THE MAGAZINE OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY MARCH 2010 | VOL. 13 NO. 3 Your social circle: Rx for health? Ambassadors recruit a winning team for ASU Making the case for higher education Nobel work Show your pride. ™ Open an ASU checking account from Bank of America. Celebrate your alumni pride every day. Open an Arizona State Alumni Association personal checking account from Bank of America today and generate contributions to the ASU Alumni Association—at no additional cost—with every debit card purchase. Enjoy benefits like checks( and a debit card that feature the ASU logo. And get key features like free Online Banking service with Bill Pay, plus Mobile Banking on your cell phone.< In addition, get automatic savings when you enroll in Keep the Change®—where each debit card purchase is rounded up to the next dollar and the difference is transferred from your checking to your savings account. Plus, since you're an ASU member, Bank of America will match 5% of the transfers, up to $250 every year. And to help you get started, we’ll match 100% for the first 3 months.+ To open your ASU checking account, visit your neighborhood Bank of America or bankofamerica.com/ASU today. To find a banking center near you, visit bankofamerica.com/locator. Get $50 after you open a qualifying new checking account by 4/30/2010. A minimum opening balance of $250 and a debit purchase within the first 30 days are required. Use Offer Code CUP50.‡ ( Standard check order fees apply. < Web access is needed to use Mobile Banking. Check with your service provider for potential access rates. Mobile Banking is not available with accounts in WA and ID. ‡ To take advantage of this offer, please use the Offer Code provided to open your new qualifying ASU personal checking account by 4/30/2010. Bank of America may terminate the offer before this date. To qualify for this offer, an opening deposit of $250 is required and you must make a minimum of one retail merchant transaction with the newly assigned debit card within 30 days of account opening. Customer will receive $50 after verification of qualification in the incentive program. We will deposit the incentive directly into your new checking account within 90 days of its opening; if unable to do so, a check will be issued. Offer is available to new customers only and does not apply to current checking customers, Bank of America associates or student checking accounts. Limit one per household. New customer is not eligible for this offer if they were a signer on a Bank of America checking account that was closed within the last three months. All accounts are subject to our normal opening process. To the extent required by law, Bank of America will report the value of the offer to the IRS. Any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the account holder. Reproduction, purchase, sale, transfer or trade of this offer is prohibited. For Tiered Interest personal checking accounts, the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is as follows: less than $10,000, 0.05%; $10,000-$99,999, 0.10%; $100,000 and over, 0.25%. APYs are accurate as of 1/25/2010. The APY may change after the account is opened. Fees may reduce earnings. Please consult a Banking Center, visit bankofamerica.com or see the Personal Schedule of Fees for other account fees, rates and information. Bon.1.10 + Keep the Change® requires a checking account, debit card and savings account. Upon enrollment in Keep the Change, we will round your MasterCard® or Visa® debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfer the difference from your checking account to your Bank of America savings account. We will match your Keep the Change savings at 100% for the first three months and, for ASU customers, 5% thereafter. The maximum total match is $250 per year. Matching funds are paid annually after the anniversary of enrollment on accounts that remain open and enrolled. We will only match Keep the Change transfers on up to five checking accounts per depositor (including joint depositors) or up to five checking accounts per household, whichever is less. Eligible savings accounts include, but are not limited to, Regular Savings (or Market Rate Savings in WA and ID) that requires a minimum opening balance of $25 ($1 in WA and ID) and pays a variable Annual Percentage Yield (APY) that was 0.10% as of 1/25/2010. The APY may change after the account is opened. Money Market savings accounts are also eligible. Fees may reduce earnings. The promotional matching funds will be reported to the IRS on form 1099. Patent Pending. KTC.11.09 By opening and/or using these products from Bank of America, you’ll be providing valuable financial support to the ASU Alumni Association. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. ©2010 Bank of America Corporation AD-01-10-9500 The official publication of Arizona State University Volume 13, No. 3 PUBLISHER Christine K. Wilkinson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tracy Scott MANAGING EDITOR Liz Massey ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR Robert Cao-Ba T H E M A G A Z I N E O F A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Vol. 13, No. 3, March 2010 SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Karen Windsor-Worrel GRAPHIC DESIGNER ASSISTANT Alyssa Yatabe Kelly Flanagan ADVERTISING SALES, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS RELATIONS Rhonda McClintock (480) 965-5051 WEBMASTER Benita Iafrat PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Trumble Tom Story ASU Magazine is printed on paper that is certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standards. HIGHLIGHTS D E PA R T M E N T S 20 2 ASU View Collective action, singular accomplishment ASU Magazine interviews Professor Elinor Ostrom, winner of the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Ostrom, founding director of the university’s Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, combines economics, anthropology, political science and decision-making to show how ordinary people can create their own regulations to govern common resources, such as forests, fisheries and lakes—and that they are often successful. 26 Prescription for Healing ASU MAGAZINE PO Box 873702 Tempe, AZ 85287-3702 (480) 965-2586 alumni@asu.edu ASU Magazine (USPS 024-438; ISSN 1940-2929) is published quarterly by the Arizona State University Alumni Association, PO Box 873702, Tempe, AZ 852873702, (480) 965-2586, FAX (480) 965-0225. Subscriptions are sent to all ASU alumni. You may become a friend of the Alumni Association regardless of university affiliation. Annual dues to become an active member or friend are $45 for individuals and $60 for couples. Life member dues are $500 for individuals and $650 for couples. Periodicals Postage is paid at Tempe, AZ and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to ASU Magazine, Attention: Circulation, PO Box 873702, Tempe, AZ 85287-3702. Permissions: Portions of this publication may be reprinted with the written permission and proper attribution. Contact editor. If the future of living more healthfully lies in understanding how culture affects healthcare and how to improve individual health through culturally appropriate interventions, the ideal place to refine that understanding is Arizona. ASU researchers are at the forefront of a major, multidisciplinary research effort revealing that an individual’s physical and mental well-being are impacted at a deep level by habits learned and reinforced by their social circle and cultural heritage. T-shirt exchanges have ASU students seeing gold, not red. 4 University News Challenges initiative links students, faculty and community; Memorial Union renovation results in LEED Gold certification; architecture students design a sustainable doghouse. 14 Sports Updates on top Sun Devil teams and players; ASU baseball alums return for Cactus League action; trio of Sun Devils pump up the excitement for the Memphis Grizzlies. 42 Arts & Culture Music faculty develop and teach at The Breathing Gym; new books by alums and faculty in Shelf Improvement. 44 Alumni News Revitalized Sun Devil Advocate Network sparks alumni involvment; Alumni Ambassador programs spread Alumni Association’s reach worldwide. 48 Sun Devil Network Reports from around the Sun Devil nation. 52 Class Notes Alumni news, notes and milestones. VIEW Out with the red, in with the gold Dropping off red T-shirts on the front steps of Old Main in order to get a new gold one, ASU students participate in a new tradition inaugurated last November by the Student Alumni Association, the undergraduate wing of the ASU Alumni Association. Presented during the week before the “Duel in the Desert” ASU-University of Arizona football game on Nov. 28, SAA gave away more than 500 gold T-shirts bearing the slogan “No Pity for the Kitty.” The tradition was repeated Feb. 16, with an SAA-sponsored T-shirt exchange on each of ASU’s four campuses during the run up to the women’s basketball contest pitting the Sun Devils against the Wildcats. In both instances, the red T-shirts collected were donated to a Tucson homeless shelter. asu.edu/alumni yes, we had some work done introducing the new alumni web site The ASU Alumni Association Web site has undergone major reconstruction, and we think you’ll love our new look! It’s more user friendly and loaded with new features to keep you connected. Joining or renewing your alumni association membership is now easier than ever! So is finding a chapter or club, or registering for alumni events. Check out our new Web site today. asu.edu/alumni 4 NEWS Strenghting the Tribe Good medicine Strenghting the Tribe University news briefs Strenghting the Tribe Rover goes green Strenghting the Tribe World of influence Best in class the Tribe Strenghting Deep study Saying good-bye to an ASU legend Art for everyone’s sake Good medicine Challenges initiative links students, faculty and community Julie Furmick will graduate from ASU in May with a bachelor’s degree in life sciences. What’s more, she’ll take with her to medical school some real-world credentials, thanks to an undergraduate research project she’s conducting. Under the mentorship of Peter Jurutka, an assistant professor of mathematical and natural sciences in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Furmick is working on a drug to curtail or alleviate the adverse side effects of a secondary medication that’s often used to treat patients suffering from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Her findings could greatly improve patients’ comfort as they battle cancer. Furmick is one of literally thousands of students and faculty whose work advances ASU’s Challenges Before Us initiative, an effort which commits the university to helping communities here and around the world solve eight of their most urgent problems. The Challenges initiative captures the social impact faculty and students have in their work and the opportunities for discovery that arise from working within a major research university. It also helps the public connect the complex, exciting work going on at ASU with issues that they care about deeply. At the Challenges unveiling this past October, ASU offered specific instances of how its teaching, research and community activities are already producing results. For example, • The Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative brings together researchers from the social and natural sciences, the humanities and technology to address problems including global climate change and improved health care. • A new M.Ed. degree graduated its first cohort in December. It is the only degree program in Arizona that’s designed to prepare the next generation of Arizona high-school principals for the complex issues they’ll face. • The Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family is helping communities build quality affordable homes for a range of household incomes, demographic and cultural conditions. • ASU’s LightWorks research initiative develops new materials, technology and fuels using the university’s unique expertise in solar-based energy and other light-inspired research. A newly expanded Challeges web site — asuchallenges.com — enables people to learn more about individual and team efforts underway to solve each of the eight major challenges. The site also offers many ways to participate in the Challenge initiative, including volunteer opportunities, public programs, exchanging views and financial support. As for Furmick’s progress, she reports that she has developed 27 compounds that work “by the same mechanism” as the troublesome medication, and six of these appear to match from 20 to 100 percent of that drug’s ability. In April, she won the Outstanding Student Research award at the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science annual research conference in Tucson. Her research is appearing in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and she’s in line for a National Institutes of Health grant as she weighs a possible career in academic medicine. By Jerald Jahn, senior director of communications at the ASU Foundation. Stephen Des Georges, ASU West campus director of public relations and marketing, contributed to this report. UNIVERSITY NEWS BRIEFS building materials,” said Larry Sorenson, senior architect and project manager with ASU’s Capital Programs Management Group. “It is a benchmark for adaptive and sustainable building design, becoming the first LEED certified renovation project at ASU. The attainment of LEED Gold certification is a testament to ASU’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.” ASU A TOP PRODUCER OF FULBRIGHT AWARDS RENOVATED MU STRIKES GOLD WITH LEED CERTIFICATION A disastrous fire has turned into gold, as the renovated Memorial Union at ASU has been awarded a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally sustainable construction. A fire in a second floor storage area at the MU in November 2007 caused extensive fire and smoke damage, shutting down the lower levels of the building for 60 days and the second and third floors until the following August. After the incident ASU decided not to simply rebuild the damaged areas of the 54-year-old building but to meet or exceed the standards of quality and sustainability used in ASU’s newest buildings. The initial goal was to achieve a LEED Silver rating. The union ultimately received the higher Gold rating based on factors such as its use of regional and recycled materials, including local sandstone and mesquite and reclaimed metal finishes; the presence of a comprehensive network of real-time monitoring and trending sensors communicating the building’s environmental variables (temperature, fresh air, humidity, alarm and fire); and the facility’s use of special recessed lighting fixtures and efficient fixture layouts, which maximize energy savings while creating brighter, seemingly larger and more relaxing public spaces. “The Memorial Union renovation project transforms an outdated but historic 1950’s era building into a state-of-the-art facility showcasing innovative green building technologies and local, regional and recycled green Arizona State University is the second highest public research university in the nation for winning student Fulbright grants, according to rankings released by the Chronicle of Higher Education. ASU student Fulbrights rank second only to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor among public universities, and 11th overall. A record 18 ASU students are studying in 16 different countries this year. ASU also is one of the top producers of faculty Fulbright Awards, ranking 10th in the nation with four faculty members selected to teach and conduct research abroad this year. Building a broad network of strong international relationships is part of the university’s mission of global engagement. ASU students are especially successful at winning overseas study grants, partly because of ASU’s emphasis on global studies and foreign languages, and also because of the strong support of faculty mentors. Among the student awardees, half graduated from ASU in May 2009 with bachelor’s degrees in fields ranging from political science to education. The other ASU MAGAZINE UNIVERSITY NEWS 6 7 ROVER GOES GREEN: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE DOGHOUSE The doghouse is getting a makeover for the 21st century, and you can bet your pooper-scooper that Rover has never seen anything quite like this. Architecture and