News Releases

ASU SkySong company wins innovation award

jabrewe — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:04 -0700

Ubidyne, a manufacturer of digital antenna embedded radio systems for wireless communications, won the 2009 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) Award for Start-Up Companies and shared the credit for their accomplishment with SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center.

“Arizona is known for its strong culture of independent thinking and innovation and ASU SkySong was instrumental in bringing Ubidyne to Arizona,” said Ubidyne CEO Ken Hawk. “They helped us get organized here, establish our home at SkySong and connect us to the incredible resources available through ASU. We are extremely grateful for the support from SkySong and proud to have been one if its early partners.”

ASU SkySong serves as a portal for companies to the resources and services of the University, offering entrepreneurship training, workforce development, research integration and business development assistance. ASU SkySong supports new technology start-ups with office space, access to business services and continuing training geared toward local innovators and global firms seeking to start operations in the United States. Ubidyne has taken advantage of many of these programs and services.

“We are truly proud to play a role in Ubidyne’s success,” said Julia Rosen, ASU’s associate vice president of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “The whole building was buzzing when we received the news that they had won the Innovation award. We just couldn’t be happier for Ken and his entire team.”

The GCOI Awards are presented by the Arizona Technology Council in partnership with the Arizona Department of Commerce and are selected by an independent committee of experts. The GCOI was established in 2003 and has become the premier technology community gathering in Arizona. This year’s gala event was held on Nov. 19, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix.

“Throughout the turbulent economy of 2009, innovation became more important than ever,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. “It is essential that we celebrate the creative spirit of Arizona by recognizing and honoring the state’s most innovative thinkers.” Ubidyne’s Antenna Embedded RadioTM technology integrates digital micro-radio units directly into the conventional antenna housing, eliminating the need for coaxial feeder cables, remote electrical tilt, and additional amplifiers on antenna towers and masts. This will help lower the basic costs of text and voice communications in developing nations while enabling more reliable, lower cost broadband wireless connections in more developed regions.

“We are developing a technology that has true global impact,” Hawk said.

In addition to Ubidyne’s award, ASU also received recognition as professors Qiang Hu and Milton Sommerfeld, co-directors of the Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology, won the Innovator of the Year Award for Academia. Hu and Sommerfeld have developed a sustainable algal feedstock technology for production of a renewable petroleum substitute that can be converted to aviation fuel.

Eleven soccer players named to Pac-10's All-Academic Team

ckussala — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:13:05 -0700

Eleven members of the Arizona State women's soccer program earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors, according to an announcement by the conference office.

Included among the 11 players, which tied with three other schools for most in the Pac-10, were three first-team members - senior Liz Harkin and juniors Alexandra Elston and Lindsey Johns - and three second-team members - senior Carly Kallas and sophomores Jessie Richardson and Katie Shepard.

Harkin, who holds 3.82 GPA in biology & society, was named to the first team for the third consecutive season while Elston (3.92 GPA/speech and hearing) earned first-team recognition for the second time in as many years. Johns previously earned honorable mention honors in 2007. ASU's three first-team honorees were the most of any team in the conference while its combined six first- and second-team honorees were also the most in the conference. ASU's nine first-team honorees over the last three years are the most of any school in the Pac-10 during that span.

Kallas (3.66 GPA/elementary education) was named to the second team after earning honorable mention kudos each of the last two seasons. Richardson (3.68 GPA/secondary education) also earned honorable mention notice last season while Shepard earned second-team honors this season in her first season of eligibility for the Pac-10 All-Academic Team.

The Sun Devils also had five student-athletes named to the honorable mention list: Senior Briana Silvestri (third consecutive season), juniors Jill Shoquist (second consecutive season) and Karin Volpe (second consecutive season), sophomore Kari Shane and redshirt freshman Courtney Tinnin who were both named to the list in their first year of eligibility.

To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be either a starter or significant contributor to the team.

Quotes from coach Dennis Erickson's weekly press conference

ckussala — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:09:38 -0700

On who will play at Quarterback against Arizona:
“I’ll probably make a decision tomorrow. It’s kind of the same scenario as it was last week with Danny [Sullivan] and Sam[son Szakacsy]. That’s where we’re at right now.”

On what cost them last week’s game against UCLA:
“Turnovers. You can’t turn the football over like that and expect to win a game. We played awfully good on defense; that’s kind of been the story of our season. [If] you turn it over like that, 14 points on two turnovers, and steal in the ball game, and then turn it over again and again, you have no chance. So if there is one thing, that’s the thing.”

