ASU News - Students + Students + Students

Moot Court students dominate at state, regional levels

shibner — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:51:50 -0700

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law students demonstrated their stellar advocacy skills over the weekend by winning the Jenckes Competition against the University of Arizona and by besting four other law-school teams to become the regional champions in the National Moot Court Competition.

In the annual battle for the Jenckes Cup, 3Ls Tyler Carrell and Jimmy Cool brought the metal back to Tempe by being well-organized and by anchoring their arguments to the record in a superior manner, according to the judges. The pair represented the defense in a case patterned after the prosecution of Utah polygamist Warren Jeffs during the Friday event at the College of Law.

Carrell and Cool were coached by Shawn Aiken (Class of `83), who twice during his law-school tenure won the Jenckes Cup, a closing argument competition sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers. Aiken was assisted by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Warren Granville (Class of `79) and attorneys Richard Gerry (Class of 78), Jim Padish and Ty Taber.

Two teams from the College of Law competed in the National Moot Court Competition regionals on Friday and Saturday at Phoenix School of Law. Third-year law students Rob Gordon and Sam Efird won the competition, and Gordon was named the Best Oralist, while 3L Bryce Burnham and 2Ls Justin Scorza and Nelson Mixon took the prize for second best regional brief and won a spot in the semifinals for their oral advocacy. Gordon and Efird will compete in the 60th annual National Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the New York City Bar Association, Feb. 1-4 in New York City.

"Both ASU teams sailed into the semifinals undefeated," said coach C. Dean Richard, a moot court expert. "To get there, one of our teams defeated a team from the University of Colorado with the best brief, and our other team's second-place overall brief helped it defeat a team from the University of Utah with the best oralist in the preliminary rounds. ASU was the only school with both of its teams advancing to the semis."

Volunteers who coached and critiqued the teams include professors Paul Bender, Michael Berch, Carissa Byrne Hessick, Sue Chesler, Andy Hessick and Amy Langenfeld; Gary Birnbaum, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Program Development; and Doug Sylvester, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development. Attorneys John Gray, Jen Green, Amy Kalman, John Napper and Mikel Steinfeld (Class of `06) and Arizona Supreme Court Justice Scott Bales also volunteered at the event.

Janie Magruder, Jane.Magruder@asu.edu
(480) 727-9052
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Students design projects for vacant Phoenix lots

chughes3 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:50:59 -0700

Low cost ideas, such as the construction of planter boxes, to transform vacant lots in downtown Phoenix for temporary use will be presented Dec. 8 on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus.

The multimedia presentation of research models was developed by university students in an urban design practice class taught by Nan Ellin, an associate professor and director of the planning program in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She also is an affiliate faculty member with ASU's School of Sustainability.

"In 2000, the Phoenix metropolitan area contained 42.6 percent vacant land, significantly higher than most American cities," said Pei Zhai, a doctoral student in sustainability.

"To address this vexing challenge, the mayor's office requested that ASU students develop a model for the temporary use of publicly owned vacant lots," Ellin said. "In response, students developed the Desert TULIP – Temporary Urban Laboratory Infill Project – a low-cost strategy to transform vacant lots until their development."

The students were asked to focus specifically on lots south of Garfield between Third and Sixth Streets, an area designated to become part of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

Undergraduate and graduate students of various backgrounds and majors searched worldwide for city vacant lot strategies, Ellin said.

"In Phoenix, they spoke with citizens, community organizations, local businesses and city officials for input on the project. High-resolution 3-D models of Phoenix were employed to envision Desert TULIP projects; and a collaborative project constructing planter boxes was undertaken as a first step toward turning Phoenix's vacant lots into urban amenities," Ellin said.

The multimedia presentation with results from the class research, including the introduction of the demonstration planter box project, will be followed by a panel discussion that includes representatives from the city of Phoenix, the Phoenix Community Alliance and Roosevelt Row. The presentation is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon in the Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory, located on the eighth floor of the Security Building, which is on the southwest corner of Van Buren Street and Central Avenue.

