points to an undergraduate degree. ASU unites with edX to create the Global Freshman Academy, a collaboration offering first-year college-level courses for academic credit on the edX platform, dramatically increasing access to higher education for students around the world. With Starbucks, the partnership creates the College Achievement Plan, offering 100-percent tuition coverage for every eligible U.S. Starbucks employee, providing access to and opportunity at a world-class, discovery-oriented university.

ASU faculty, students dominate Fulbright awards

ASU faculty earn the top spot among all U.S. universities, as 10 are awarded coveted Fulbright fellowships. ASU students rank No. 5 in the country for Fulbright scholarships, ahead of Columbia, Princeton, USC, Johns-Hopkins and others.

ASU researchers unveil low-cost test for Zika virus

Hoping to foil Zika’s rapid advance, ASU researchers collaborate with the Wyss Institute in Boston to develop a $1-per-test diagnostic that can be administered anywhere in the world. The platform holds the potential to diagnose a broad range of infectious disease.

A top university for graduate employability

ASU earns top-10 recognition as a leading U.S. university for graduate employability, according to Global University Employability Survey 2016. ASU is designated as a “top-tier” recruiting university among the country’s top 50 corporations, joining peer institutions like MIT, UC Berkeley, Notre Dame, Purdue and others.

Two Nobels join ASU faculty

ASU adds a pair of Nobel laureates to its world-class faculty. Frank Wilczek and Sidney Altman are the fourth and fifth winners of the prestigious international award to become ASU faculty members, joining Leland Hartwell and Edward Prescott and the late Elinor Ostrom.

ASU tops U.S. News & World Report list of most innovative schools

ASU is named the most innovative university in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report. “Most innovative” is a new category for the widely touted set of annual rankings by the news magazine which compares more than 1,500 institutions on a variety of metrics. College presidents, provosts and admissions deans across the nation nominated up to 10 colleges or universities that are making the most innovative improvements to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities.

ASU selected for NASA deep-space mission

ASU’s Psyche mission, a journey to a metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter marks the university’s first deep-space NASA Discovery Program mission and the first time scientists will be able to see what is believed to be a planetary core. Led by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, managing director of ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative, the Psyche mission is scheduled to launch in 2022 and arrive at the asteroid Psyche in 2026.

Campaign ASU 2020

To accelerate the ASU mission and raise support for the university’s educational priorities, Campaign ASU 2020 is a comprehensive universitywide effort designed to fuel the innovation and solutions that will shape our future.

ASU opens young scholars academy

The new home for the Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy at ASU’s West campus offers a state-of-the-art teaching, learning and discovery environment for highly gifted students in grades 7–12.

adidas-ASU Global Sport Alliance launches

Combining ASU’s world-class resources with adidas’ global reach, the strategic partnership aims at shaping the future of sport and amplifying athletics’ positive impact on society. Bringing together education, athletics, research and innovation, the Global Sport Alliance will explore topics including diversity, race, sustainability and human potential, all through the lens of sport.

Transforming cryptocurrency

ASU launches an interdisciplinary initiative called the Blockchain Research Lab, the first of its kind in academia. The lab’s mission is to advance the research and development of blockchain-based technologies for use in business, finance, economics, mathematics, computer science and more.

ASU scientists fight Alzheimer's

An ASU team discovers a promising step in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease by examining the effects of the illness decades before symptoms first appear. A debilitating condition that depletes brain cells of their primary energy source, Alzheimer’s currently affects cognitive functioning in 36 million people worldwide.

Sustainability leader

ASU takes the next bold step to become the world leader in sustainability research and education. The newly founded Global Futures Initiative (currently the Global Futures Laboratory) harnesses the innovative capacity of academia to develop options for the sound management of our planet.

ASU recognized nationally for 'Excellence in Diversity'

The university wins the 2018 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in International Education Award for its unique program that helps first-generation college students overcome obstacles to studying abroad.