landscape architecture students from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts teamed up with PetSmart to create a prototype doghouse better suited to present day puppy requirements that is earth-friendly, as well. The challenge was to design a dog house that incorporated recycled materials, could be easily constructed and transported, provided sufficient ventilation and insulation, and could be easily cleaned. The kicker? It must be a place in which a dog wants to dwell. The doghouse designers, first-year graduate students in the advanced studio design course taught by architecture Professor Jason Griffiths, had just three weeks to develop their concept. What they created completely re-conceptualizes the doghouse design that generally has been the same since the 19th century – a structure mimicking a human home with gabled roof. The students’ models range from classy bamboo abodes that double as human bedside tables, to “living” outdoor structures that use natural plants to provide shade. Sixty designs were narrowed down to 20 and then displayed as models at the PetSmart headquarters in Phoenix. Employees voted on their favorites, and the votes were taken into consideration by a roundtable of judges that eventually narrowed the designs down to three winners. The winners were awarded $1,000 scholarships from PetSmart to fund the fabrication of their concepts into professional models that were displayed at PetSmart’s Greenbuild 2009 expo booth Nov. 11-13 in Phoenix. According to Suzanne Lindsay, the director of PetSmart’s sustainability efforts, the long-term goal of challenges such as this one is an in-depth study and full-scale fabrication of a prototype doghouse developed in collaboration with PetSmart. half are master’s and doctoral candidates, bringing their expertise in chemistry, computer science, biology and literature, among other topics, to different countries. The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is the largest U.S. international exchange program, awarding grants to students and faculty to study, teach, lecture and conduct research in more than 155 countries. Designed to enhance the international interests of the United States as well as its scholarship, the program is sending 1,551 students and 1,250 scholars abroad this academic year. ASU ALUM MARK KILLIAN NOMINATED AS ARIZONA’S NEWEST REGENT Brian Williams answers students’ questions in the First Amendment Forum at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Killian was a member of the Arizona Legislature for 14 years, serving as Speaker of the House for four years. He was an at-large member of the ASU Alumni Association’s board of directors from 2005 to 2008. He also lent his leadership skills to the Sun Devil Advocate Network, a program of the Alumni Association, serving for a time as chair of its Advocacy Steering Committee. BRIAN WILLIAMS RECEIVES CRONKITE AWARD On Jan. 28, Gov. Jan Brewer nominated ASU alumnus Mark Killian ’81 B.S. as the most recent addition to the Arizona State Board of Regents, which governs the activities of the three state universities. He will replace Robert Bulla, whose term expires later in 2010. “Mark is a well-known and highly regarded public leader who understands the critical role that education serves in my priorities of job growth and business recruitment,” said Brewer in a statement following the announcement. Killian, a Mesa resident, is founding partner of Sunny Mesa Realty, a familyowned property management and real estate company. He also is a managing partner in family ranching and farming operations in Arizona and New Mexico and serves on the advisory board for Northern Trust Bank Arizona’s board of directors. People are confusing “tonnage” with knowledge when it comes to the crush of information available today on the Internet, NBC anchor Brian Williams said Nov. 18 at ASU’s Cronkite Award luncheon. “Facts matter less,”Williams told an audience of more than 1,200 journalists, public officials, students, faculty and members of the public who attended the Cronkite Award luncheon in downtown Phoenix.“We are all finding it is a heck of a lot easier to voice an opinion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan than it is to go and report back home on what you find.” Williams, who has served as anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” since 2004, received the 26th annual Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He joins a list of honorees that includes Tom Brokaw, the anchor Williams succeeded at NBC; TV journalists Bill Moyers and Jane Pauley; newspaper publisher Katharine Graham; television executive Ted Turner; and newspaper journalists Ben Bradlee, Helen Thomas and Bob Woodward. Last year’s winners were Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil of PBS. The first person to receive the award since Cronkite’s death in July, Williams reflected on the differences between Cronkite’s era and today. During his two-day visit to the school, Williams met with Cronkite students, visited the KPNX-Channel 12 newsroom and hosted “NBC Nightly News” from the rooftop of the Cronkite School on Tuesday night. He spent more than an hour Wednesday morning with students in the school’s First Amendment Forum, answering their questions and offering advice. “DREAM ACADEMY” WINS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT KUDOS An ASU program that has helped nearly 8,700 parents across the Valley of the Sun improve the education of their struggling children earned one of the nation’s most prestigious community engagement awards. The American Dream Academy received the 2009 C. Peter Magrath University Community Engagement Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the oldest higher education association in America. The American Dream Academy, overseen by ASU’s Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, provides a nine-week program for parents of struggling K-12 students that equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve the educational development of their children. Lessons cover methods to improve parent/child relationships, reduce dropout rates and ensure high school graduation. ASU MAGAZINE 8 UNIVERSITY NEWS 9 “The American Dream project is a model for engagement and outreach for public institutions. Its impact on the Phoenix area will be felt for years to come,” said Lee Todd, chair of the APLU board and president of the University of Kentucky.“Public universities, like Arizona State and the other four regional winners, exemplify the spirit and vision of university engagement championed by Peter Magrath, and we salute their fine work.” Photo: Zara Gort Since October 2006, the program has “graduated” parents of students attending 41 different schools, and indirectly impacted more than 24,000 low-income, minority youth throughout the greater Phoenix region. Raúl Yzaguirre, executive director of ASU’s Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, has been nominated to serve as the ambassador to the Dominican Republic. A world of influence ASU’s Raúl Yzaguirre nominated as new U.S. ambassador The White House has announced the nomination of Raúl Yzaguirre, a Presidential Professor of Practice and the executive director of the Center for Community Development and Civil Rights at Arizona State University, as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Yzaguirre is best known as a veteran civil rights activist for the Hispanic community in the United States. He joined ASU in January 2005 and founded the Center for Community Development and Civil Rights in the College of Public Programs at the Downtown Phoenix campus. Since then,Yzaguirre has helped implement a number of outreach programs that have advanced the university’s social mission, including a series of civil rights forums featuring national keynote speakers and the American Dream Academy, a program that helps parents in low-income, disadvantaged areas learn how to transform their children’s educational experience. Since its inception three years ago, the American Dream Academy has graduated more than 8,700 parents of students attending 41 different schools, and indirectly impacted more than 24,000 youth of Title I schools throughout the greater Phoenix area. The program earned the prestigious 2009 C. Peter Magrath University Community Engagement Award from APLU in November. Yzaguirre will be on leave from ASU if appointed to the position by the U.S. Senate after confirmation hearings. Before joining ASU,Yzaguirre served as president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza. Before that, he served as vice president at the Center for Community Change in Washington, D.C.Yzaguirre also served as a senior program analyst in the U.S. Office for Economic Opportunity (OEO) and as a special adviser to Sargent Shriver, the director of OEO, from 1966 to 1969. He also has been appointed to the President’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.Yzaguirre monitored several presidential elections in Latin America as a board member of the National Democratic Institute. Yzaguirre served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps for four years and holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. He was a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. Deep study ASU exceeds $300 million in research expenditures Ron Newkirk photographs ASU President Michael Crow for 'Time' magazine, which has named Crow as one of the top U.S. university presidents to watch. Best in class ‘Time’ names Crow a top university president to watch Arizona State University President Michael Crow has been named by Time magazine as one of the top U.S. university presidents to watch. The Nov. 23, 2009 issue of Time included a feature on the 10 best college presidents, which included a brief dossier on Crow’s accomplishments. The part of the story that highlights Crow talks about his goal of transforming ASU into the New American University that aims to improve rankings, performance and access all at the same time, going against the grain of most top universities. It also provides a report card. “During his tenure, the university has more than doubled its yearly research spending, boosted its roster of National Merit Scholars 61 percent, and claimed a spot on three separate rankings of America’s best colleges,” the article states.“Meanwhile the number of low-income Arizona freshman enrolling each year has grown nearly nine-fold and the population of minority students has jumped 62 percent.” Crow described the goals of ASU as aiming to meet the needs of the people. “We’re done with trying to raise money for putting brass buttons on the back of our chairs,” Crow said.“What people really want from their university is, ‘Help us with these things that are most important to us.’” The article on Crow is available online at http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1937938_1937933 _1937917,00.htm. Arizona State University has topped $300 million in research expenditures for the first time in school history, totaling $307 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2009, which ended on June 30, 2009. This represents a growth of nearly 9 percent compared to the previous fiscal year, which has assisted ASU’s dramatic climb in the ranks of top research universities. Research grants are restricted to use for specific research projects and cannot be used to fund general university expenses. However, they do add a significant amount of money to the state economy. ASU’s $307 million total for research comes from a variety of sources. It includes funds received from the federal government, industry, private sources, state funds (including Technology & Research Initiative Funds from state sales tax revenue) and local government, funds from the ASU Foundation specifically for research projects and funds from foreign sources. The total also includes funds for non-science and engineering research. In fiscal year 2010, the National Science Foundation will begin counting non-science and engineering research funds for its official reports on university research expenditures. R.F.“Rick” Shangraw Jr., ASU’s vice president for research and economic affairs, said that including non-science and engineering research in its total provides a fuller, more accurate picture of the research enterprise at ASU. “We are growing because we have differentiated our research and we have excelled at transdisciplinary projects that tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our nation,” Shangraw explained.“These and many other research projects are driven by the critical needs of society and aim to use the transformative power of research to make substantive changes to fill those needs.” Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, ASU’s deputy vice president for research, said ASU’s rapid climb in research ranks is the result of tremendous efforts put forth by faculty in a highly competitive environment, the hiring of top researchers in key areas, and strategic investments in several new initiatives. “The investments in infrastructure and people are already paying rich dividends from the perspectives of intellectual, societal and economic impact,” said Panchanathan. ASU MAGAZINE UNIVERSITY NEWS 10 11 Saying good-bye to an ASU legend William (Bill) Kajikawa ’37 B.A.E., ’48 M.A.E., 1912-2010 William (Bill) “Kaji” Kajikawa, the legendary former football, basketball and baseball coach at Arizona State, passed away on Feb. 15, 2010. Kajikawa, 97, began his coaching career at Arizona State in 1937 and retired from ASU in 1978. He began coaching the Arizona State Teacher’s College freshman football team in 1937, when the players were known as the Bulldogs. Before retiring in 1978, Kajikawa had worked as the freshman football coach under nine ASU head football coaches. In addition, he served as head basketball coach from 1948 to 1957, and he was head coach of ASU’s club baseball team from 1947 to 1957. He was inducted into the Arizona Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and the ASU Hall of Distinction in 1982. During World War II, Kajikawa took his only hiatus from ASU to serve with distinction in the Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd, manned entirely by Japanese Americans, was the Army’s most decorated combat unit. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from ASU in 1937 and 1948, respectively, and he played on the varsity football team while he was an undergraduate. Kajikawa received an honorary doctor of laws degree from ASU during the summer 1989 commencement ceremony. A professor emeritus of physical education at ASU, he was recognized on April 6, 1995, in a ceremony that named the Sun Devil football practice field the Bill Kajikawa Practice Facility. A Tempe resident, Kajikawa also devoted countless hours to community service. For his work, the American Legion selected him in 1976 for the Americanism Award for service to young people. He and his late wife, Margaret, were honored with numerous community appreciation awards, including the Dorothy Mitchell Humanitarian Award from Tri-City Catholic Social Service and the Don Carlos Award from the Tempe Community Council. The Kajikawas also received the ASU Alumni Association’s Award of Excellence in 1974. Kajikawa is survived by two daughters, Dr. Christine Kajikawa Wilkinson, senior vice president and secretary of the university and president of the ASU Alumni Association; and Carol O’Connell of Mission Viejo, Calif. connect with the sun devil community You’ll find ASU graduates in every corner of the United States and all over the globe. With the ASU Alumni Association’s network of more than 60 chapters, clubs and connections, we bring together Sun Devils from the same college, living in the same city or who share similar interests. Connect with other Sun Devils today. asu.edu/alumni/chapters/findchapter WA OR MT ND ID WY NV UT CA AZ WI SD IA NE CO KS NM TX IL MO OK NH VT MN AR LA OH KY PA WV VA NC TN MS AL MA NY MI IN ME SC GA FL NJ MD DC CT DE RI Gaining momentum Scientists apply laws of physics in cancer fight Art for everyone’s sake Gordon Knox named new ASU Art Museum director Gordon Knox, whose work explores the transformative role of the arts in society, recently took the reins at the ASU Art Museum as its director. The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts announced that Knox, currently a core collaborator for the Stanford Humanities Lab (SHL) at Stanford University, began his duties as museum director on a part-time basis on Jan. 11 and will assume the position full-time July 1. Knox recently was recognized by Forbes Magazine for his work on collaborative projects at the SHL that brings together experts in the arts, humanities and sciences and engages them in on-the-ground efforts to effect social change. He brings to ASU an extensive background in establishing and developing environments that recognize and foster new talents across all art disciplines and mediums. Previous to the SHL, Knox was the artistic director of the Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, Calif., developing ambitious projects such as Edge of Desire, the only West Coast exhibition of a comprehensive collection of recent art from India, and FUSE, a new media collaboration with the CADRE laboratory at San Jose State University. Knox also was the founding director of the Lucas Artists Program, a residency program at Montalvo that identifies exceptional international artists and supports them as they develop new work while in residence in eleven newly designed live/work studios. “Gordon Knox will be a visionary leader for the ASU Art Museum, bringing unique perspectives to the work of redefining the role and purpose of a university art museum,” said Kwang-Wu Kim, dean and director of the Herberger Institute.