On Samson Szakacsy’s first start at Quarterback:
“It’s obvious the two mistakes that he made were costly. That’s obvious to him and that’s obvious to all of us who were at the football game a watched it. You can’t just take those two out and say ‘other than those two things you played good’, but he did do some good things; obviously he gives us some mobility and gives us the ability to make some plays down the football field. He also did that in the football game. With our offensive front as beat up as it is right now and with [Thomas] Altieri not playing, we’re going to need to have someone who can move a little bit back there and he gives us that. He threw it pretty well when he had the opportunity. I was watching the game [replay] and he was carrying the ball around when he’s running with it and that can’t happen or else they’re going to knock the thing out. So there are some things he’s got to learn, but he does have some talent athletically.”

On the graduating seniors not making it to a bowl game:
“I’m hurting bad—that’s what it’s all about. This team is all about the players and this team is all about the seniors that have been here since I’ve been here, for three years, you can go through them all and they are all guys who have contributed. Obviously our goals were quite different at the beginning of the year than what we have accomplished, but they have done a lot for this program, they have done a lot for me personally, when I came in as far as supporting everything and working their rear ends off. It’s been disappointing. I feel very, very bad for them. That’s what this is about this week—it’s about our seniors. Obviously it’s U of A, a big game, the biggest game of the year for us every year, but it’s also about the seniors.”

On Arizona Quarterback Nick Foles:
“[He is] awfully, awfully good. He gets rid of the football as well as, and as quick as, anyone that I’ve seen. [He’s] very accurate. What they do offensively fits in perfectly. He’s had a heck of a year, obviously. When they made that change it was a big change for them, as far as moving the ball and all that. He’s a good player.”

On how he keeps players in check emotionally:
“I don’t. I want them to get emotional. This is huge for us. It’s huge for us every year. The emotions run high. I’ve been in a lot of rivalry games and that’s just how it is. They’re going to fly around and they’re going to play hard and obviously they’ve got to understand what they can and cannot do. Traditional games are like that and there will be a lot of emotion on both sides, but normally once that ball is kicked off you play football. Once that this is in the air and you start playing offense and defense and the emotional aspect is there, but it’s not like the emotion before the game.”

On how this rivalry compares to others he has been a part of in his career:
“It’s as good as any I’ve ever been around. In a state where there are two schools like this you’re either a Sun Devil or a Wildcat pretty much. It’s a typical, traditional game. When you play that game it’s bragging rights for a year. That’s what it’s about. They’re fun games to be involved in. People talk about them for 364 days and then the game comes and then they talk about it for another 364 days.”

On ASU’s 5 game losing streak:
“I think the biggest thing is when you lose close games it’s takes a toll on you a little bit, and that happened to us a couple of times in this streak, at home, where we played pretty well and didn’t come out on top. That’s probably what jumps out at me most.”

On senior Linebacker Mike Nixon:
“Of all of the seniors, and they are all good, Mike has been a leader both on and off the football field. What he does in the classroom, what he’s done for Arizona State—he’s a spokesman. There is nobody better than him and he’s played very well on the field. He’s been a leader. He’s been a mentor to a lot of our young players, the linebackers in particular, he’s kind of taken them under his wing. He’s a guy that obviously we are truly going to miss.”

On what has been most difficult about switching up starting Quarterbacks this season:
“I thought Danny [Sullivan] played well early. You know he had his ups and downs, but if we had any experience it was him. Sam[son Szakacsy] was hurt and couldn’t throw for half the season. At the end of spring Danny and he were battling, so that may have made a difference, and then Brock is just young. So you take all of those things into consideration and it kind of ends up the way it is right now.”

On senior Defensive End Dexter Davis:
“Dexter is the cornerstone of our front as far as pass rush, as far as being physical against the run. He’s probably a guy who has played more than anybody else. Dexter is not a real boisterous guy by any means he just plays by doing what he does on the field, but obviously he’s been critical in this program."

On Arizona:
“Arizona is as good a football team as there is in this league. [If] you look at them at all three phases of the game, they might be the best. When you take them on defense and what they do and what they’ve accomplished, and then on offense and what they’ve done since they made the Quarterback change, and then take their Special Teams with their Punter; if you take all three phases they are probably the most balanced team in our league. They are a football team who, outside of Iowa, could probably be undefeated. Every game has been down to the wire. We are very aware of what Coach Stoops has done there. He has done a great job with that program and they’ve got some excellent football players. They play well as a team. They play well on offense, defense and teams; so we understand what we are going up against.”