Bots that battle cancer

In a major advancement in nanomedicine, ASU scientists collaborate with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to create cancer-fighting nanobots that seek and destroy tumors. For his work, ASU researcher Hao Yan is later named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business of 2019.

ASU expands impact in nation's capital

The Ambassador Barbara Barrett and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Washington Center opens, expanding ASU’s presence in Washington, D.C. Located in a historic building just two blocks from the White House, the 32,000-square-foot, eight-story center is the new home to various ASU programs such as the Cronkite News Washington Bureau, the McCain Institute for International Leadership, as well as other think tanks and research facilities.

Spearheading virtual learning

With the help of Google and Labster partners, ASU launches first-in-the-U.S. virtual reality biology lab courses. Students are enrolled in cell and molecular biology, animal physiology and ecology courses.

ASU Uber partnership

Advancing inclusivity and accessibility in higher education, ASU and Uber form a partnership enabling drivers to achieve a degree in entrepreneurship and English language learning with 100% tuition coverage.

'Starbirth' research top 10 'Breakthrough of the Year'

When ASU physicists discover the first clues in the decades-long search for the nature of dark matter in the universe, they open a new window on how early stars — and later, black holes and galaxies — formed and evolved. Their research is highlighted in Physics World as one of its top 10 “Breakthroughs of the Year.”

Solar cell efficiency

ASU researchers continue to break solar cell efficiency records in an effort to harness the sun’s energy more economically as a renewable source for electricity. The perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell created by ASU scientists in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has the potential to transform mainstream silicon technology and lower the cost of solar energy.

Helping health care companies grow

The Mayo Clinic-ASU MedTech Accelerator is established to help companies take their business to the next level. The program offers personalized business development plans to collaborate with Mayo Clinic and ASU, as well as accelerate go-to-market and investment opportunities.

Innovative new model for a sustainable stadium

Given that most university stadiums cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build and maintain, yet often are used less than 10 times a year, ASU reinvisions Sun Devil Stadium by transforming it into a cultural hub that’s used 365 days a year. The 365 Community Union features exciting programming, concerts, film festivals, restaurants and cultural activities.

PBS NewsHour West launches

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication becomes the only home of a national newscast embedded in a journalism school, creating more opportunities for student journalists’ work to air nationally.

Addressing the global water crisis

ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering professor Cody Friesen wins the 2019 $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for invention by developing solar-powered technology that can generate drinking water from sunlight and air. The 2017 invention lays the foundation for Zero Mass Water, an ASU startup that provides clean drinking water in communities, refugee camps, government offices, hotels, hospitals, schools, restaurants and homes around the world. Friesen donates the prize to a Zero Mass Water project in Colombia.

ASU breaks ground on new Thunderbird headquarters

The Thunderbird School of Global Management breaks ground on its new global headquarters on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus with an expected completion date of April 2021 — its 75th anniversary. Driving change on the world’s most critical challenges, Thunderbird joins the United Nation’s Global Compact Network USA as its official institutional and academic partner, an organization that creates a roadmap for companies to make a positive social and financial impact on a global scale.

Combating climate change

The MechanicalTree, invented by ASU Professor Klaus Lackner and his colleagues at the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions in 2017, is highlighted as a breakthrough by Popular Science: “A forest of 1,200 mechanical ‘trees,’ … is poised to pull more carbon dioxide out of the air than any human-made endeavor before it.” Lackner plans to produce MechanicalTree farms worldwide over the next decade.

Hayden Library reinvented for the 21st century

Reopening following a comprehensive renovation, Hayden Library’s five-story tower now features nearly double the student space, enhanced study areas, community driven book collections, two reading rooms, a variety of research services and interdisciplinary labs, and an entire floor devoted to innovation. The remodel advances a new vision of what an academic library can be at a time when demand for student space on campus continues to grow and knowledge is being created, accessed and shared with an ever-expanding set of tools. 