For more information about Desert TULIP, contact Ellin at nan.ellin@asu.edu, (480) 965-6160.

Swine flu shots available to high-priority groups

mgterril — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:07:52 -0700

Arizona State University has received part of its vaccine order for the H1N1 virus (also known as swine flu). ASU students, faculty and staff members who are members of high-priority groups, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may receive a vaccine at any of the four campus Health Centers (Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe and West) during regular business hours.

High-priority groups include individuals age 24 and under; those caring for children under six months of age; and those with one of the following medical conditions: pregnancy, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kidney or liver disease, diabetes or metabolic disease, anemia or blood disorder, or other immune-compromising conditions.

Students, faculty and staff must show their ASU SunCard to receive a vaccine. There is a $10 fee for the vaccine for students. ABOR Aetna Student Health Insurance will cover the cost of the vaccination for those students. Benefit-eligible employees´ administration fee will be covered in the same manner as the seasonal flu vaccinations. People who have already had H1N1 flu that has been confirmed through testing do not need to get the vaccine.

ASU health officials will update messages when vaccine is available for the general university population.

For more information, go to www.asu.edu/pandemic.

ASU students seek meaningful change in Africa

sdesgeor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:17:56 -0700

The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.
- British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, Feb. 3, 1960, in remarks to Parliament of South Africa

The wind of change British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan spoke of nearly 50 years ago in an address to the Parliament of South Africa is still in the air, and half-way around the world, three Arizona State University students are feeling it, thanks to a recent weeklong trip to Washington, D.C., and the Ron H. Brown African Affairs Series.

The series is focused on the role and responsibility of today’s youth in Africa’s future. The students, all enrolled in African and African American Studies program in ASU’s School of Social Transformation, have returned with a greater focus on the roles they might play in effecting meaningful change across Africa and an enthusiasm to match.

Senior Lafayette Newsome, junior Tabitha Sarabo, and sophomore Briana Tyson participated in a wide range of leadership forums, roundtables, panel discussions and one-on-one meetings with members of the Congressional Black Caucus; African political, NGO and civic leaders; and other series participants.

The students were joined on the trip by Lisa Aubrey, a political scientist and associate professor who teaches courses on politics, foreign policy, democracy and development, Africa and its Diaspora, race, and gender in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Aubrey, a former Fulbright Scholar doing work at the University of Ghana, has led students to the Brown Series the past two years.

“This was again a wonderful opportunity for a select group of students to see on-the-ground manifestations of the theoretical debates they read about, while also helping them realize they are empowered to learn and act,” she says.

“By being able to participate in the discussions and deliberations allows them to not only utilize their knowledge and skills, but also realize that someday they can be local, national and global leaders in their own right.”

Upon their return from the nation’s capital, Newsome, Sarabo and Tyson presented a forum on their experience to faculty, students and community members at the Tempe campus. Newsome, a first-generation student from Elizabeth, N.J., who also majors in political science, says the trip was both re-energizing and important.

“The trip, for me, was life-changing and has continued to add gasoline to a fire already lit,” he says. “I have a strong desire to see humanity live up to its potential, as well as a strong desire to improve the current conditions in Africa and the conditions here in America and beyond. The RHB Series was a way for me to build bridges with people committed to improving conditions.”

At the forum, Newsome presented an argument against the corporate and private intervention in Africa he believes is self-serving and destructive rather than beneficial. He notes that oppressive conditions half a globe away should be of interest to people in the Valley community and that, without the proper commitment and the right strategy, the wind of change is little more than a 50-year-old promise.

“Challenges in Africa impact me because I have a conscience. I care about people not only in my community, my state and my country, but everywhere. It is important that we are informed about issues in Africa because it is up to us to put pressure on officials and decision makers to improve the conditions. Without that pressure on officials and corporations, it is ridiculous to think they are going to change their behavior.”