“Gordon has a track record of conceiving and directing creative, thought provoking, collaborative programs resulting in opportunities to effect social change and to transform our understanding about art and artists.” Instead of killing cancer cells, researchers at Arizona State University will use the laws of physics to figure out how to control them. And, rather than treating cancer as a disease and seeking a cure, ASU scientists will view cancer cells as physical objects and study them the way a physicist would, using simple variables like temperature, pressure and force. That fresh approach is behind a new research center at ASU – one of 12 Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers receiving some of $22.7 million in funding this fiscal year from the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute. Each center will bring a non-traditional approach to cancer research with the goal of developing new methods of arresting tumor growth and metastasis. The new Center for Convergence of Physical Science and Cancer Biology at ASU will receive about $1.7 million in funding for each of the first two years of a five-year proposal. Part of the plan is the establishment of a “cancer forum,” hosted by the BEYOND Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at ASU. “What is new about this initiative is that it is going to be tackling the root causes of cancer on a conceptual level,” says Paul Davies, director of the BEYOND Center in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who will lead the ASU cancer initiative.“We want physical scientists to think about why cancer exists in the first place. What is its role in the great biological scheme of things as life has evolved over the last several hundred million years? Within the human body, how does cancer behave as a physical object?” Other collaborators on the ASU team include Stuart Lindsay, a Regents’ Professor of physics and chemistry and director of the Center for Single Molecule Biophysics at the Biodesign Institute; Deirdre Meldrum, dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and director of the Center for Ecogenomics at the Biodesign Institute; Timothy Newman, professor of physics and director of the Center for Biological Physics; Robert Ros, associate professor of physics; Peiming Zhang, an associate research professor in the Biodesign Institute; Roger Johnson, a research scientist and laboratory manager; and Pauline Davies, a professor of practice in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. The center at ASU will be a think tank that hosts several workshops each year on topics related to the intersection of physical science and cancer. The center will also create a Web site to serve as a window on the research program and to host research papers, podcasts, webcasts and news items. “The traditional approach to cancer is it is a disease to be cured. We are taking the approach that it is part of life’s intrinsic exuberance that we wish to control,” Davies says.“We don't have to cure cancer. All we have to do is to find ways of preventing it from taking over and destroying the body of the host.” Using computed tomography imaging of individual cancer cells in true 3-D, this image shows a highly-dysplastic esophageal epithelial cell, well on its way to becoming esophageal cancer. (Images courtesy of Deirdre Meldrum, Vivek Nandakumar, Laimonas Kelbauskas and Roger Johnson/ Center for Ecogenomics/ Biodesign Institute at ASU). i n m u l A Friends for life ASU MAGAZINE 14 The ASU Alumni Association welcomes the following new life members, who joined between September 11 and December 3, 2009. Afroza Ahmed ‘07 B.S. ◆Terry L. Hengl ‘76 M.S., ‘78 M.S. ◆Robert A. Royal ‘79 B.S. Jennifer A. Ailshire ‘03 B.A. Bobbi E. Holcomb ‘03 B.A. Jovito G. Sabal ‘90 B.A. Jason D. Ake ‘07 B.I.S. ◆Krista A. Howard ‘95 B.S. Rebecca L. Applegate Michael T. Ingeman Jennifer D. Salazar ‘07 B.A., ‘07 B.A., ‘07 B.A. Joseph R. Ashby ‘02 B.A., ‘02 B.A. Ashleigh A. Janzik ‘07 B.S. George E. Sarafin ‘07 B.A. Sharon Brause Steven K. Fanning ‘07 M.S.E. Jeremy W. Seifert Benjamin R. Clement ‘03 B.S.E. Patricia J. Johnson ‘08 D.N.P. Stacy L. Sevier ‘03 B.S. Teresa J. Clement ‘02 B.S.E., ‘07 Ph.D. David B. King Thomas R. Shope Jr. ‘08 B.S. James L. King ‘07 M.B.A. Andrea M. Sigala Michael A. Colp Jennifer J. Kline ‘95 B.A. Laura C. Sipe Russell J. Devine ‘05 B.S. Kathryn Kramer Jayme L. Sloan ‘02 B.S. Theresa L. Dillon Carmen B. Krueger ‘93 B.S. Dwight C. Smith ‘67 M.A. Steven W. Duckett Christopher J. Lee Ariel E. Dunn ‘08 B.S. Camille A. Patterson ‘00 B.S. ◆Linda D. Snider ‘81 B.S., ‘86 M.Ed. Jenna D. Eckenrode ‘09 B.A., ‘09 B.I.S. Michele R. Lefevre ‘07 B.A. Edward C. Ellis Ali Emamjomeh ‘08 M.S.E. Maribeth England ‘05 B.I.S. Nima Ertebati ‘07 B.A. ◆Mindie N. Factor ‘79 M.S. Steven K. Fanning ‘07 M.S.E. Todd T. Lenczycki ‘00 B.S., ‘08 J.D. Mary E. Maness Jennifer K. Mareiro ◆Debra Hawkins Margraf ‘86 B.S. Brian McLoughlin ‘09 B.A., ‘09 B.A. ◆Robert W. Snider ‘94 B.A.E. Bernadette Spencer ‘08 B.A.E. Jeri K. Spencer Anne-Marie R. Stump John D. Thomas ‘77 B.S. Terrence A. Thomas ‘00 M.B.A. Adam G. Trombley ‘00 B.S.E., ‘09 M.B.A. Arthur H. Fesler-Butts ‘07 B.S. Mia M. McNulty ‘04 B.S., ‘08 M.N.S. Annebelle V. Firebaugh ‘07 B.A.E. Jeffrey A. Metcalf ‘07 M.Ed. Jeannette M. Friedel ‘07 B.S. Ross P. Meyer ‘07 B.S. Dara B. Gibson ‘90 B.S. Kathryn R. Miller Christopher J. Glover Rebecca E. Myers ‘04 B.S., ‘04 B.S., ‘07 M.S. Gold Devil Life level. A Gold Devil Life membership, Tara K. Gregory ‘08 B.S. costs $650/individual, $800/couple or $150 to Thomas M. Gregory III ‘93 B.S. Ron A. Newcomb ‘04 B.S.E., ‘07 M.B.A. Kelly B. Gwilliam ‘01 B.A.E. Camille A. Patterson ‘00 B.S. Derrick O. Hachtel Patricia S. Powell ‘83 B.S. Norine L. Heinrich ‘65 B.S.N. ◆Randy D. Raymond ‘92 M.B.A. Robert J. Heinrich ‘59 B.S. Richard L. Rowan ‘08 B.S.E. ◆Robin O. Hengl ‘75 B.S. ◆Darcy A. Royal ‘78 B.S. Diane M. Whitmore ‘95 B.A.E. Clarence G. Winningham ‘67 B.A.E. ◆ = indicates a member who has joined at the upgrade from an existing life membership. Show your Sun Devil pride for life. Become a life member or upgrade to the Gold Devil life level at www.asu.edu/alumni or by calling 1-800-ALUMNUS. 14 NEWS Bases loaded What a kick! Spin city Up close and personal Hooping it up Sun Devil soccer players celebrate after Aissa Sanchez (11) scores in the team’s NCAA tournament game at Wisconsin. What a kick! Soccer team advances to NCAA tournament Finishing the regular season with a flourish, the ASU women’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003 and brought hope for the future. At the tournament, the Sun Devils earned victories over Oregon State and Oregon, then took host Wisconsin to the limit before falling in a penalty kick shootout. In the Wisconsin game, freshman Michelle Sanchez picked a good time to score her first career goal in the 72nd minute to tie Wisconsin at 1-1. After a scoreless 20-minute overtime period, Wisconsin outscored ASU 4-3 in the shootout. ASU’s final record was 9-7-4; the team was particularly strong at home, where it finished 7-1-2. The Sun Devils’ top three scorers were junior Alexandra Elston, freshman Karin Volpe and freshman Courtney Tinnin, all of whom are expected to return this fall. Reaching the tournament was a big accomplishment, according to coach Kevin Boyd, who wrapped up his third season. “I desperately wanted us to get in. I just thought we deserved it,’’ Boyd told The Arizona Republic. “I think this team has character. I think it’s a nice reward for them and for the work they’ve done this year, and it’s great for our program.’’ Don Ketchum, a Phoenix-based freelance writer, previously covered sports for The Arizona Republic. BASES LOADED New head coach charts inaugural season with talented team A new adventure awaited Arizona State baseball players at the start of the 2010 season. After the abrupt resignation of head coach Pat Murphy on Nov. 20 after 15 years at the helm, the Sun Devils pressed on toward the 2010 season with interim coach Tim Esmay in an attempt to win a fourth straight Pac-10 Conference championship. Esmay, a former ASU baseball player who has worked with the team as an assistant coach for the past five seasons, inherits a team that finished 51-14 in 2009. The Sun Devils lost a number of key players over the break, including Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year Mike Leake and outfielder Jason Kipnis, the conference’s Player of theYear. Fortunately, the shelves have been replenished with several newcomers with potential, including freshman shortstop Deven Marrero from Davie, Fla., and right-handed pitcher Jake Barrett from Desert Ridge High in Mesa. Left-hander Josh Spence, an Australian, is expected to be another top pitcher for the Sun Devils. The new coach began his coaching career following his playing days at ASU in 1986 and 1987. He served as an assistant coach under Jim Brock from 1988 to 1990, then again in Brock’s final season of 1994. After a number of years as the head baseball coach at the University of Utah, Esmay returned to ASU in 2005 as an assistant coach, helping the team to a third place national finish and an appearance in the College World Series. He was named assistant head coach prior to the 2007 season. Murphy leaves a long shadow at ASU, after winning 629 games at ASU and 1,000 overall, and with Esmay at the helm, Tim Esmay ASU’s approach is unlikely to change much in the interim. The current team is quite similar to last year’s – scrappy, but with a lot more offense. Whatever the outcome, expectations remain high for this year’s team. ASU has finished the season ranked in the top five in three of the last five years and have been ranked in the top 10 five of the past seven years. Only North Carolina and Cal State-Fullerton are in that same category. By Don Ketchum SPIN CITY Sophomore softball pitcher ups the ante for 2010 Replacing a legend isn’t easy. Hillary Bach did an admirable job as a freshman for Arizona State’s softball team in 2009, stepping into the pitching circle after Katie Burkhart had helped lead the Sun Devils to the NCAA Women’s College World Series Championship in 2008. Bach, a 6-foot-2 right-hander, posted a 31-11 record in 2009 with a 2.82 earned-run average as she started 41 of the 46 games in which she appeared. ASU finished with a 47-19 and again reached the World Series in Oklahoma City, just down the road from Bach’s hometown of Tulsa. Over the winter, Bach underwent a rigorous training regimen. She and her teammates would work out at 6 a.m., six days a week. Bach worked on adding more spin to her pitches with pitching coach Kirsten Voak, a former ASU star on the mound. “You can throw 90,000 miles an hour, but a lot of hitters will be able to catch up to it,’’ Bach said.“If you work on your spin, you can put it where you want it when you need it.’’ Now spring is here and the 2010 season is in full bloom. Bach says she’s more than ready for it. “After all of that (off-season) work, this is the easy part, the part we all live for,’’ Bach said. By Don Ketchum Hillary Bach ASU MAGAZINE SPORTS 16 17 UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Former ASU baseball players return to state for Cactus League action Any time a former member of the Arizona State University baseball team makes it to the major leagues, ASU baseball fans and alumni feel a sense of inclusion and enjoy going along for the ride. Eight former Sun Devils dotted major league rosters last year; during the most recent Cactus League spring training season held in Arizona in February and March, ASU baseball fans have had a chance to take a closer look at two former Sun Devils. Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu became the first Asian-American manager in major leagues during the 2009 season. Wakamatsu was an All-Pac 10 catcher in each of his last three seasons at ASU (1983-1985), compiling .314 batting average in his four years at ASU. Although he excelled as a college player, Wakamatsu’s professional baseball career has been defined by his work as a coach and manager, as his skills in that area were evident early on. In his senior year at ASU, Wakamatsu was the captain on a team that included future major leaguers Mike Devereaux and Barry Bonds. Wakamatsu said while certain college players may have the big leagues written all over them, everyone playing major-league baseball is already at that exceptional level of talent, which makes for a major distinction between college and pro ball. “In college it tends to be more of a team sport. When you get thrown into professional baseball, you tend to think it is an individual sport … you’re not just competing against the other team, you’re competing against guys within your own system,” said Wakamatsu. Former Sun Devil and current Kansas City Royals utility player Willie Bloomquist has been praised by his coaches as a player who competes for every pitch. He’s competing in his ninth big league season; 2010 will be the second of a two-year contract with Kansas City Royals. A lifetime .263 hitter, Bloomquist hit .265 last season with 4 home runs, 29 RBI (runs batted in) and 25 stolen bases, all while playing seven different positions (all but pitcher and catcher) in a career-high 125 games. Being an ASU alum is like belonging to a fraternity, says Bloomquist, and no matter what major league team ASU players play for, they’ll always be Sun Devils as well. “There is a brotherhood. (ASU) was a great place and there’s a common ground. We all keep in touch with what’s going on,”says Bloomquist. Although he has spent spring training in the Cactus League for the duration of his career, Bloomquist said he seldom thought about the possibility of playing spring ball in Arizona during his days at ASU. For one thing, he noted, Sun Devil players rarely had the time to contemplate visiting a ballpark in which they weren’t playing. “I knew it was going on, but I never got out and watched a game,” Bloomquist said.“Our schedule was tough enough under (former ASU Baseball Coach Pat Murphy)… I had to put my nose to the grindstone. But we knew spring training was going on; we were definitely in touch with it.” Charlie Vascellaro ‘93 B.A. is a Baltimore-based freelance sportswriter. Willie Bloomquist Don Wakamatsu Joe Murphy / NBAE HOOPING IT UP Trio of Sun Devils keep the excitement high for NBA’s Grizzlies Joe Murphy / NBAE Lionel Hollins Dustin Krugel A career in the National Basketball Association has given Lionel Hollins ‘86 B.S. the opportunity to visit China, Greece, Italy and Spain. He recalls that his globetrotting days began during his time at ASU; the introduction to air travel for the Kansas native came when he was already a Sun Devil. “Growing up in my environment, the first plane flight I took was as a sophomore in college,” Hollins said.