ASU at Mesa City Center breaks ground

ASU breaks ground on ASU at Mesa City Center, a state-of-the-art project that will jump-start the revitalization of downtown Mesa and train students in one of the biggest industries in the United States: media production. The three-story academic building, which is scheduled to open in spring 2022, will offer programs in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts in digital and sensory technology, experiential design, gaming, media arts, film production, and entrepreneurial development and support.

State Farm, ASU announce new learning initiative

ASU prepares learners of all ages to succeed in a transformed workplace thanks to a $30 million gift from State Farm. The funding will drive the new State Farm Pathways for the Future workforce-development initiative providing new programs and scholarships to high school and community college students as well as adults in the workforce seeking to update their skills.

Downtown residence hall focuses on entrepreneurship and the arts

ASU breaks ground on the Downtown Phoenix Residence Hall and Entrepreneurship Center, a 16-floor building at the southwest corner of Fillmore Street and First Avenue. The 283,000-square-foot project, expected to open in fall 2021, will house more than 500 students in the top 13 floors. The first three floors will offer academic space for the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts programs in popular music, fashion and design.

ASU for You ensures continued learning opportunities

ASU gathers a vast collection of its online resources onto a single platform called ASU for You to ensure learning continues throughout the COVID-10 pandemic and beyond.  ASU for You offers a wide array of content, much of it at no cost, for all learners — from elementary school students to adults — as well as resources for teachers and parents who are navigating teaching and learning at home

ASU develops state's first saliva-based COVID-19 test

In an effort to make COVID-19 diagnostic testing easier and more readily available to Arizonans, researchers led by ASU Biodesign Institute Executive Director Joshua LaBaer, develop the state’s first saliva-based test. The saliva diagnostic test starts with a collection kit that is as simple as spitting into a screw-top tube through a straw, making collections possible at drive-thru sites, doctors' offices, the workplace, and even at home. 

'To Be Welcoming' curriculum offers tools to counteract bias

Free online courses, developed in 2018 by ASU for Starbucks, strive to foster empathy and understanding. Made available to the public at no cost by Starbucks, the interactive courses were created by ASU faculty experts to share research and information that can help people to think about how they view the world and to consider how other people experience it. 

ASU introduces fully interactive remote learning modality

To create a seamless, socially responsible classroom experience for the fall 2020 semester, the university rolls out ASU Sync, a technology enhanced, fully interactive remote learning modality that provides in-person instruction for some students, while others interact virtually.  By reimagining the learning experience, ASU keeps students fully engaged wherever they are amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

ASU creates camera for Mars rover mission

ASU is selected to develop the color panoramic zoom camera for NASA’s 2020 Mars rover Perseverance. Known as Mastcam-Z, the cameras will help scientists characterize the planet’s geology, pick out the best rocks for coring and caching and search for signs of ancient microbial life.

ASU outlines commitment to Black students, faculty, and staff

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the nation, ASU reaffirms its pledge to always pursue the highest levels of social inclusion and impact by committing to 25 courses of action to improve racial diversity and education on campus. These actions include increasing efforts to hire faculty of color, creating an advisory council on African American affairs and establishing plans to build a multicultural facility on campus. 

ASU launches Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory

ASU launches a laboratory dedicated to keeping our planet habitable and enhancing the options for future generations to thrive. The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory represents the next quantum leap in the evolution of ASU as one of the world’s premier centers for studies of sustainability, Earth’s life-supporting systems and the future of life on our planet. The laboratory aims to engage with speed and urgency to address the existential threats facing the planet and global society. 

Dreamscape Immersive, ASU partner to bring virtual reality to learners worldwide

ASU and Dreamscape Immersive, the world’s leading virtual reality company, team up to transform education through exploration. The partnership, Dreamscape Learn, merges the emotional power of storytelling with the nation’s leader in online and digitally enhanced education to deliver fully immersive VR learning systems to the ASU community and beyond.