Sarabo left her native Guyana, South America, in 2007 to attend ASU where her father, David Hinds, is an assistant professor in the School of Social Transformation.

A member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and a mentor to freshman recipients of financial aid through the university’s President Barack Obama Scholars Program, attended last year’s conference, which she was an “appetizer” to this year’s meeting.

“Last year’s conference encouraged me to pursue my current goals, which are study, study, study, and go to graduate school,” she says. “I am passionate about Africa and the African Diaspora political and economic progress. This conference opened my eyes to past and current issues faced by both Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora, and the various strategies being used to combat those challenges.”

The two conferences have helped her identify the continent’s challenges and how they might be resolved.

“I think the greatest challenge of most African countries is holding onto and asserting their rights as sovereign nations. Countries need to ensure that their leaders are not self serving, but are there to help progress the development of their countries. Also, these leaders must assert their rights and ensure that the profits gained from their countries’ natural resources are predominantly going to further develop their countries, and not leaving the country.

“Endogenous and exogenous forces have to be set in place to effectively address the challenges. On the continent, civil society has to demand that its leaders end the corruption, and govern in the best interests of the people. Everyone has to challenge the U.S. president and Congress, the international financial institutions and the corporations to ensure that their engagement with African countries is one that would lead to sustainable development in Africa.”

For Goodyear, Ariz., resident Briana Tyson, the series represented a chance to learn more about Africa and the African Diaspora, as well as meet people intimately involved in the discussion. A National Honors Society graduate of Agua Fria High School in 2008, Fria High School in 2008, and a member of the of the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, Tyson liked the learning experience of the week in Washington, D.C.

“The trip has helped me grow by informing me of the issues in Africa, as well as hearing different perspectives on how to solve the different problems. It has helped me to refocus my career aspirations by making me want to be more active on issues in Africa and possibly join some NGOs (non-governmental organization) to help make a difference.

“I believe I have grown a lot for the series; I am more informed.”

She sees the challenges in Africa as a matter of control.

“The continent’s biggest challenge moving forward is other countries trying to control Africa, as well as the huge amount of debt Africa carries. This is a problem because African countries cannot support their citizens properly because of the influence of other countries and the massive amount of debt they are faced with.”

While Aubrey’s students consider Africa’s past, present and future, and the role they and Africa’s Diaspora may someday play in finding solutions, the former research associate at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, says the Ronald H. Brown African Affairs Series moves students from classroom experiences to real-world applications.

“This series represents a unique and educational experience for our students,” says Aubrey, who received her doctoral degree from Ohio State University. “The fact that students are learning more about a place, a people, and its progeny helps them to better understand African peoples in a historical context, as well as in contemporary world systems.

“It sharpens their perspectives and inspires them to bridge what they are learning in the classroom to the real world. It feeds into their scholarly experience here.”

Aubrey and students Newsome, Sarabo and Tyson are currently working on an African Diaspora summit through which they will stay connected to colleagues and cohorts they met while in Washington, D.C.

Documentary film on mud volcano launches in Arizona

nstaab — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The School of Earth and Space Exploration hosted a symposium "Living with the Planet" Nov. 13 that featured the premiere screening of the documentary film "Mud Max: Investigative Documentary - Sidoardjo Mud Volcano Disaster."

The event included a panel discussion with earth scientists from leading European and American institutions, which concluded that the cause of the Sidoardjo mud volcano disaster (also known as LUSI) is still inconclusive.

No disaster in recent history has received as much attention nor created as much controversy as that of LUSI, the world's fastest growing mud volcano in Indonesia that suddenly erupted on May 29, 2006. Dubbed LUSI as a compendium of the Indonesian word for mud (lumpur) and the East Java town near which LUSI was born (Sidoarjo), the phenomenon has been a unique disaster. The hot mud, which first began spewing from the earth following a powerful earthquake and nearby exploration drilling, is still pouring forth at the rate of up to 150,000 cubic meters per day. Some 40,000 residents living near the eruption have lost their homes, belongings and, in some cases livelihoods and lives. Whole villages have been inundated with mud, infrastructures destroyed and reputations ruined.