“In my experiences at ASU, I was able to meet a diverse group of people and understand their world, compared to my world.” Hollins’ basketball world these days includes a close look at the famed Beale Street, as he is in his second season as head coach of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Two other ASU graduates also work on the Memphis staff: Dustin Krugel ‘99 B.A. who is the team’s director of basketball media relations, and Eric McMahon ‘01 B.S., who is the team’s mascot,“Grizz” – a costumed character that brings the Grizzlies crowd to life during games and makes 150 appearances a year at community events. Hollins has a deep well of success from his playing days from which to advise his team. Following his senior season at ASU in 1975, Hollins was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers. He won a world championship as part of the 1977 Portland squad and made the All-Star team in 1978. He averaged 11.6 points a game as a player before making the transition to coaching. With the Grizzlies, Hollins has inherited a young team, with players such as O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol in the early stages of their careers. Even with his strong playing background, he admits he has his work cut out for him. “It is a challenge when you have young guys with little experience at this level,” Hollins said. “It’s a totally different level and it takes more than one or two players. It takes a unit. It takes sacrifice and to grow as people, become more focused and see what it’s about in real terms.” While Hollins focuses on getting his players to connect as a team, Krugel maintains the team’s communication with local, national and international media outlets, coordinating interviews and fielding questions about the team. He’s been with the team since 2007. He originally had an interest in being a sports writer, but an introduction to the sports information department at ASU led to an internship with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, and his path was changed. McMahon has been with the Grizzlies for four years. He is a cancer survivor. He’s maintained his ties with Arizona, even coming back to the Grand Canyon state for his cancer treatments. He emphasized that his job as Grizz found him in the office just as much as it took him out into the Memphis community. All three men said their foundations for career success were formed at ASU, with Hollins especially grateful that he was able to play in the NBA and resume his studies to complete his degree a handful of years later. He says the assistance he received from the university staff and business department in re-enrolling after being out of school for 10 years was vital—and strengthened his already firm status as a lifelong Sun Devil fan. “I still have a strong affinity for Arizona State and root for them in all they do,” Hollins said. Brian Hudgins is a freelance sportswriter based in Lafayette, La. Joe Murphy / NBAE MARCH MADNESS MAINSTAYS ASU basketball an integral part of NCAA tournament action Grizz (Eric McMahon) Arizona State University will have made its mark on this year’s men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball tournaments, regardless of how its teams do in the contest. ASU hosted the 2010 Women’s Basketball first- and second-round action on March 20 and 22 in Tempe, while the men’s tournament returned to US Airways Arena in 2012 for the fourth time on March 22-24. Beyond the university’s obvious geographic impact, the men’s and women’s Sun Devil head coaches are certainly no strangers to the tournament. Herb Sendek has taken three different teams to the NCAA Tournament on seven occasions. Last year he led ASU to a 25-10 mark, its second-most wins in school history, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. Although it was something new for ASU, it was a typical Herb Sendek season, as he took North Carolina State to five straight tournaments from 2002 to 2006 and also led Miami (Ohio) to the 1995 NCAA Tournament, where he beat Arizona in a first-round upset. Charli Turner Thorne has made the Sun Devil women’s team a constant at the NCAA Tournament. She has led ASU to seven NCAA Tournaments in the past nine years, including a current streak of five straight entering 2009-2010. Her 2009 team made it to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut. Doug Tammaro is the media relations director for ASU Athletics. Ty Abbott be the ultimate sun devil Be a Gold Devil As a Gold Devil Life Member, you receive: A Gold Devil Life Membership pin Recognition in ASU Magazine Knowledge that your contribution helps advance ASU by enabling scholarships, alumni awards and other programs All the benefits of life membership in the ASU Alumni Association A Gold Devil Life Membership in the ASU Alumni Association is among the greatest ways to demonstrate your ASU pride. Being a Gold Devil is a distinction you carry for life. Gold Devils exemplify the proud spirit of ASU alumni of today and yesterday; men and women of action who helped raise funds to build the Memorial Union, participated in the name-change ballot initiative in 1958 and spearheaded the drive to renovate Old Main in the late 1990s. Gold Devil membership costs $650 for new members or current ASU Alumni Association Annual Members; $800 for couples. Current Life Members can upgrade for only $150. Please visit asu.edu/alumni/membership and become a Gold Devil today or call us at (800) ALUMNUS or (480) 965-2586. visions of a new american university A photo-filled book featuring the photography of Tim Trumble with a foreward by ASU President Michael M. Crow. The perfect gift for every Sun Devil, this keepsake book includes more than 180 photos that capture the spirit and character of ASU. Take a walk down memory lane and rediscover Sun Devil pride. Here’s how to get a copy of this beautiful keepsake: Visit this Web site http://bookstore.asu.edu/asu/MerchList.aspx?ID= 2443 or purchase a copy at the ASU Bookstore on any of ASU’s four campuses for just $39.95 Show your ASU pride with maroon and gold clothing and alumni gear from the official store of ASU, the ASU Bookstores. http://bookstore.asu.edu The ASU Bookstore is an official partner of the ASU Alumni Association. A 6:30 a.m. phone call last October upended Elinor Ostromʼs world, placing the modest ASU research professor in the midst of a whirlwind of media activity. Ostrom learned she had won the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize the first woman ever in Economic Sciences, to win the award. Within hours, she was booked solid for the day with a news confer- ence and interviews. The award, shared with Oliver E. Williamson of the University of California at Berkeley, caps a distinguished career Collective action, singular accomplishment that began about 45 years ago, when she earned her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles. As a woman she had faced roadblocks even getting into a doctoral program, and she had been barred from taking calculus as an under- graduate.The Nobel was a sweet, albeit momentous, surprise. But her colleagues at ASU and at Indiana University (IU), where she also ASU Magazine interviews 2009 lectual leader, a brilliant and innovative scientist whose work has a huge relevance in sustainability environmental issues,” said Nobel andLaureate Sander van der Leeuw, director of the ASU School of Human Elinor Ostrom Evolution and Social Change in the College of Liberal Arts and holds an appointment, knew it was richly deserved. “Elinor is an intel- Sciences, who persuaded Ostrom to join ASU part-time in 2006. “She combines economics, anthropology, political science and deci- By Sarah Auffret sion-making in her work, and she is committed to the major issues of our society. She is the kind of transdisciplinary scientist we seek at ASU. We give her the support to do the work for which she is gifted.”Ostrom, a political economist, was honored for her work showing how ordinary people can create their own regulations to govern common resources, such as forests, fisheries and lakes—and that they are often successful.She challenged the presumption that common pool resources are always mismanaged. For instance, she found that farmers in Nepal who worked together to build primitive irriga- tion systems were more successful than those who used more sophisticated, agency-built systems. The key was communication, trust and reciprocity. She also applied her research to the study of police agencies across the country, and her data showed that small, community-based police departments are often more effective than 6:30 a.m. p h o n e c a lmanaged l l a s t O c t o b e r in u p ea n d ehierarchid large metropolitan police departments being A cal, top-down manner in providing direct services to citizens. In Elinor Ostrom’s world, placing the modest ASU research professor in the midst of a whirlwind of media activity. Ostrom learned she had won the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, the first woman ever to win the award. Within hours, she was booked solid for the day with a news conference and interviews. The award, shared with Oliver E. Williamson of the University of California at Berkeley, caps a distinguished career that began about 45 years ago, when she earned her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles. As a woman she had faced roadblocks even getting into a doctoral program, and she had been barred from taking calculus as an undergraduate. The Nobel was a sweet, albeit momentous, surprise. But her colleagues at ASU and at Indiana University (IU), where she also holds an appointment, knew it was richly deserved. “Elinor is an intellectual leader, a brilliant and innovative scientist whose work has a huge relevance in sustainability and environmental issues,” said Sander van der Leeuw, director of the ASU School of Human Evolution and Social Change in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who persuaded Ostrom to join ASU part-time in 2006. “She combines economics, anthropology, political science and decision-making in her work, and she is committed to the major issues of our society. She is the kind of transdisciplinary studying the Indianapolis area, for instance, she found that police officers from smaller departments had more knowledge about the area and the citizens they served, and citizens communicated more with police, than in consolidated city-wide departments. This led to better crime prevention. Ostrom became the founding director of the ASU Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, where scientists incorporate a variety of disciplines—math, anthropology, economics, political science, ecology—to determine how peopleʼs decisions and the environment interact. The center explores sustainability, balanc- ing conservation with development, and assessing the impact of resource use, especially “pooled” resources such as groundwater scientist we seek at ASU. We give her the support to do the work and commercial fisheries.Colleague Marco Janssen, one of her for which she is gifted.” main collaborators at the center, describes her intellectual work as Ostrom, a political economist, was honored for her work showing how ordinary people can create their own regulations to govern common resources, such as forests, fisheries and lakes—and that they are often successful. She challenged the presumption that common pool resources are always mismanaged. For instance, she found that farmers in Nepal who worked together to build primitive irrigation systems were more successful than those who used more sophisticated, agency-built systems. The key was communication, trust and reciprocity. She also applied her research to the study of police agencies across the country, and her data showed that small, community-based police departments are often more effective than large metropolitan police departments being managed in a hierarchical, top-down manner in providing direct services to citizens. In studying the Indianapolis area, for instance, she found that police officers from smaller departments had more knowledge about the area and the citizens they served, and citizens communicated more with police, than in consolidated city-wide departments. This led to better crime prevention. Ostrom became the founding director of the ASU Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, where scientists incorporate a variety of disciplines—math, anthropology, economics, political science, ecology—to determine how people’s decisions and the environment interact. The center explores sustainability, balancing conservation with development, and assessing the impact of resource use, especially “pooled” resources such as groundwater and commercial fisheries. Colleague Marco Janssen, one of her main collaborators at the center, describes her intellectual work as “Ostromology,” since it combines so many disciplines and is a unique way of looking at collective action problems. Janssen creates computerized experiments in which participants interact with models of social-ecological systems. He and Ostrom study how people adapt to and innovate in the face of environmental changes. “Elinor is wonderful to work with since she has so much experience from field studies that enables me to formulate experiments,” said Janssen. “A lot of policy-making is based on opinions instead of evidence. Elinor does good research to understand how people can solve collective action problems. She always focuses on content, is generous in providing feedback and collaboration, and is constantly innovative and explores new approaches.” ASU President Michael Crow described Ostrom’s award as “an amazing and very well-deserved honor for Elinor.” “ASU is proud to share in this great tribute,” said Crow. “It is another meaningful example of how our leading-edge faculty are earning widespread recognition for their work to address society’s biggest challenges and to educate new generations of innovative thinkers.” “Ostromology,” since it combines so many disciplines and is a unique way of looking at collective action problems. Janssen creates computerized experiments in which participants interact with models of social-ecological systems. He and Ostrom study how people adapt to and innovate in the face of environmental changes.“Elinor is wonderful to work with since she has so much experience from field studies that enables me to formulate experiments,” said Janssen. “A lot of policy-making is based on opinions instead of evidence. Elinor does good research to understand how people can solve collective action problems. She always focuses on content, is generous in providing feedback and collaboration, and is constantly innovative and explores new approaches.”ASU President Michael Crow described Ostromʼs award as “an amazing and very well-deserved honor for Elinor.” “ASU is proud to share in this great tribute,” said Crow. “It is another meaningful example of how our leading-edge faculty are earning widespread recognition for their work to address societyʼs biggest challenges and to educate new generations of innovative thinkers.” ASU Magazine talked with Dr. Ostrom about her work and her career just prior t o her trip to Stockholm, Sweden, for the Nobel ceremony on Dec. 10. ASU Magazine: Was it difficult to find a place to do the kind of interdisciplinary research you wanted to do? Ostrom: Yes, it’s always been difficult. But ASU is at the leading edge of schools that are really pushing on the interdisciplinarity. I’m very, very excited by what they’re doing. The Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity is a sister center to the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University, so we’ve had folks going back and forth between Tempe and Bloomington, which is good for us all. ASU Magazine: What were your challenges as a woman in academia in the 1960s and 1970s? We understand you were advised against going to graduate school. Ostrom: Yes, I was. When I was admitted to UCLA for my Ph.D. in the late ‘50s, there were four women in a class of 40, and there was a huge controversy in the faculty because they hadn’t had a woman faculty member or graduate student for multiple decades. People wondered why that committee let four of us in. They thought it would hurt the reputation of the department. which was normal in the mid-‘60s. Then I had the good luck to be offered a visiting assistant professor position since they needed someone to teach political science at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and I was willing to do that. I became graduate adviser during the Vietnam War because they needed someone who had experience and age – I was in my thirties – and they appointed me on a real line. Even earlier, I was advised against taking mathematics in high school. I loved geometry and got an A-plus, but I only got a B in