Film school renamed after trailblazing actor and filmmaker Sidney Poitier

ASU renames its film school after the first Black man to win the Academy Award for best actor, Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier. The move signifies the university’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, according to ASU President Michael M. Crow. The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, with nearly 700 students, is one of five schools in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Starbucks, ASU partner on new research and rapid innovation facility

Building on a long-standing partnership, Starbucks and ASU join forces to create the ASU-Starbucks Center for the Future of People and the Planet — a new research and rapid innovation facility created to find new ways to design, build and operate Starbucks stores. In the first year, the work will focus on initiatives such as greener stores, food and wellness, community betterment and innovation test stores.

#1 university in the U.S. for global impact

Times Higher Education magazine ranks ASU the No. 1 university in the U.S., ahead of MIT, UNC-Chapel Hill, Penn State and Purdue University, for global impact in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in research, outreach and stewardship in 2021. The ranking is driven by work on issues such as poverty and hunger, gender equality, clean water and air, climate change and providing quality education.

ASU Health Futures Center opens

ASU’s new Health Futures Center, home of Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care, is the latest development in the nearly two-decades-long relationship between the nation’s most innovative university and the recognized world leader in patient care, medical education and research. The alliance brings the brightest minds together to accelerate cutting-edge research discoveries, improve patient care through innovation, and transform medical education to enhance health outcomes at individual, community and national levels.

Poet Natalie Diaz wins Pulitzer Prize

Natalie Diaz, associate professor in the Department of English, wins the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her collection, “Postcolonial Love Poem.” The honor comes mere months after the MacArthur Fellow made history by becoming the youngest chancellor ever elected to the Academy of American Poets.

First global coral reef maps completed

Using Earth-mapping technology, the team led by the Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science identifies areas essential for biodiversity and climate resilience, and provides an estimate of the total amount of land area requiring protection to address biodiversity loss and climate change.

#1 in sustainability

Recognized as one of North America’s greenest colleges and universities, ASU ranks No. 1 on Sierra magazine's 15th annual "coolest schools" competitive ranking, ahead of UC Berkeley, Penn State, UCLA and Yale. This marks the first time the university attained this honor out of a record 328 institutions, rising from No. 4 previously, thanks to its comprehensive approach to sustainability that spans academia, campus operations, student life and endowment investments. 

Most innovative in U.S. — 7 years in a row

For seven years in a row, ASU tops the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings as the country’s “Most Innovative” university, based on a survey of top educators. College presidents, provosts and admissions deans point to ASU as making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. ASU has placed ahead of MIT and Stanford since the survey’s inception.

ASU is one of two U.S. universities to achieve net zero emissions

Times Higher Education recognizes ASU as one of only two universities in the U.S. — and one of 43 globally — to achieve net zero emissions. The ranking appears in THE’s new data-led report on higher education’s climate-neutral commitments, The Race to Net Zero, which shows how universities worldwide are lowering their greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero. 

1 millionth COVID-19 test

The university completes its 1 millionth COVID-19 test, a marker that commemorates the Biodesign Institute’s massive effort to marshal all its resources and respond to the pandemic statewide. ASU invented and developed enough tests to administer one to 1 in 7 Arizonans. 

NASA Lucy Mission carries ASU instrument, namesake

In October 2021, the Lucy Mission to the Trojan asteroids lifts off. It is named for the fossil discovered in 1974 by Donald Johanson, founding director of the Institute of Human Origins. On board is the ASU-led Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer. Watching the launch are STEM students nationwide who attended the ASU-led Lucy Mission L’SPACE Academy.

ASU, Blue Origin to create business park in orbit

ASU announces it is part of a team led by Blue Origin and Sierra Space to develop a commercial space station called Orbital Reef. The station will make its home in low-Earth orbit and offer the infrastructure to support new markets in space including research, manufacturing, travel, education and exploration.