International experts have been divided over the cause of the mud eruption. The early point of views favored the theory that the nearby drilling activity may have triggered the eruption, but others, after having time for considerable scientific investigation, support the idea that seismic activity linked to an earthquake just two days before the mud eruption began could have been the likely cause.

While conducting research in Indonesia, Amanda Clarke, an associate professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was interviewed by the film crew creating the documentary film ‘Mud Max.' The project was produced over a 27-month period by the British company Immodicus in conjunction with the School of Earth and Space Exploration and involved researchers, geologists, drilling experts and scientists whom explore the facts of the tragic, on-going disaster including the scientific, economic, humanitarian and political issues that have made LUSI the talk of the geophysical world. The film aims to highlight the facts and views from every side, but leaves the decision to the viewer as to what caused the mud volcano eruption.

Rather than pointing fingers and dwelling on the causes of the eruption, the Living with the Planet panelists emphasized the importance of seeking out solutions and using LUSI to learn from.

Panel member Jonathan Fink, professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and director of the Center for Sustainability Science Applications, pointed out that volcanology is a relatively young science that requires observations of active eruptions to advance knowledge.

"Mud volcanism of the scale of LUSI has rarely if ever been seen before, so volcanologists may not be able to answer all of the questions that policy makers and the public want to know," explains Fink. "Each eruption teaches us something new, so LUSI may help scientists interpret future mud events."

Adriano Mazzini, a researcher at the Physics of Geological Processes Centre of Excellence (University of Oslo), whose research has focused on mud volcanoes, has conducted extensive research on LUSI during his three visits.

"Our results support a scenario where the strike-slip movement of the Watukosek fault triggered the Lusi eruption and synchronous seep activity witnessed at other mud volcanoes along the same fault," says Mazzini. "The possibility that drilling contributed to trigger the eruption cannot be excluded. However, so far, no univocal data support the drilling hypothesis, and a blow-out scenario can neither explain the dramatic changes that affected the plumbing system of numerous seep systems on Java after the May 27 earthquake."

Preparing for and reacting quickly to natural disasters such as LUSI requires both deep knowledge of the broader Earth system context and careful monitoring of biological, chemical, and physical processes.

"The development of effective environmental monitoring systems has not progressed very far as yet, and Indonesia - with its complex geology and high risk of natural hazards - would be an excellent place to develop and test state-of-the-art monitoring technologies," says Kip Hodges, director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration. "The School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU is establishing itself as one of the premier centers for such technology development. We are very excited to explore opportunities to work with our friends in Indonesia to develop world-class hazard monitoring systems for deployment in their country."

The school sees an important aspect of such collaboration as being a cooperative educational program that would provide opportunities for bright young Indonesian students to receive training at ASU in science and engineering, such that they can return to Indonesia and play leadership roles in developing a strong intellectual foundation for Indonesia in Earth system science and engineering.

According to Clarke and other panel members, the region around LUSI is very complex geologically, making prediction of future mud activity difficult at best.

"Real-time and/or continuous monitoring of several key geophysical, geochemical and volcanological parameters will provide data to help understand the phenomenon," she says. "This type of campaign, coupled with context gained from detailed study of the area's geologic past, may help scientists predict LUSI's future."

ASU among top universities chosen by international students

icsea — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:03:51 -0700

ASU is once again among the top choices for international students, placing 18th in the nation among all colleges and universities, according to a report released this week from the Institute of International Education.

ASU has 3,549 international students enrolled this fall, up from 3,478 last year. Although the university doesn’t do any recruiting overseas, ASU continues to draw students from more than 120 countries because of the breadth of its programs and its increasing reputation.