algebra, so when I wanted to take trigonometry they said no, that women can’t take trig unless they happen to get an A-plus in both algebra and geometry. Then I couldn’t take calculus in college because you needed trig. I finally took calculus officially when I was an assistant professor at IU. ASU Magazine: Was it difficult getting your first academic position? Ostrom: My husband received an offer as full professor at IU, and I came with him without a position, ASU Magazine: According to the Center for American Progress, the lack of support for raising a family continues to be a drawback for women scientists in academia. How did that affect you? Ostrom: I had a clear choice (about a family). And I made the decision not to have a family because, in earlier times, that would have been a very, very difficult thing to accomplish. ASU Magazine: Colleagues say you are a role model. Do you try to bring about change? Ostrom: I’ve tried to mentor women whenever I possibly could when it was related to my ongoing work, so I could help create a better future. I try to make sure that some of their self doubts that come along because of past experiences are taken away as being big problems. I try to make sure women who are really concerned about their futures have a little more optimistic view. ASU Magazine: Science magazine called this year’s Nobels a possible breakthrough for women. Do you agree? Ostrom: Four women in one year, that’s pretty good. I hope that there will be many Nobel prizes in the future awarded to women who have achieved a fair amount and deserve it. We need to be looking at a wide diversity of stereotypes that we use in terms of how we treat girls and boys growing up, and recognize that gender is different, but make sure not to limit the opportunities available to women or to people who come from different backgrounds. ASU Magazine: Why is your work on how people handle complex urban and environmental problems, such as the proper management of public lands and resources, important? Ostrom: We’ve been very interested in how humans are able to cope with and solve very difficult problems. We hope to at least understand why people failed here and succeeded there. Down the pipe that means some possible help for the future. resources as well as their own, to solve a problem. These were heads of private or public firms, who created their own (organization, the) West Basin Water Association. Solving a problem like this was immense. They struggled, worked hard, and they were successful, on many fronts. ASU Magazine: What are some examples of how ordinary people have worked together successfully to manage a common resource? Ostrom: In Los Angeles, for instance, there were over 700 pumpers taking water out of the groundwater basin. The overdraft started in the 1930s, and the war came along and nobody was worried about groundwater problems. But by 1945 they had very serious saltwater intrusion. There were 11 different cities, lots of government jurisdictions, but none had the right boundaries, so they eventually had to use national, state, and local ASU Magazine: And more recently you studied irrigation systems in Nepal? Ostrom: We studied over 200 irrigation systems in Nepal, looking at their long-time productivity, technical efficiency and cost efficiency. They have farmer-managed primitive systems built with logs and other clay things. They also have agencybased concrete systems that are built much better than the primitive systems built by farmers. We’ve found that on all fronts, the farmermanaged systems do better than the agency-managed systems. ASU Magazine: Why can citizens often do a better job managing common resources than an agency? Ostrom: It’s often because they’re trying to solve a problem of a very high order of magnitude. In Nepal it’s the question of whether they eat for the coming year, or starve. People can sometimes still fail. But if it’s important, and if they can find a way of communicating well with another, and if they can build trust and reciprocity, they sometimes can do a very good job. The presumption that humans can’t solve problems unless they happen to be government officials—that’s what our research challenges. ASU Magazine: What is a common pool resource in Phoenix? Ostrom: You’ve got the Salt River near you that’s a common pool resource. Two thousand years ago, the people who were developing that area for agriculture built all sorts of facilities that are being studied by the archaeologists at ASU. How do you get people other than government to recognize they can reduce their use of water? One of the encouraging things is the number of citizens who’ve moved to desert lawns instead of watering like mad to get things nice and green. The president of ASU has taken some wonderful stands in terms of wanting to reduce the amount of gasoline used in Phoenix in getting to campus, by using bikes and light rail. I’m very laudatory of that effort. ASU Magazine: What happens when people don’t manage a common resource properly? Ostrom: There have been a lot of disastrous outcomes, particularly in fisheries throughout the world. In one sardine fishery off the coast of California, they used up the fish in the 1980s. They’re gone. There are some fisheries that are quite successful, like the lobster fishery in Maine. But it takes a lot of time and effort by the people involved to get themselves organized and agree on the strategies that involve short-term reduction in harvesting but long-term increase in sustainability. ASU Magazine: How did you become interested in your field of expertise? Ostrom: I was very interested in how people solve problems. I've studied government, but I was particularly interested in how citizens and users of resources solve problems and not just government. My dissertation on groundwater got me started, and then in working on policing in metropolitan areas we found a large number of smaller communities that were able to have police departments that were very effective. Yet the literature said we had to consolidate all the police departments. We’ve let people take small units away from us. A lot of literature on government stresses hierarchy, top down, and I’ve never been too impressed with that. Sarah Auffret is assistant director of media relations for ASU. Prescription for healing ASU researchers probe social and cultural aspects of wellness By Christopher Vaughan Americans currently find themselves involved in the latest round of a complex and contentious debate about how to improve healthcare in this country. Legislators, lobbyists and members of the public at large offer vastly different models to achieve similar goals: high-quality care that is both affordable and easy to access. But what if improving health outcomes required more than just different insurance models or better technology? What if it literally took a village to raise a healthy child— or a healthy adult, for that matter? “In the old days it was ‘just say no to drugs,’ but some cultures don’t feel comfortable saying a direct no.” ASU Professor Flavio Marsiglia, director of ASU’s Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center Humans are social creatures. How we react to stress, what we eat, and whether we go to the doctor for a slight fever or tough it out at home are in large part determined by how we are brought up, and by what our friends might do in similar situations. Many studies have demonstrated that people who smoke or are obese are likely to hang out with others who smoke or are obese. These studies also demonstrate that quitting smoking or losing weight is more difficult to do if your friends or family share your condition, and that one of the best ways to achieve your goals is to hang out with people who share similar goals. ASU researchers are at the forefront of a major, multidisciplinary research effort revealing that an individual’s health has a major social component, with a person’s physical and mental well being impacted on a deep level by habits learned and reinforced by their social circle and cultural heritage. And although very little of the more than $2.2 trillion Americans spend on health care every year is devoted to this social component, ASU researchers have demonstrated that many interventions may well fail unless it is taken into account. If the future of living more healthfully lies in understanding how culture affects healthcare and how to improve individual health through culturally appropriate interventions, the ideal place to refine that understanding is Arizona. With sizable populations of affluent and lower-income citizens, Latinos and Native Americans, young people and the elderly, Asians, African Americans and people of European ancestry, the Valley of the Sun, in particular, presents an optimal laboratory for testing and implementing new ideas. “I like to say that this part of the country is what the whole country will look like in 40 years,” says ASU Professor Flavio Marsiglia, director of ASU’s Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC), which conducts transdisciplinary minority health and health disparities research, training and community outreach. Culture and Health For 12 years, Marsiglia and SIRC have been working with Mexican-American and Native American communities, conducting research on community-based approaches for combating drug and alcohol abuse, diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease. ASU MAGAZINE 30 PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALING 31 Associate Nursing Professor Nelma Shearer, c o -d ir e c to r lle n c e u rs in g E x c e f G e ri a tr ic N rd C e n te r o rs it y ’s H a rt fo o f th e u n iv e SIRC researchers have found that cultural practices in Mexican and Native American families act as protective health factors, but these are often lost or diluted when Mexican-American or American Indian youths move to an urban American environment. They have found, for example, that in traditional Latino culture, strong family ties make it less likely that the children would do something that would bring shame to the family. But when kids become more acculturated to the more individualistic American culture, their rate of drug use goes up. SIRC has a program called “Keepin’ it REAL” aimed at helping youths navigate between the cultures and keep the positive aspects of each. The program is now being adapted for urban American Indian youth under the name “Living in Two Worlds.” When kids are tempted to use alcohol, marijuana or tobacco, SIRC researchers have found it is important to provide tools that work within cultural norms to keep them away from these substances. “In the old days it was ‘just say no,’ but some cultures don’t feel comfortable saying a direct no, there may be more comfortable ways of saying no,” Marsiglia says. “Messages that don’t connect with individuals are not effective.” Marsiglia and his colleagues found that when some American Indian kids are offered marijuana they often feel that saying no is too confrontational. The team found out that they prefer to redirect the conversation, perhaps by telling a story that had nothing to do with the offer, as a way of changing the subject without damaging their relationship with the person offering. Mexican-American kids, on the other hand, preferred to turn down the offer of marijuana using explanations such as “it gives me a headache,” or “my parents will be upset.” While the SIRC researchers are interested in improving health outcomes, they are also very much a research organization. The center uses randomized trials, and every trial has a control group that gets standard interventions. The data shows that what they are doing is working, Marsiglia says. “In some cases, we found a 25 percent difference between the control group and the intervention group in their use of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.” With new funding, SIRC is expanding their research to the Asian and African American communities. “Talking about what they wanted to achieve helped them to recognize their own capacities.” “In the group that volunteered, we found no relationship between difficulty with daily activities and mortality.” ASU psychology professor, Morris Okun Group Therapy Sometimes it’s social interaction with the messenger, rather than just the message, that’s important in improving health outcomes. Associate Nursing Professor Nelma Shearer, who co-directs the university’s Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, has seen how social conversation about health problems can lead to health improvements. She did one study at a senior center in which a group of seniors were asked to share their thoughts about health problems with the group. “The impact was dramatic,” Shearer says. “At the end of the group sessions, people were saying ‘I can’t believe how much better I feel.’ As they talked I noticed a change in how they ineracted and spoke about themselves and their health. I could see a physical transformation in how they sat and moved.” In a recent study, Shearer looked at how homebound seniors set and attain their goals for improving well being. “For some of them, the goals might be getting back to church, or walking outside the home,” Shearer says. What she found was that the elderly subjects who spoke about their goals with a researcher and talked through what it meant to them were much more likely to attain those goals than subjects in the control group, who simply listed their health goals and received a health newsletter. “Talking about what they wanted to achieve helped them to recognize their own capacities,” Shearer says. “We might reminisce about their lives before they became homebound, about how they helped themselves in the past,” which gave them ideas about how they might go about meeting their present challenges, Shearer said. The scientists at SIRC also are moving toward strengthening and using relationships as part of their interventions. Because the family is so important in Mexican American cultures, SIRC scientists have realized that in order to help kids they really have to involve parents. SIRC currently is conducting a randomized trial of techniques to get parents involved in the effort to keep kids away from alcohol, marijuana and tobacco. “It really takes everyone in the family to make sure that things are okay” with the kids, Marsiglia says. ASU psychology professor Morris Okun, who studies health among aging adults, also has done research demonstrating the importance of social context in goal-setting behavior on health issues. A study he did with fellow psychology professor Paul Karoly showed that people adhered to goals more readily if they set them jointly with someone else, rather than if they set them alone. Interestingly, though, if the goals were set by a partner rather than jointly set, people had even lower adherence rates. “Other studies have shown that if people feel pressured they react as if their freedom is being taken away,” Okun says. “The key thing is the relationship. We looked at dating partners, and if the relationship was not good, even positive forms of social control could backfire.” Another study revealed that people with chronic health conditions who volunteer have a better sense of well being than similarly ill people who did not volunteer. Okun and his colleagues split a number of older Americans into two groups: those who volunteered frequently or moderately often with organizations devoted to helping others and those who volunteered minimally or not at all. ASU MAGAZINE 34 PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALING 35 dean of ASU’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation Bernadette Melnyk, “In the group that volunteered, we found no relationship between difficulty with daily activities and mortality” in a seven-year period, Okun says. “But in the group that did not volunteer, there was a strong positive relationship. “Despite the difficulties people have as they age, the social interaction involved in volunteering may provide a way to offset the effects of those problems in terms of their psychology, health status and even mortality,” he continued. Gained in Translation In addition to studying the impact of one’s personal culture on health, another mode of inquiry at ASU has involved a look at how culture-based interventions are delivered, often beginning at the edge of the hospital bed or inside the examination room. Nursing has long been in the position of interpreting and translating between the worlds