#2 in the U.S. in EPA Green Power Partnership

ASU ranks No. 2 on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Top 30 College & University Partners listing. 78% of ASU’s total electricity use is green power derived, helping to reduce the effects of air pollution and emissions while supporting the development of clean energy resources.

Admission requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. Examples of appropriate fields include art history, architectural history, design history or fields in the humanities, such as history or literature; archaeology and anthropology may also be considered. Students without graduate experience in the history of art, history of architecture and history of design may be asked to fulfill deficiencies.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• abstract of proposed research
• personal statement
• letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional application information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Applicants must submit to Slideroom  the personal statement, abstract of proposed research, and contact information for three references. It is required that these be submitted in addition to the Graduate College application requirements.

Philosophy (History and Philosophy of Science) PhD

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Ready for graduation? Here's what Arizona State University historical ceremonies looked like

After years of late-night studying and early morning classes, graduating from school is a big deal.

It's the end of an era and the start of something new, not just in your education and career but for your friends, family and future.

Since opening Arizona State University opened its doors in 1886 as the Territorial Normal School training teachers. In 2024, 20,700 undergraduate and graduate students will receive their diplomas this May, making it the largest graduating class in ASU history.

While you're waiting for Arizona grads to cross the stage for their diploma and throw their caps, take a peek back at what graduation has looked like at Arizona high schools and Arizona State University over the past decades.

ASU 2024 spring graduation: When is it, what can I bring and where should I park?

BREAKING: Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision, becoming the song contest's first non-binary winner 

Arizona State scholar on leave after video of verbal attack on woman in hijab goes viral

An Arizona State University postdoctoral research scholar is on leave as the institution investigates his confrontation with a woman in a hijab that was captured on video, the school said Tuesday.

The confrontation happened Sunday during a pro-Israel rally just outside campus in Tempe. Viral cellphone video shows the scholar, Jonathan Yudelman, and another man, not identified, confront the woman, who was wearing a hijab.

It's not clear what happened before the video captures Yudelman facing off with the woman, but in the clip, he said, "I’m literally in your face — that’s right."

The woman backs away as Yudelman repeatedly advances, sometimes with his hands raised, and gets inches away from her.

"You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries," the woman says.

"You disrespect my sense of humanity, b----," Yudelman says back.

In a statement, the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the incident, calling for "law enforcement to arrest Arizona State University (ASU) professor Jonathan Yudelman for allegedly harassing and assaulting a Muslim woman in a hijab during his participation in a pro-Israel protest near campus."

"Such behavior is not only discriminatory but also violates the fundamental principles of academic integrity and respect for diversity that professors should uphold inside and outside of the classroom," said Azza Abuseif, executive director of the chapter, who called on ASU to fire Yudelman.

On Tuesday, the university responded to the video and criticism of Yudelman.

"ASU is aware of the allegations against Jonathan Yudelman and is investigating them," it said in a statement. "Dr. Yudelman is on leave and will remain so pending the outcome of the investigation."

Yudelman did not respond to requests for comment sent to his ASU email address and through contacts at other institutions he has been affiliated with recently.

NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix interviewed Yudelman before the confrontation. He described pro-Palestinian protests at universities across the country as "campuses being taken over by supporters of terrorism" and decried what he described as "Jewish students' being intimidated."

"It was important to come out and make a statement for the community," he said.

A campus rabbi who advises students who organized the pro-Israel rally and who spoke at the event didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. One of the student groups that organized the event Sunday, Chabad at ASU, also didn't respond.

The university's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter also didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yudelman is a scholar at ASU's School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. The university listed him as teaching classes titled "Great Debates in American Politics" and "Great Ideas of Politics and Ethics."

He is also listed as an assistant professor of political theory in intellectual foundation at the University of Austin in Texas, and he has also held postdoctoral positions at Princeton, Harvard and Baylor, according to his University of Austin biography .