This is the highest number to enroll at ASU since 9/11, when international enrollment peaked at 3,611 in the fall of 2001.

“We have excellence in so many fields, and our offerings are so broad, that these students can find whatever course of study they want at ASU,” says Kathleen Fairfax, vice provost at the ASU Center for Global Education Services. “The reputation of ASU has been greatly enhanced in the last few years through the work of our faculty.

“These students are a tremendous benefit to our student body, who gain an international perspective from the presence of so many people from all over the world. And the financial benefit to the university and the economy of the state is considerable.”

International students contribute $17.8 billion to the U.S. economy through their expenditures on tuition and living expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Higher education is among the United States’ top service sector exports.

India continues to be the leading country of origin for ASU international students, followed closely by China. But the representation from these two countries is changing, as China’s enrollment grew 34 percent to 790 and India’s dropped 15 percent to 864.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, more Chinese students are seeking college degrees because their government has pushed to make secondary education universal. But there are not enough high-quality institutions in China to meet the need.

A rising middle class in both India and China means more families have the money to send their children overseas to study, the Chronicle reported.

The next highest countries of origin at ASU are South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

The most popular major at ASU is engineering, followed by business, which has experienced a 40 percent increase over last year. There also has been an increased interest in the arts and sciences.

The majority are graduate students, at 2,195, with another 1,220 enrolled as undergraduates, about the same proportion as last year. The Institute for International Education counts another 900 students in the total, since they include graduates who are in a practical training program and students who are enrolled in the American English and Culture Program.

ASU undergrads display research work at symposium

jkullman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:15:03 -0700

Arizona State University undergraduate students will again showcase their research in biotechnology, alternative energy sources, robotics, and a wide range of engineering and science fields at the 10th semi-annual Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI) Symposium from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 20.

More than 80 students will exhibit posters detailing their FURI program research projects on the west patio of the Engineering Center, G-Wing, at ASU's Tempe campus. FURI is one of the few university programs in the country that enables undergraduates to get valuable hands-on experience in significant research.

A program of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, FURI has grown since its inception in 2005 to become one of the largest of such programs. To participate, students must go through an extensive application process during which their qualifications are reviewed by a school-wide committee.

“Our goal is for each student to walk away from the program having had a great research experience that will help with their transition into graduate school, into the work force, or to any other career path they may choose,” says Christine MacLeod, the program’s director.

FURI Symposiums, presented once each Fall and Spring semester, is open to the public. More than 200 people, including Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Dean Deirdre Meldrum and other ASU engineering research leaders, are expected to attend.

The Spring semester symposium is scheduled for April 23, 2010.

For more on the FURI program, visit http://engineering.asu.edu/furi. A video on FURI can be viewed at http://engineering.asu.edu/video or http://asunews.asu.edu/20090608_video_furi.

Writer: Chelsea Brown

Media contact:

Arizona's Teacher of the Year is ASU grad, current student

mattcrum — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:27:20 -0700

She describes herself as “born to teach,” and it shows. Arizona State University graduate Joy Weiss was honored Nov. 5 as Arizona’s 2010 Teacher of the Year by the Arizona Educational Foundation.

“Being a teacher is much more than teaching students, but an opportunity to inspire, encourage and support others to become the best they can be,” says Weiss, a Mesa native who earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in 1998 and is currently taking graduate courses through ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL) to obtain a reading endorsement.

Weiss, who now lives in Phoenix and teaches first grade at Balsz Elementary School, regularly serves as a mentor and role model for future teachers who work as interns and student teachers in her classroom. “These experiences with ASU students push me to continue learning,” she says. “It is so exciting to work with ‘fresh’ minds and gain perspective on your career through new eyes. I am excited to work with each ASU student who enters my classroom.”