of the healthcare practitioner and the patient, and nurses often are responsible for ensuring that medical therapies are actually implemented, in spite of real-world hurdles. “The social context plays a very large role in people’s health across the care continuum, from the highest level of healthcare during hospitalization to what people do every day out in the community,” says Bernadette Melnyk, dean of ASU’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation. “There are many studies that support very strongly that when you work with people on behavior change or medication adherence, when you work with them in the context of them as individuals and their community, it has a more potent and sustainable effect on health.” The college is involved in a number of programs in which cultural considerations are utilized or studied in the context of providing effective health care to communities. Menlyk herself has an NIH grant to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health in “What I see is cultural ideas about weight interacting with literacy, education and other factors.” i Q uir og a, sk pin e S zu lin Se sor fes pro Ua ssi sta nt AS teenagers in the Phoenix area. The college is home to one of only four national centers on evidence-based practice, studying what interventions work in the real world and why. Melnyk notes that this “translational” research is key to improving the success rates of health interventions. “We are in the infancy of translational research, in taking an intervention from a randomized, controlled trial and putting it out there in the community,” Melnyk says. “Given those social and cultural factors, it might not work the same. We have to find the best strategy to get the intervention that is deemed effective in the research environment out into the community in a way that we get the same outcome.” Looking at the Big Picture To answer our greatest public health problems, it’s necessary to reach even farther back and consider the larger social context of health, according to researchers such as Seline Szupinski Quiroga, a medical anthropologist who is an assistant professor in the Department of Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies, which resides in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Szupinski Quiroga is a co-principal investigator with the South Phoenix Collaborative, an ASU-sponsored project with the twin goals of using transdisciplinary tools to study the effect of culture on health and environmental disparities, as well as developing new tools to address those disparities. Szupinski Quiroga, who has the added perspective of being the child of immigrant parents, finds that cultural factors are only one part of the equation when trying to find out why people have unhealthy habits and how they can change them. For example, in explaining why there are higher rates of obesity in the Mexican American population, people tend to go to cultural factors for an explanation. “People say ‘Mexican women like big babies’, that ‘Mexican food is fatty food’, and so on,” she says. “That may be a good starting point, but you have to start asking if you mean traditional Mexican food or Mexican-American food? Food prepared in the home or in a restaurant? What I see is cultural ideas about weight interacting with literacy, education and other factors.” Gabriel Shaibi, an assistant professor with the College of Nursing & Health Innovation who works on obesity research in the Mexican-American community, also sees complexity that must be accounted for if public health campaigns are going to be successful. “The traditional biomedical approach advises kids to eat less and exercise more,” Shaibi says. “But focusing efforts primarily on energy balance to support weight loss has not proven to be successful or sustainable. Many of these programs have not addressed cultural factors such as traditional cooking practices or environmental factors such as neighborhood walkability, both of which may contribute to the current epidemic of pediatric obesity.” Studies Department of Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o ASU MAGAZINE 38 PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALING 39 assist ASU assistant professor Gabriel Shaibi, s rofes ant p Colleg h the or wit For Szupinski Quiroga, before we try to improve health in individuals and communities, we have to consider our conception of health itself. “One point of view is that health is balance, having a lack of conflict in your life,” Szupinski Quiroga says. “But not everyone will agree—there can be big differences among people about what they think is healthy.” As a medical anthropologist, Szupinski Quiroga also sees a cultural context in medicine itself, a set of views and biases that must be considered in order to promote positive health interventions. “Some people think it’s only the patients who have culture, but a certain culture comes from the medical system itself.” Professor Ana Magdelena Hurtado believes that we have to adopt an even broader perspective on human health. Hurtado is the new director of the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Social Science and Health, which is housed in the School of Evolution and Social Change and involves the collaboration of more than 70 faculty members across the university. “What interests me is how we even start thinking about the role of social organizations in culture and how that produces the health patterns that observe across space and time,” Hurtado says. Hurtado strives to find a better theoretical framework for understanding health; in her mind, many of the solutions proposed by public health programs fail because they don’t include an understanding of human behavior and the health choices that have evolved over thousands of years. “We have to understand how we shape the ecological niche in which humans, pathogens, and animals live, and how that niche shapes us,” Hurtado says. One example, she says, is asthma. “Some public health scientists look for ‘explanations’ of asthma epidemics in statistically positive correlations between allergens and the probability of disease,” Hurtado says. Dust mites produce potent allergens for some children with asthma, and for those children the elimination of dust mites in their environments is key to their well-being. “The correlation between dust mite exposure and asthma is important in some studies but not in others, and for many kids it may be something else entirely that causes their asthma,” she says. “I have asthma, and you can stick a pile of dust mites in front of me and I won’t respond. Public health officials use unidimensional statistical findings to come up with policies that may work in some context but not in others. Understanding these complexities should be central to policy-making.” Hurtado proposes asking instead how the human health niche has changed from that of human populations in the past. Looking at the asthma epidemic through this lens, the researchers come up with a very different and very strange insight. “One of the biggest differences between human populations now, (as compared to) during 99 percent of human history, is that intestinal ursing e of N a Innov ealth and H tion “Focusing efforts primarily on energy balance to support weight loss has not proven to be successful or sustainable. Many of these programs have not addressed cultural factors.” “We have to understand how we shape the ecological niche in which humans, pathogens, and animals live, and how that niche shapes us.” ASU Professor Ana Magdelena Hurtado, director of ASU’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. program worms infested our guts then, but only do so today among the poorest of the poor,” Hurtado says. “It turns out that the immunological response that we have to intestinal worms also protects us from asthma.” As sanitation improved, the worms disappeared and cases of asthma increased. While no one is suggesting we return to hosting intestinal worms, this insight may lead to the development of more sustainable autoimmune disease prevention programs, she says. ASU: An “amazing place” to “get the science right” According to Hurtado, coming to grips with the social component of health will involve understanding the complex ways in which behaviors, culture, environment and genetics interact with the environment that humans create, and understanding how those interactions change across generations. “Yes, it is complex, but ASU is an amazing place to do this research because we can really do the cross-disciplinary work we need to do to answer these questions,” she says. “In other universities, interdisciplinary research is acknowledged, but not acted upon. “It’s very satisfying to do this research because it is the only way I can see to get the science right. It is only by looking at a problem through multiple lenses that we can come up with a solution.” Christopher Vaughan is a freelance science writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. and Social Change in Social Science and Health in the School of Evolution Photo: Ken Howie Studios 42 &CULTURE Pumping air Shelf Improvement ASU Professor Sam Pilafian (right) teaches his Breathing Gym techniques. Pumping air Popular “Breathing Gym” program has ASU roots By Bill Goodykoontz Breathing is as easy as … well, breathing. Or so you’d think. Sam Pilifan and Patrick Sheridan have turned it into something of an art form. Their program, the Breathing Gym, has helped musicians improve their breathing, their technique and, therefore, their playing. And now it’s helping others, as well. Pilifan, a professor of music at Arizona State University, began teaching breathing techniques in 1976. “I started seeing these common denominators happening,” the affable Pilifan said.“If everybody breathed the same, we’d be better off, that kind of thing. Optimal breathing – that’s where it started, is to play instruments better.” Musicians use up to 95 percent of their lung capacity, Pilifan notes—athletes routinely use only up to 65 percent. Thus, anything that helps make controlling a musician’s breathing easier is welcome. Certainly breathing exercises existed before. Brass musicians, in particular, often discuss the best ways to master breath control. But Pilifan wanted more than what he saw was available. “The control of the breath exists in the martial arts, it exists in yoga,” he said.“In music, we always pay lip service to it. But we never sat down to find out, ‘What if 400 people did it together?’” Good things, evidently. The program has taken off. Patrick Sheridan, a friend and colleague of Pilifan’s, and a former visiting professor at ASU, leaped aboard. “He was so good, he kind of moved it forward,” Pilifan said. Sheridan and Pilifan co-authored a book,“The Breathing Gym,” in 2002. Next came a DVD demonstrating the techniques, which won an Emmy for excellence in education in 2009. Now the program, which incorporates stretching and air-flow exercises, is used in more than 6,000 schools worldwide as well as in hospitals as a relaxation technique. Of course it’s also used by who knows how many professional musicians, which was the original purpose, creating “almost a revolution in wind-music in band playing,” Pilifan said. “It unifies people’s music,” Pilifan said. “They use it on a larger scale than I ever would have imagined.” It’s worked for Gabriel Sears, a music student at ASU. “I use the Breathing Gym every day,” Sears said.“I use it to gain absolute control of my air to play my given instrument, the tuba, and to really focus my mind on what I am doing.” The exercises don’t just help people control their breathing, however. There are added benefits, as well. “We warm up and breathe every morning as a studio,” said Amy Swietlik, a euphonium player working toward her master’s degree in ethnomusicology at ASU. “The studio bonding time is significant.” And while the exercises have helped her playing – improving her tone quality, dynamic control and technical accuracy, according to Swietlik – they’ve also helped her in other ways, both inside and outside the performance hall. “Doing the breathing exercise slows down my heart beat and pulse, calms my nerves and gets my brain focused on the music and the task at hand,” she said. “This is incredibly useful in overcoming performance anxiety. “These exercises can be transferred to the rest of my life; I use breathing techniques to calm my nerves after a long, difficult day, when I can feel my emotions swelling or when I am in a tense situation, I use (the techniques) to calm myself down.” Sports teams are looking at using the techniques, too, but the most important benefits of the Breathing Gym may be playing out in medicine. Researchers from Indiana University’s Simon Cancer Center are studying the use of Breathing Gym exercises in helping menopausal and post-menopausal women control or reduce hot flashes. In addition, Pilifan said, a Nashville hospital is using Breathing Gym techniques with breast-cancer survivors. “The evidence demonstrates the stuff is helping people be medicated better, be radiated better, because their bodies are more relaxed,”he said.“The idea is, controlling the breathing allows them to control their stress, so it really helps them with their treatment.” Impressive achievements for what comes so naturally – but can so obviously be improved, as well. As Sears says,“It has yet to let me down.” SHELF IMPROVEMENT BOOKS AND MEDIA PRODUCED BY ALUMNI, STAFF AND FACULTY Women of Color and Feminism By Mathee Rojas ‘01 Ph.D., Seal Press What does singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman have in common with the social action group the Mothers of East Los Angeles? Plenty, as both the singer and the activists are women of color who have explored race, gender and power in their work. Rojas, an associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at California State University, Long Beach, has written a highly accessible, extremely up-to-date discussion of what feminism represents to those not of AngloEuropean origin. The book is peppered with photos and helpful explanatory sidebars, and comes with an extensive bibliography, a readers guide and a list of Web resources. One Vintage: A Year in the Vineyard By Christine (Waddell) Jones ‘75 B.A.E., Sage Hill Publishing Bound between covers made of spongy cork,“One Vintage” chronicles a single year in the vineyard that Jones and her husband maintain along California’s Central Coast. This slim volume reflects the author’s holistic, philosophical approach to tending her crop of wine grapes; as she asserts, “we have learned the elements beyond our control are what make each vintage, like each life, unique.” Graced with exceptional photos of the grapes, the animals and the people who visit Jones’s farm, the book is perfect for wine lovers or anyone thirsting for concrete representations of life’s circularity. 44 Strenghting the Tribe Strenghting the Tribe NEWS Strenghting the Tribe Strenghting the Leading the charge Tribe President’s letter Strenghting the All over the map Tribe Leading the Charge Revitalized Sun Devil Advocate Network sparks alumni involvement As Arizona’s Legislature continues to work its way through the state’s budget shortfall, Sun Devil Advocates are raising their collective voices to ensure that ASU is adequately supported to continue its mission as a New American University. Over the past year or so, the Alumni Association has been revitalizing its Sun Devil Advocate Network, an action-oriented group that communicates with elected officials to lobby on key legislation that has the potential to advance the university. “A healthy higher education system plays a vital role in the state’s economic competitiveness and its sustainability,” said Jenny Holsman, executive director of operations at the Alumni Association. “The Sun Devil Advocate Network speaks with a powerful, unified voice to remind law-makers that higher education investments pay dividends in terms of diversified industries looking at our state as an attractive base of operations.” There is no cost to join the network, although many network members are also members of the Alumni Association. Thousands of concerned alumni, students, faculty, staff, retirees, parents and community members are updated regularly on legislative issues through the network’s Web site and via e-mail. During the budget hearings in early 2009, network members wrote, visited, e-mailed and phoned their elected representatives to support funding for the state’s public universities; many also attended rallies and public hearings. Holsman emphasized that anyone with an interest in seeing ASU thrive could be a member of the advocacy network. “You don't have to be a political junkie or guru to get involved and help the cause, just passionate about ASU and higher education,” she said.