"His current research focuses on early modern political theory, the idea of progress, sources of political authority, and the intersection of politics and religion," it says.

Yudelman is listed as being on the faculty of the Tikvah Fund , a nonprofit organization in New York City that promotes Jewish ideas and describes itself on its website as “politically Zionist, economically free-market oriented, culturally traditional, and theologically open-minded.”

A spokesperson for Arizona State said around 100 people attended Sunday's pro-Israel rally, which was in contrast to global protests and campus encampments critical of Israel's warfare in neighboring Gaza following Hamas militants' surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The spokesperson said one person not affiliated with the school was arrested and accused of spray-painting university property during a "pro-Palestine" rally the previous weekend.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

PhD grad combines research for comparative cultures, languages with passion for sustainability

Graduating PhD student Jacqueline Shea in front of Old Main on the Tempe campus. Courtesy photo

Editor’s note:  This story is part of a series of profiles of  notable spring 2024 graduates .

This May, Jacqueline Shea’s journey as a Sun Devil comes to a close as she earns a doctoral degree. Beginning as a freshman undergraduate student double-majoring in Spanish and sustainability, she continued her studies at Arizona State University to earn a PhD in comparative culture and languages from the School of International Letters and Cultures .

When Shea started college, sustainability as a major was an easy choice and she even enrolled alongside her best friend, who is also passionate about sustainability. Shea has had a love for the environment for as long as she can remember, which was inspired by her mother who she describes as “very eco-conscious.” She recounts how her mom even started a recycling program at her place of work, characterizing it as a defining memory.

As Shea continued her studies, she discovered a love for Spanish after adding it as a minor. “I liked Spanish more than I thought I would. I became really interested in linguistics and decided to keep going. In one of my freshman-year Spanish classes, my professor, Steven Flanagan , encouraged me to turn my minor into a major,” she said. 

Transitioning from undergraduate to graduate student, her path began to diverge from sustainability and followed languages and cultures, earning a master’s degree in Spanish and, now, a PhD in comparative cultures and languages.

She dove into Spanish and culture studies, regularly attending the SILC Café as an undergrad and becoming a graduate teaching associate of elementary and intermediate Spanish, linguistics, Spanish conversation and composition, and sustainability. 

As a doctoral student, Shea continued to focus her research on language and culture, concentrating on classroom studies and applied linguistics. She even published articles on pragmatic instruction in the Spanish classroom and pedagogy in mixed classes, which are defined as those which include both second-language and heritage learners. However, Jacqueline remained passionate about the environment and sustainability in her personal life. 

When she took SLC 602: Comparative Cultural Theory with Natalie Lozinski-Veach , who is an assistant professor of German and comparative cultural studies in the School of International Letters and Cultures, her eyes were opened to the numerous potential, transdisciplinary paths that exist within language and culture studies.

This course can vary slightly depending on the professor who teaches it and their areas of interest, so it was a happy chance that Lozinski-Veach was Shea’s professor. As an academic whose wide-ranging areas of interest include posthumanist theory, one question Lozinski-Veach seeks to explore is how we can live more ethical lives, not only in relation to other humans, but also with regard to other animals and the environment.

From this course, Shea learned about the idea of “de-centering the human'' and that “humans don’t have to save the world; we just have to see the world. We are actors in a network, and we have to recognize our place and allow other beings to be seen as equal to humans,” as she described. After this lightbulb moment, her studies came full circle through her research and through her role as a teaching associate. 

Seeing Shea's passion for sustainability, Lozinski-Veach encouraged her to incorporate sustainability into her research. The two topics interwoven created a rich and nuanced topic of research for her doctoral dissertation: It became a study on the impact that language and culture can have on how a person views the environment.