Not being one to do things half-heartedly, Weiss also excels in the CTEL reading classes she has been taking at ASU’s West campus. One of her professors, Frank Serafini, describes Weiss as an excellent, dedicated student. “Her work is some of the best I've seen, and her dedication to her students comes through in her work,” says Serafini, an associate professor of literacy education and an award-winning author of children’s books.

Weiss’ current studies at ASU represent a continuation of a mutually beneficial relationship between her and the university. “As an undergraduate I had many professors who pushed me beyond my comfort zone and provided safe environments for me and my fellow students to discuss issues without fear of ridicule or embarrassment,” she says.

In addition to mentoring current college students, Weiss goes above and beyond in a myriad ways at Balsz Elementary School. She trains and supports other Balsz teachers in the integration of technology in the classroom; mentors new teachers; coaches fellow teachers on English Language Development (ELD) issues as well as the school’s new math curriculum; coordinates supplemental summer and fall programs; assists with a weekly Family Night program for the local community and more.

Weiss says her career path was set in her first few weeks of kindergarten. “When I met Mrs. Walker, I knew that someday I would be a teacher,” she says.

“The satisfaction I get from teaching is difficult to express in words because it looks different every day. In some cases it’s from the simple way that I show love to a student who needs extra care that day. Other times it’s the triumphs of students understanding the knowledge that's been taught and being able to help others gain the same understanding. I don't believe there is any other profession that allows such a great opportunity to be an active participant with one’s ‘clients’ – the students.”

The Teacher of the Year honor brings with it a $20,000 award, a laptop computer, a trip to space camp in Huntsville, Ala., and a scholarship to pursue a doctoral degree. Weiss also is now Arizona’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year award.

“I am very excited for what this honor brings to me,” Weiss says. “The opportunities for professional growth are profound, as well as the chance to work with colleagues around the state and shed new insights on the triumphs and tribulations of education. I look forward to working with others to do my best to bring hope and inspiration back into the classrooms. This award is very humbling, and the process which took me here has made me think very deeply and has shown me who I am at the deepest part of me and what I truly believe as an educator.”

ASU leads country in AIEF scholarship students

sdesgeor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:32:14 -0700

Arizona State University is the country’s higher education destination of choice for undergraduate Native Americans attending college on an American Indian Education Foundation (AIEF) scholarship, according to numbers recently released by the foundation.

Of 176 undergraduate scholarships awarded this year by AIEF, 41 of the recipients are attending Arizona colleges and universities. Eighteen of those students are enrolled at ASU for the 2009-10 academic year. Northern Arizona University and the University of Alaska-Anchorage are second, with eight students each.

“We are just elated to see so many American Indian students seek and apply for scholarships at ASU, and particularly these from AIEF,” says Michael Begaye, executive director of ASU’s American Indian Student Support Services.

“We work very closely with 25 different reservations in Arizona and New Mexico alone, two states that AIEF and the NRC (National Relief Charities) recognize as the most impoverished or to have the least access to outside resources. This is an issue of access, and we are proud of making the programs and resources of this university available to so many students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue higher education.”

Helen Oliff, NRC public relations manager, echoes Begaye’s emphasis on providing greater opportunities to Native American students.

“Many Americans believe that college is free for Native Americans. U.S.-Tribal treaties mention schools and teachers, but do not mention college," she says. “Today, when more Native American students hope to go to college, the competition for available scholarships is fierce. Native American students are half as likely as non-Natives to have a college degree in this country. AIEF and NRC want them to have more of an opportunity.”

For Angela Matus, her AIEF scholarship is the realization of an unreachable dream. A member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Matus graduated early from Tempe Marcos de Niza High School in 2008 as a member of the dean’s list. The 20-year-old biological sciences major in ASU’s School of Life Sciences is following in the footsteps of her mother, who graduated from the Tempe campus with a B.A. in education and is currently working on her master’s in American Indian education. The younger Matus says the scholarship to ASU not only provides her with a university education, but also will allow her to pursue a dream.

“In this economic crisis, I needed to help myself – education was important to me,” she says.