“The network will give you the tools and resources you need to become an effective member of the Sun Devil Advocate Network and boost your advocacy efforts.” For more information about the network, or to register, visit sundeviladvocates.org. ASU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD AND NATIONAL COUNCIL 2009–2010 OFFICERS CHAIR Bill Kavan ‘92 B.A. CHAIR-ELECT Chris Spinella ‘83 B.S. TREASURER Gilbert Jimenez ‘67 B.S. PAST CHAIR Maria Hesse ‘77 B.S., ‘84 M.B.A. PRESIDENT Christine Wilkinson ‘66, ‘76 Ph.D. BOARD OF DIRECTORS* Robert Boschee ‘83, ‘85 M.B.A. Barbara Clark ’84 M.Ed. George Diaz Jr. ’96, ’99 M.P.A. Andy Hanshaw ‘87 Tara McCullom Plese ‘78 B.A., ‘84 M.P.A. Kathleene Paul ‘72 Dan Mullen ‘66 B.S. Martin Quintana ‘87 B.S., ‘04 M.B.A. Todd Siffren ‘91 B.S. NATIONAL ALUMNI COUNCIL* Steven Balthazor ‘91 B.S.E. Dave Benner ‘02 B.S. Charlie Broucek ‘93 B.S. Dave Covert ‘78 B.S. Eddie DeVall ‘93 B.S. Christine Devine ‘87 B.A. Kathy Duffy Ybarra ‘81 B.A. Mark Duplissis ‘92 B.A., ‘97 M.Ed., ‘06 Ed.D. Theresa Esparza ‘94 M.Tax. Dick Foreman ‘76 B.A., ‘79 M.P.A. Curtis Frasier ‘77 B.A. Matt Gervin ‘01 B.S. Bret Giles ‘87 B.S. Jonell Lucca ‘95 B.A. Vada O’Hara Manager ‘83 B.S. Phillip Moore ‘66 B.S., ‘67 M.S.E. Jeff Olen ‘96 B.S. Anne Sawkiw ‘99 B.A. James Shaughnessy ‘72 B.A.E. Darren Skarecky ‘94 B.S. Joseph Udall ‘92 J.D. *Members of the Board of Directors are also members of the National Alumni Council. President’s Letter The Alumni Association recently honored outstanding ASU alumni, faculty, staff and supporters at our 2010 Founders’ Day Awards Dinner. Our honorees were recognized for their thoughtful, creative approaches to resolving some of the world’s most pressing problems, including those relating to sustainability, energy usage, community-building, economic stability, and others. Each of the Founders’ Day honorees is tackling one or more of the eight grand challenges set forth late last year by the Challenges Before Us Initiative at ASU. The grand challenges are urgent, overarching questions in need of a resolution, covering everything from education, appropriate use of technology, sustainability, human rights, and much more. We invite you to visit the Founders’ Day Web site at asu.edu/foundersday to learn more about our award winners and the vitally important work in which they are participating. If you’d like to learn more about the Challenges Before Us Initiative, you can visit asuchallenges.com. Another significant Alumni Association project that has recently come to fruition is the publication of our first alumni directory in several years, which was offered for purchase in print and on CD. More than 25,000 alumni participated in the directory update process, with many sharing photos, recounting memories of their ASU days, and updating classmates on where their lives have taken them. In this issue of the magazine, we document the work of ASU faculty and staff members who are rising to the challenges of our world. First, we interview ASU’s newest Nobel Laureate, Elinor Ostrom, a research professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and founder of ASU’s Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity. We also take a look this issue at the university’s research into the social and cultural determinants of health. It’s hard to believe, but the end of the academic year is just around the corner, and the Alumni Association will once again host Sun Devil Send-Offs for incoming freshmen at locations around the country. Contact us for information on how you can welcome our newest Sun Devils to the ASU family. Christine K. Wilkinson, ’66, ’76 Ph. D. President, ASU Alumni Association Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University All Over the Map Alumni Ambassador program extends ASU’s reach nationwide Spreading the word about the exciting things that Arizona State University is doing is pretty simple inside of Maricopa County. And with a student population of 68,000-plus, it’s hard to live here and not be at least remotely acquainted with a current student or a graduate of ASU. Once one leaves the western United States, however, it’s a different story. Some states only have a few hundred Sun Devil alumni living there. Since Sparky, President Michael Crow and other ASU dignitaries cannot be everywhere in the country at once, the ASU Alumni Association has been building an Alumni Admissions Ambassador corps across the United States over the past several years. The ambassador group, now nearly 400 strong, acts as a local presence at college recruiting fairs and other events representing ASU in places where the university is not able to send its staff. Ambassadors answer questions about the ASU experience from their own history on campus. What’s more, they strengthen the ties between their own city and the university, asserted Jenny Holsman, executive director of operations for the Alumni Association. “The Ambassador program provides mutual benefit for both potential ASU students and our alumni,” she said.“Students get first-hand information from an enthusiastic and knowledgeable graduate of the university, and alumni have another outlet for their love of ASU that directly benefits the university and the A Winning Combination The ASU Alumni Association honored alums and friends of the university by presenting its annual Homecoming Awards during halftime of the Oct. 31 ASU-California game. From left to right: ASU football alum and NFL Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel, who had the day named in his honor at the halftime ceremony by Gov. Jan Brewer; 2008-09 ASU Alumni Association Board Chair Maria Hesse, who received the Past Chair Award; Migs Woodside, who received an Alumni Appreciation Award; Carol Peck, who received an Alumni Service Award; Gov. Jan Brewer; Donald V. Budinger, who received an Alumni Appreciation Award; Jim Kane, who received an Alumni Service Award; ASU President Michael Crow; and ASU Alumni Association President Christine Wilkinson. next generation of students who choose to attend. Plus, the university clearly benefits from the boost to its recruitment efforts.” Fernando J. Torres, president of the Greater Philadelphia alumni chapter, said that working as an ambassador had allowed him to further express his Sun Devil pride, and also helped his chapter grow. “I enjoy talking about my beloved ASU, the campus and my great experiences there. (ASU provided) some of the best years of my life – so I love to share it,” he said.“It is a great way to meet our future Sun Devils and their families, and it helps me recruit future leaders for our local chapter.” Mary Harrison, a 2008 ASU graduate who recently volunteered at a college fair in California, said she enjoyed letting high school students know that ASU’s size didn’t preclude getting an education with a personal touch. “The best part of representing ASU at college fairs and events is letting future Sun Devils and parents know about all the opportunities students get at ASU,” she said. “Things like internships, professor support, student life and meeting/performing with celebrities really catch their attention.” To join the Admissions Ambassadors program, contact PatriciaThiele-Keating at 480-965-2586 or trish.thiele-keating@asu.edu. By Liz Massey, managing editor of ASU Magazine. 48 NETWORK Strenghting the Tribe Strenghting the Tribe Strenghting the Tribe Strenghting the Tribe Strenghting the Tribe Reports from around the Sun Devil nation Sun Devils line the shore for the San Diego Crew Classic. Now a tradition for the San Diego alumni chapter, the 2010 edition of the Crew Classic is slated for March 27. Austin As the magazine goes to press, our chapter is planning its annual spring golf tournament. This four-person “best ball scramble” event will include food and prizes, so we’re excited and hopeful for a good turnout. We’re also planning our second annual wine tour, which will include a trip through the hill country and tours of wineries, a visit to a barrel cellar, and of course, the opportunity to taste many different wines. In April, our chapter will host a “shadow run” April 17 in conjunction with the 4.2 mile Pat’s Runs in Tempe and San Jose. We’ll offer our participants a post-event picnic and a commemorative T-shirt. To keep up with our chapter, visit our Web site at http://www.asu.edu/alumni/chapters/geographic /austin.shtml for information on upcoming events. Chapter contact: Brianne Baird, 254-231-6538, austin.sundevils@gmail.com. Black Alumni Our chapter celebrated Homecoming in October with a special reunion of “The Soulful Sun Devils,” alumni who graduated from 1950 to 1970. Members of the chapter also participated in the Homecoming parade and enjoyed a barbecue lunch at the chapter’s first-ever Homecoming block party tent. Chapter contact: Kimberlee Elliott-Avant, Kimberlee.Elliott@edwardjones.com. Colorado The chapter recently brought on several new board members, including Megan Ream and Shaun Bainbridge as directors-at-large and Matt Brower as vice president. We thank Jace Gardner for his devoted time as our vice president! We’re making preparations as the magazine goes to press for our chapter’s signature event, ASU Ski Day. All Sun Devils who enjoy the slopes are invited! We’ll also host our standard social mixers, a Future Freshman Reception, and an ASU Cares event as well. Come join the fun! Chapter contact: Dave Kem, 303-332-7226, camb-dave@asualumni.org. Georgia Georgia Sun Devils are planning to host their second annual ASU Cares event in March with a volunteer project that will benefit our local community. We’ll also be hosting March Madness watching parties. We’re expecting a great spring! Chapter contact: Seth Deitchman, 678-274-7743, sethsundevil@yahoo.com. Greater New York We’ve had a great fall and winter as a chapter, completing another successful season of football game watching and presenting our annual Jim Stephen Memorial Pulmonary Fibrosis wine tasting fundraiser. In March, we’ll be hosting our signature event, a New York Rangers hockey game at Madison Square Garden. If you’d like to keep up with us on a more frequent basis, sign up to receive our weekly chapter e-newletter by sending an e-mail to ny_sundevils@thesundevils.com. Chapter contact: Jon, 917-620-8634, ny_sundevils@thesundevils.com Houston The Houston chapter had a great season of football game watching parties last fall; thanks to everyone who came out! We continue to host our monthly networking happy hours at St. Dane’s in Midtown. We meet on the outdoor patio. We have a spring gathering on April 14; come by and visit with us if you’re in the area. Chapter contact: Michael A. Barney, 713-598-9075, MichaelABarney@gmail.com. Kansas City Our group has a number of exciting Sun Devil alumni events planned for this season, including happy hours, basketball game watching parties and“March Madness” events. Let’s pump up some ASU pride in the Heartland! Chapter contact(s): Liz Karre or Macy Whitley, 913-957-9026, asualumnikc@hotmail.com Los Angeles Join our chapter this spring at a variety of events- it seems L.A. Sun Devils are everywhere! We cheered our ASU sports teams when they played colleges in the area, including women’s basketball games at UCLA and USC and the men’s and women’s Pac-10 basketball tournaments. We’re also going to attend the ASU-UCLA baseball series in late April and early July, sponsoring a pre-game event on May 1. We have given back to our community as part of the ASU Cares community service event in March and will remember Pat Tillman by hosting our second annual “shadow run” in conjunction with Pat’s Run in April. If you are an alumnus working in entertainment, we are continuing to The Seattle Sun Devils hoped to chuck umbrellas for snowboards, as they planned a ski day at a local resort. build our database and develop an “Entertainment Devils” special interest group. For more information on our chapter, please visit www.lasundevils.com. Chapter contact: Eddie DeVall, 323-653-4578, devall@aol.com. Leadership Scholarship Program The Leadership Scholarship Program celebrated 32 years of sponsoring scholarship students and the 25th anniversary of its out-of-state student program in collaboration with Key Club International. Sixty alumni attended the annual LSP Homecoming reception, along with 75 current students and our program’s founder, Dr. Christine Wilkinson. Neil Giuliano hosted an out-of-state alumni event for Homecoming to celebrate that program component’s anniversary, and Jonell Lucca received the Neil Giuliano Alumni Award for her long time dedication to the Leadership Scholarship Program throughout the years. Earlier in the fall, we also hosted the chapter’s annual meeting with students. Students got the opportunity to network with more than 25 alumni while getting advice on majors, careers, internships and life after college. We’ve been enjoying Spring 2010 with events such as a spring training game and the LSP Family Picnic, and we are making preparations for our annual wine-tasting event on April 8. Chapter Contacts: Tara Gregory (tara.k.gregory@gmail.com) or Dave Wahls (David.wahls@asu.edu). San Diego We’ll be hosting one of our signature events on March 27 when we attend the San Diego Crew Classic! We’ll cheer on our Sun Devils at Crown Point Shores in Pacific Beach and enjoy sun, surf and ASU camaraderie. This event has become a San Diego Sun Devil tradition, and we wouldn’t miss it for the world. Chapter contact: Christine Gilmore, 760-207-5823, cwgilmore@ymail.com. Seattle Our group would like to thank everyone who came out to our football game watching parties last fall at Jillian’s in South Lake Union. We’ve spent the winter and early spring showing local support for Sun Devil athletics, cheering on the men’s basketball team when they took on Washington on Feb. 6, cheering on the women’s gymnastics and tennis teams on Feb. 13 and March 6, respectively. At press time, we also were planning to host a ski and snowboard day for Seattle Sun Devils at a local ski resort. If you’d like to become more involved in building the Seattle Connection, you can search for us on Facebook as the “Seattle Sun Devils – ASU Alumni” group or contact connection coordinator Sarah Warren. Chapter contact: Sarah Warren, (562) 212-1539, SarahLWarren@yahoo.com. Stickmen’s Club Thank you to all the alumni who donated, volunteered and participated in the annual alumni lacrosse game during Homecoming weekend in October. We enjoyed meeting and playing the university’s current men’s lacrosse team! We encourage our members and all lacrosse fans to come out and support the ASU lacrosse team this spring whether home or on the road. You can follow the ASU team’s schedule by visiting: http://www.asu.edu/clubs/menslacrosse/ schedule.html. Chapter contact: John Figueroa, 602-502-5521, figjohn@yahoo.com. ASU MAGAZINE SUN DEVIL NETWORK 50 51 Western Pennsylvania/Northern Appalachia Our club members had a great time at our Oct. 17 Oktoberfest event. We’ve continued the fun this winter at game watches and other events, and invite everyone to join us for upcoming events. Chapter contact: Charlie Tichy, charles.tichy@sru.edu. (above, top) Members of the Seattle alumni connection group show their Sun Devil pride at a game-watching party. (above, bottom) White Mountain alumni prepare to dig in to a delicious steak fry. (upper right) The golf weekend and steak fry hosted by the White Mountain chapter raised $25,000 last year for scholarships offered by the ASU Alumni Association. White Mountain It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to start planning for the third annual ASU White Mountain Steak Fry and Golf Tournament! Sponsored by the Johnson Family, the event will be held June 26-27 at the Pinetop Country Club. The golf portion of the event gives participants a chance to play on a foursome with Coaches Dennis Erickson, Herb Sendek, Charli Turner-Thorne, Clint Myers, former Head Football Coach Frank Kush, and former ASU star player Danny White. The steak fry will feature special guest speakers and a silent and live auction where you can bid on a trip to Madison to watch the Sun Devils take on Wisconsin in the fall. The proceeds from this event support the White Mountain Alumni Chapter and the Sun Devil Club. Be sure to register early at ww.asu.edu/alumni/steakfry10. Chapter contact: Ted Cesarano, tedcesar@cox.net. RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOUR BRAND ONLINE. Fluent helps you connect with them. Before we tweeted, we talked. Fact is, the conversation about your brand started long ago. The difference now is that you can listen and join in and lead the conversation. But to do that, you need to know the language of social media. That’s where we come in. We’re Fluent. The Fluent Agency www.thefluentagency.com A7F4C<2/GA=4 E7<34==2;CA71 A1=BBA2/:31C:7=@7: !