To study this, Shea interviewed people who love the environment and grew up in the Sonoran Desert, concentrating on two different cultural groups: caucasian American participants who only spoke English, and Chicano or Mexican participants who spoke both English and Spanish fluently. From her interviews, she looked at the discourse participants used and analyzed the way these groups articulated their affinity for and connection with the environment.

She chose this approach to add a more positive view to research about how people view the environment. She explained that “there is already a lot of research on the negative side of our relationship with the environment, and I wanted to provide a complementary narrative that highlights the positive relationships that people have with the environment and other species.”

According to Shea's thesis advisor Danko Sipka , a professor of Slavic languages and applied linguistics at the School of International Letters and Cultures, “her research features an ideal measure of thoroughly thought theoretical insights from humanities, advanced field research and data gathering, as well as ... cutting-edge qualitative and quantitative linguistic analysis.”

The findings of this research are important for “anyone hoping to learn how to speak about, act out and shape their own or other’s love for the environment,” and its applications can be used in an educational capacity and in a political capacity, Shea added. Her path and her research remind us that language and culture studies can unlock a whole new perspective you might not have been aware of and will broaden the scope of impact in your endeavors.

This past spring, Shea was afforded the opportunity to further combine her two areas of interest, teaching SPA 414: Spanish for Sustainability and Environmental Studies.

Read how she combined her two passions to redesign this course, her best advice for current students and all of the valuable lessons she learned from professors in the Q&A below. 

Note: Answers were lightly edited for grammar, length and/or clarity.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to pursue the field you are studying?

Answer: My PhD is in comparative culture and language, with a primary focus in sociocultural linguistics and a secondary focus in affinity studies. “Affinity studies” is a term I coined for my area of study. It blends the environmental humanities and social psychology to understand how people connect to others.

One reason I decided to pursue a PhD was because I really enjoyed my time as a master's student. A big difference between grad and undergrad is that in graduate school you get to follow your interests more. Because of that, everything felt more meaningful and interest driven in a way that made me excited to keep going. I chose comparative culture and languages specifically after speaking with another student, Audrey Chery, who explained how the interdisciplinary program worked in a way that excited me. 

Q: Which SILC professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: This is a tough one to answer, because so many professors were very pivotal in the trajectory of my education.

To be fair, I'm going to list a few (in alphabetical order): Sara Beaudrie, Natalie Lozinski-Veach, Francoise Mirguet, Marta Tecedor, the Spanish TA coordinators Hope Anderson, Steven Flanagan, Sean McKinnon, Daniel Vargas and Anne Walton-Ramirez, and my SILC dissertation committee members Christopher Johnson, Danko Šipka and Juliann Vitullo.

If I had to pick the most important lessons, I'd say:

Juliann Vitullo taught me that it's less about holding knowledge in your mind and more about embodying that knowledge in your life.

Christopher Johnson and Natalie Lozinski-Veach both taught me that it's okay to draw from many fields to make conclusions about how something works, and to not feel pigeonholed into one style of scholarship.

Danko Šipka and Marta Tecedor both taught me a lot about how to conduct good research, and both provided invaluable nuggets of wisdom throughout the process.

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

In graduate school, what surprised me most was how much I love teaching students! I'd been a community assistant and worked in nonprofit-based education during my undergrad, but being offered a TAship during my master's program was unexpected and initially very daunting. However, once I started the job, I absolutely loved it. Teaching has definitely been a highlight of my graduate school experience.

I love working with college students because they are so fun, especially freshmen. I was always an overachiever and took everything so seriously, so I like to go in and make jokes to give my students the space to breathe and feel some lightheartedness. I want them to leave with a smile or a laugh and leave with their day improved. 

Lesson planning and course design are also really fun. I taught Spanish for sustainability, and I was given permission to redesign the course. During the class, students learn how to use the language to have conversations about sustainability and environmental studies. I also wanted to teach them the multiple approaches to sustainability since there is a lot of overlap across different cultures and among different strands of sustainability theory. 

Q: What is something you learned from the School of International Letters and Cultures regarding sustainability and culture that surprised you?