“My mom brings me strength and courage to do what she did, to surpass the limits and come back home to help our people, and to receive this scholarship brings me great joy. Now, AIEF has given me the empowerment and passion to live proudly and work harder.”

She says she has found her calling at ASU.

“This year, as a college student, I have been able to do what I want to do, which is to help educate the Native American students in the ASU community the value of fitness.”

Matus has pursued her interest in fitness through her leadership of the Native American Wellness Society (NAWS) at ASU, where she serves the club as president.

“While at ASU, I am gaining knowledge, leadership and friends," she says. "Being president of NAWS is one thing that was not in my plans while attending ASU, but I am very proud to have the opportunity.

“If I didn’t have the friends I have met at ASU, native or not, I wouldn’t have been able to be where I am now – at the top of the world with an aspiration to change it.”

Laine Evans Nelson, whose tribal heritage is Navajo, Mojave and Papago, graduated with honors from River Valley High School in Mohave Valley, Ariz. The AIEF scholarship will allow the junior theater major to pursue his acting aspirations.

“Simply put, the AIEF scholarship removed my financial worry," he says. "This year in particular, my career and my life almost hinges around being able to afford the things my craft requires. From a computer to communicate, design and research; to papers, books, workshops and seminars; to acquire new skills in acting.

“I have a concentration in acting for the theater program here, but I will either stay here for a while doing theater or move directly on to graduate school.I am honing my skills as an actor to be a voice for those who want to speak but oftentimes are never heard,” says Laine, 20, who notes the large Native American student population at ASU played a part in his selection of the university.

AIEF is one of the country’s largest grantors of scholarships to Native Americans, funding about $450,000 for more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students annually. Of these recipients, nearly half are first-generation students. AIEF awards look beyond grade point averages and standardized test scores for students who exhibit passion, resiliency and leadership skills.

AIEF scholarships are awarded by a selection committee that includes enrolled tribal members from around the country. “Many American Indian students are in need of financial assistance, but do not meet the criteria that other scholarships require,” says Lyn Tysdal, program manager of AIEF’s six educational services. “ASU has a strong commitment to American Indian students, as evidenced by its American Indian Support Services office and the great support it provides.”

16 graduate students earn dissertation fellowships

mstgeorg — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:25:01 -0700

The Graduate College has awarded 16 dissertation fellowships to outstanding graduate students who are in the final stages of post-candidacy doctoral work. Fellowships are awarded across five areas: arts, humanities and social sciences; natural sciences and mathematics; engineering; professional programs and education; and interdisciplinary research.

The fellows' varied research includes justice issues in deaf education, improvements in fuel cell efficiency, vaccine development, connections between literature and cinema in Latin America, and the relationship between climate and human behavior in prehistoric Arizona.

"We had some of the best students from across the university nominated for this year's dissertation fellowships," says Andrew Webber, associate vice provost. "These students have made strong contributions to advancing their fields of study. They should feel very proud of their accomplishments so far, and for their potential as future leaders in their chosen professions."

The sixteen dissertation fellowships were awarded to:

• Neslihan Cevik, School of Social and Family Dynamics

• Laura Dougherty, School of Theatre and Film

• Daniel Farrell, Department of Physics

• John Finn, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning

• Dorothy Griffin, Environmental Design & Planning

• Thomas Horejes, School of Social Transformation

• Scott Ingram, School of Human Evolution & Social Change

• Assen Kokalov, School of International Letters and Cultures

• Rucheeta Vedant Kulkarni, Division of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

• Nicholas LaRowe, School of Politics and Global Studies

• Alberto Perez Pereiro, School of Human Evolution & Social Change

• Amy Rector, School of Human Evolution & Social Change

• Jeffery Thomson, Materials Science Engineering

• Emel Topal, School of Life Sciences/Biodesign Institute

• Andre Valdez, Department of Psychology

• Johanna Wagner, Department of English