&  3dS\b ^`]QSSRa Tc\R RWdS`aS O`b O\R O`b SRcQObW]\ ^`]U`O[a W\ /`Wh]\O A^]\a]`a Q]\¿`[SR Oa ]T 2SQS[PS` ' 52 NOTES Off to a great start Making the leap Sun Devil Marriages Off to a great start James Mejía, ‘92 M.B.A Denver Preschool Program (DPP) CEO James Mejía knows how an exceptional preschool experience can help prepare children for lifelong learning. But he’s also seen the other side of the equation. Before joining DPP in 2007, he spent three years managing the Denver Justice Center project, where the results of a childhood devoid of education’s positive influence are often evident. “My strong preference is to invest in people when they’re young,” he says. Denver native Mejía, 42, has worked in the public sector for 20 years, including stints as president and chief operating officer of Denver’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade. He was honored last year for his service to the community when the Colorado Leadership Alliance named him the 2009 9NEWS Leader of the Year. His first love, though, as he readily admits, has been with education. His father was a high school teacher and his mother was involved in early childhood education for 37 years. Out of a family of 13 children, five of Mejía’s siblings pursued education careers. The preschool program that Mejía oversees provides tuition credits to families so parents can send their children to quality preschools. Approved by voters in 2006, the program is funded by a 0.12 percent sales tax, which brought in $11 million last year. His goal is to bring DPP to a sustainable operating level quickly. “That means a smooth transition from receiving tax revenues to getting the dollars out the door to help families afford preschool, and help preschools improve quality,” he says. Mejía received an M.B.A. from Arizona State University in 1992, and he says the degree program prepared him for everything from reading budgets to forecasting, managing people, and accounting. Thanks to his training at the university,“I can understand, survive, and be very comfortable in the world of business,” he says. Married with three daughters, Mejía says that he might pursue a Ph.D. later in life.“I love school…so I’d love to go back,” he says.“But it’ll be a while. I have some other work to do first.” By Kristy Lantz Astry, a Colorado-based freelance writer. 2000s ◆Elizabeth McCullum ‘09 Ph.D. is the 2008-2009 recipient of a two-year $100,000 postdoctoral fellowship awarded by the National Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. McCullum is a cancer researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston; her research project focuses on developing a new strategy to combat drug-resistant breast cancer. ◆Andrew Moe ‘07 B.A. has been hired as an admissions officer at Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tenn. ◆Brett Plains ‘08 B.I.S. has been named vice president and relationship manager for commercial banking at U.S. Bank in Arizona. Michael P. Faith ‘05 B.S. is an associate attorney with the law firm Faith, Ladyard, Nickel & Shelsky, PLC. Julee Ann Cobb ’05 B.A. completed internships with the E! Entertainment cable network and the EXTRA channel during 2009. She graduated in December with a degree in broadcast journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. Elizabeth McCullum Michael P. Faith Jeanne Therrien Wanda Denton Rebecca Elizabeth Stevens Brent M. Johnson Christopher Zock Theresa Reineke Jeanne Therrien ‘04 B.S., ‘06 M.TAX., a senior associate with Hunter Hagan & Company, recently obtained her Certified Public Accountant status from the Arizona State Board of Accountancy. ◆Nicole Almond Tucker ’04 B.A., ’09 M.NpS. is the alumni relations manager for the W. P. Carey School of Business. She manages the school’s alumni engagement efforts and special events. Tucker was previously employed at the ASU Alumni Association, coordinating several of the association’s signature events and its constituent communications. ◆Gabriel Escontrías Jr. ‘03 B.A., ‘06 M.Ed. recently received the Eleanor Noble Fellowship for the 2009-2010 academic year from ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education. ◆Wanda Denton ’03 B.S. has been promoted by the Phoenix office of Grant Thornton LLP to the position of senior tax manager. Rebecca Elizabeth Stevens ’03 B.A. is working as an actress in Hollywood and recently had a role on the FX series “Nip/Tuck.” Elaine M. Armfield ’02 B.F.A., ’09 M.NpS. recently received her Master of Nonprofit Studies degree with an emphasis on executive leadership and management from ASU’s Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation. Brent M. Johnson ‘02 B.I.S. is an associate with McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, a general practice law firm. Maythee Rojas ‘01 Ph.D. recently authored a book, “Women of Color and Feminism,” which examines how women of color experience feminism and how race and socioeconomics can alter this experience. Dale Todicheeney-Mannes ‘01 B.S.N. is a first-year doctoral student at the University of San Diego’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science. Jim Geoffroy ‘01 M.B.A. was promoted in early 2009 to director of financial services for the West coast operations of Verizon Wireless. He leads an organization of roughly 600 employees in Bellevue, Wash. ◆Christopher Zock ’00 B.S. is now chief financial officer at Amazing Food Creations in Schaumburg, Ill. 1990s Theresa Reineke ‘99 M.S., an associate professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech, received a National Institute of Health grant for innovative genetic drug testing. Reineke’s research group is creating carbohydrate-based polymers for the delivery of genetic drugs to combat both cancer and heart disease. David Carey ‘97 B.S. received the 2009 Community Health Leaders Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for his work as the chair of Inspire Co-op, an organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities lead independent lives, and his advocacy to assure safe public transportation options for people with physical disabilities. ◆= Active, dues-paying member of the ASU Alumni Association ASU MAGAZINE CLASS NOTES 54 55 Jennifer Etnier ‘95 Ph.D. is an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She has written a book, “Bring Your ‘A’ Game,” a guide to help young athletes develop the mental toughness they need to reach their potential in sports. Ryan L. Price ‘95 B.A. has been named global group product manager for the power and signal connector product group at Molex Inc. John W. Ostrom ‘93 M.H.S.A. was recently elected to the board of directors for the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and was recently certified as Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Society for Human Resources Management. David Carey Melanie J. Britton Adam Johnson ‘92 B.A., author of the novel “Parasites Like Us,” has been selected as one of 10 young writers in the United States to receive a 2009 Whiting Writers’ Award, which rewards writers chosen for their extraordinary talent and promise. Eileen Wurst ‘91 B.S. has established the only state licensed vocational school of reiki in the state of Washington, which offers practitioner and teacher instruction in this hands-on healing art. Melanie J. Britton ‘91 B.F.A. was recently crowned Mrs. Arizona United States. 1980s Lupe Camargo ‘89 B.S. has been appointed to serve a two-year term on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts’ Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. Linda (Ustasiewski) Andrews ‘89 B.S. has published her third fantasy/sci-fi novel, “A Hint of Magic.” James Christ ‘88 B.A. has published several books in his Embedded Tactical Trainer series, which recount amazing bravery by National Guard forces serving in Afghanistan. Andy Hanshaw Cynthia Marcotte Stamer ◆John L. Lipp ‘88 B.F.A., the president and CEO of San Francisco-based nonprofit organization Pets Are Wonderful Support, has authored “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recruiting and Managing Volunteers.” ◆Andy Hanshaw ‘87 B.S and wife Sandy have opened The Wine Pub in San Diego, located in the Point Loma neighborhood. The Wine Pub features a vast selection of domestic and new world wines, regionally brewed craft beers and food in a casual setting. In addition to volunteering with the ASU Alumni Association’s board of directors, Andy also serves as the executive director of Discover Pacific Beach, a nonprofit Business Improvement Association, and founder/event director for Bike The Bay, an organized community bike ride that drew more than 2,400 riders in August 2009. ◆Christine Devine ’87 B.A. was honored in October by the Century City (Calif.) Chamber of Commerce with its “Women of Achievement” commendation, which is presented to women in the community whose professional dedication, charitable involvement and commitment to excellence are an inspiration to all. Timothy Rogers Bob Mulhern ◆Paula Cameron ‘85 B.A., ‘91 M.F.A. is an associate professor at Sullivan County Community College in New York, where she teaches in the Liberal Arts and Humanities Department. ◆Cynthia Marcotte Stamer ‘84 B.S. has been named chair of the Employee Benefit Plans and Other Compensation Arrangements Group of the ABA’s Real Property Trust and Estates Section. Karen Groth ‘83 B.S., a forensic scientist and supervisor in the DNA/CODIS unit with the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences, is celebrating her 25th anniversary with her employer. Timothy Rodgers ‘83 B.A. has been appointed director of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and vice president of the Scottsdale Cultural Council. ◆Bob Mulhern ‘81 B.S., ‘83 M.B.A has been named the managing director of Colliers International, a leading commercial real estate firm in Phoenix. Joanne Wamsley Chip Dean ◆= Active, dues-paying member of the ASU Alumni Association Making the leap Adrienne Hawkins ‘71 B.A.E. Adrienne Hawkins has undoubtedly surpassed the mileage racked up by Anna Pavlova, an earlier globetrotting ambassador of the dance world. And she has plenty to show for her frequent journeys— she’s the recipient of numerous awards, grants and honors, including project grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an Emerging Artist Award in Boston and selection as a judge for the Presidential Arts and Talent Search. Hawkins serves as the artistic director of Boston’s Impulse Dance Company, a group she has been associated with for almost 30 years, as well as the co-artistic director of Bass Line-Motion, a theater that combines music, dance and poetry. The New Jersey native has choreographed works for myriad national and international dance companies, as well as colleges and universities; her credits range from the Portland Ballet and the National Ballet of Iceland to Harvard University and Mt. Holyoke. She says she has a special affinity for arranging works for ballet, given how different the genre is from her home discipline of jazz dance. “Because ballet’s movements are so different from jazz dance – stressing clarity of line and prodigious technique – choreographing for these companies is both challenging and great fun,” she says. Her own dance creations have been seen at many sites on the map. Hawkins took her show,“Beat to Fit: Paint to Match,” based on her reflections as a Black American woman, to cities in Europe as well as North America. She found presenting the show abroad a very different, and pleasant, experience. “Performing in distant countries with a more monochromatic perspective of a black woman was the most rewarding,” Hawkins says. “For instance, the blues, which grew out of slavery, is an ‘exotic’ musical medium for these audiences who find it totally fascinating.” Hawkins’ teaching schedule has been a third factor in building her extensive travel history. She’s taught jazz dance throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and Japan. “Most foreign students take the jazz idiom very seriously and regard it as an art form,”she stresses. “Here in the U.S., it is looked upon as more of a ‘social’ dance form; however, the movement vocabulary is constantly picked up by both modern and ballet companies.” By Oriana Parker, a Scottsdale-based freelance arts writer. ASU MAGAZINE 56 1970s ◆Joanne Wamsley ‘79 B.S., ‘81 B.S., ‘89 M.B.A. has been appointed senior associate vice president for finance and deputy treasurer at Arizona State University. Kimberly (Howard) Arana ’79 B.A., a Martindale-Hubbel AV rated attorney with Fennemore Craig, P.C. in Nogales, has been elected to Best Lawyers of America 2010 International Trade and Finance. Chip Dean ’77 B.S., the award-winning director of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” television program, was the 2009 inductee into the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Debra A. Hunter ‘75 B.S. has been appointed president of the Americas Chapter of the International Association of Practicing Accountants for a two-year term. Debra A. Hunter Roxanne K. Song Ong Robert D. Myrick Rex Maughan ◆The Honorable Roxanne K. Song Ong ’75 B.A.E. recently received the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s highest honor, its NAPABA Trailblazer Award, which recognizes those who have paved the way for the advancement of other Asian Pacific American attorneys. Ong has served as a judge for the Phoenix Municipal Court since 1991 and was appointed the court’s chief presiding judge in 2005. Lawrence F. Lihosit ‘74 B.S. has written a book of short stories entitled “Whispering Campaign: Stories from Mesoamerica.” ◆Michael Trimarco ‘74 B.S., ‘81 B.S. has discovered 9 new egg nutrients in pork, and has notified the egg board and also has created 2 new journals of psychology. 1960s Robert D. Myrick ‘68 Ph.D. was the first recipient to receive the Robert D. Myrick Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida School Counselor Association for his accomplishments in school counseling. ◆Rex Maughan ‘62 B.S., chairman of the Scottsdale-based Forever Resorts and Forever Living Products International, has been awarded the 2009 Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award presented to “an individual whose personal efforts have contributed substantially to enhancing outdoor experiences across America. Dennis J. Lessard ‘67 B.A.E has been appointed dean of the School of Education at Northcentral University in Prescott Valley, Ariz. SUN DEVIL MARRIAGES & ANNIVERSARIES Eric Spencer and Kendra Jones Rebecca Justman Counihan and Terry Counihan Jian Boldi and Jennifer (Zins) Boldi Eric Spencer ‘97 B.A. and Kendra Jones were married on October 17, 2009 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jian Boldi ’06 B.S. and ◆Jennifer (Zins) Boldi ’07 B.A. were married May 23, 2009, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. Rebecca Justman Counihan ’04 B.A. and Terry Counihan ’02 B.S. were married on May 24, 2009, at Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, California. ◆Jimmie Kerr ‘58 B.S. and wife Donna Kerr celebrated their 50th anniversary on July 2, 2009. ◆= Active, dues-paying member of the ASU Alumni Association Bob and Sandy McLendon Bob McLendon ’61 B.A.E., ’69 M.A.E., a member of the Arizona Board of Regents, and his wife Sandy McLendon celebrated their 50th anniversary on July 17, 2009. with urban temperatures 11 degrees higher than in surrounding areas... how do we design cities that stay naturally cool? Arizona State University is rising to the challenge, taking on the big issues of our time. Challenges of the environment, social justice, quality education, the economy, health and cultural diversity. ASU is applying its strengths in education and research to create local solutions with global impact. 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