Although I had a background in sustainability from my undergrad, the readings and discussions from Natalie Lozinski-Veach’s class exposed me to the world of posthumanist studies. One reading that made a significant impression on me was Jacques Derrida’s "The Animal That Therefore I Am." This reading challenges the established distinction of humans as superior and animals as inferior. I was happy that we also read works from Indigenous scholars, such as Linda Hogan. I am a firm believer that Indigenous knowledge, including traditional ecological knowledge, should be taken seriously, and this was the first academic context in which I’d seen that happen.

Outside of the classroom, I was also surprised by what I learned doing independent research. Once I realized I wanted to include sustainability in my work, I looked for connections between sustainability and linguistics and found "ecolinguistics," which looks at language and discourse and its relationship to the environment.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: The Secret Garden! I also love all of the half-inside-half-outside spaces with plants, like the one in (the Farmer Education Building).

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I'm currently a finalist for a few academic positions — I'm excited to see where I end up! Aside from that, I am working on some writing projects that I hope to publish within the next few years. 

For one, I am thinking of using material from my dissertation and breaking it down into a more digestible format about different ways to love the environment and how to show others how to love the environment. For a second project, I have some outlines of children’s books that were left by my nana, which I plan to develop into a series that centers the life of a dog and his human companion. Another project includes poetry — I have been writing a lot of poetry lately. 

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: To anyone still in school, I recommend prioritizing your health and well-being, which you can do in a couple of different ways. 

One way you can do this is by ensuring that you are well taken care of so that you can do your most productive and authentic work. At the very least, take a moment to breathe deeply at the start or end of each day, get enough sleep, move your body and nurture connections with yourself and others. This can go a long way in ensuring that you do not lose yourself in the sea of busyness and expectations, because there is more to life than this and your worth is not equivalent to your successes.

Another way you can prioritize your health and well-being is by aligning your work with your values as often as you can — if you have the intrinsic motivation to do whatever it is that you're doing, it will be a lot easier.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I think about this question a lot and, truth be told, this is not a decision I'd want to make by myself! There is so much to consider among the people involved, different stakeholders and various areas of expertise. I would need a better understanding of the diverse perspectives involved to answer this question better. 

But, as of now, I would donate the funds to support initiatives that spearhead sustainable solutions to combat ecological dystrophy, specifically those that focus on regenerative rather than technological approaches.

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ASU: Students share excitement as largest class in university history graduates

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University is celebrating the largest graduating class in the university’s history on May 6, with nearly 21,000 Sun Devils graduating from ASU. These students, along with their guests, were on campus for the big day on Monday.

"Very proud to be here," said Hannah Scharf. "I had my whole family come down. My boyfriend’s whole family came down, so I have lots of support today."

Hannah came to ASU from Canada to compete on the gymnastics team. She accomplished a lot on and off the mat, having earned her masters in Organizational Leadership.

"It’s exciting, for sure," said Hannah. "It will be an adjustment. I’m going to have to adapt pretty quickly, but I’m looking forward to it. I'm very hopeful for the future."

Another graduate, Blanca, said Monday had been emotional.

"I have two kids now, and I work full-time 7:30 to 4:00, and being able to do it from my home online, but I did it. I'm here," said Blanca.

Blanca, who is graduating with a masters in Early Childhood Education, says earning this degree was not easy, but it was worth it.

Meanwhile, Makaila is finally getting the graduation experience she's waited for, as she graduates with a masters in Human Resources and Employment Law.

"I actually graduated with my undergrad during 2020, so COVID, and it was a lot, so I'm excited to actually get to walk here at graduation today," said Makaila. "To be here with my fellow graduates and my fellow classmates, it's just very exciting."

While some commencement ceremonies across the country were canceled due to protests , there were no interruptions during the ceremony at ASU on May 6. Officials also said beforehand that disruptions will not be tolerated.