On the improvement of the Pac-10 conference in his time at ASU:
“It’s way better. The coaching is extremely good. The recruiting has been very good. The impressive thing is that you can take every team and everybody can beat everybody, and they’ve all done it. As you guys know, we play each other, you play nine games and it’s vicious. If you play a couple of outside games that are what everybody wants against good opponents, it’s hard. It’s not like it used to be. Back in the day there were always three or four teams that you felt like you were going to beat but now, that’s not the case.”

On slowing down Nick Foles in the passing game:
“You’ve gotta tackle because they throw a lot of screens; that is a huge part of their offense. He gets the ball out really quickly, it’s really hard to put a lot of blitz pressure on him because of what they do. When they get it out there we better get people to the ball. What gets lost sometimes in watching them play is they get in two tight ends a lot and they get in the eye, they aren’t always spread out and they run the football pretty well and they have a good offensive line. It’s a combination of both things. They are very, very efficient as you can tell with their stats and how many points they’ve been scoring.”

On the home field advantage:
“Playing at home is always an advantage. Hopefully [the stadium] is full of our fans, but I’ve been around rivalries where that doesn’t always happen.”

On senior Quarterback Danny Sullivan’s career at ASU:
“He’s a very stable young man [who is] very dedicated to this program, [who] sat around here for a lot of years backing up Rudy [Carpenter]. He’s always been a team guy. Even when we made the move with Brock against USC, he hasn’t complained. He’s a Sun Devil and that’s the biggest thing I’ll remember about him. That and his throw against Washington.”

Territorial Cup Rivalry heating up and expands to include Food Fight

ckussala — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:05:36 -0700

In a unique partnership with Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, State Farm Insurance is sponsoring the Territorial Cup Series Food Fight. The purpose of the Food Fight is to collect as much food as possible at the Territorial Cup football game on November 28, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

This year more than ever, local Arizona food banks need more contributions to help meet the increased demand from people needing assistance. State Farm is challenging all fans attending the annual grudge match between the ASU Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats to bring non-perishable food to the Territorial Cup football game on Saturday, November 28th. There will be numerous food drop locations surrounding Sun Devil Stadium. Look for boxes marked with St. Mary's Food Bank and people wearing State Farm T-Shirts to assist you.

Recipient of the donated food will be St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix. "St. Mary's challenge is to ease hunger in Arizona. We are thankful for the partnership with ASU4Food and State Farm, this unique partnership goes a long way in helping us meet that challenge" said Ernesto Ortiz, Food Resource Developer, St. Mary's Food Bank. During games that occur in Tucson, The Community Food Bank which serves Tucson and Pima Counties will be the recipient of food donations.

"The aim of our partnership is to not only spotlight athletic programs offered by each university, but also to help alleviate hunger in the community and address the educational funding challenges each university is currently experiencing," said State Farm Vice President-Agency Mike Dannewitz. "State Farm is proud to be a part of such a storied past of two nationally renowned universities, and we wish luck to both schools in the State Farm Territorial Cup."

About State Farm®:
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in Arizona and the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and 68,600 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 78.7 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com®

Dieter Schroder approaches 30-year career at ASU

jkullman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:56:24 -0700

Editor’s Note: This profile is one in a series that highlights Arizona State University’s 2008 and 2009 Regents’ Professors. The Regents’ Professor honor is the most prestigious faculty award at the university. Click here to view the complete list of awardees.

Dieter Schroder may be the proverbial victim of his own success.

The ASU electrical engineering professor could embark on a well-deserved retirement, but colleagues consider him too valuable to let go.

David Ferry and Gerald Heydt, fellow longtime professors in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering in ASU’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, point to Schroder’s renown in his field, his research accomplishments, his skill at teaching both beginning and advanced engineering students, and his contributions to shaping ASU’s overall academic environment.

Schroder jokingly expresses suspicion that his selection this year as a Regents’ Professor – the highest recognition for state university faculty members in Arizona – may be a way to coerce him to stay beyond the 28 years he’s already been at ASU.

More seriously, Schroder says he remains motivated by the same kinds of goals he set for himself when he came to the university in 1981.

He wanted to publish 100 articles in science and engineering research journals, give 100 presentations at engineering conferences and see at least 100 of his students go on to earn master’s and doctorate degrees.

He has exceeded each objective. Along the way he has earned five engineering teaching excellence awards (and numerous other teaching accolades), helped make ASU a leader in solid state electronics research and launched some of the university’s first online education courses.

In addition, he has given hundreds of students the valuable experience of participating in his semiconductor technology research.

The impact of his work reaches far beyond ASU, says Ferry, who also is a Regents’ Professor. Schroder has earned an international reputation for the significance of his research, while his books and courses have become models for teaching electrical engineering, Ferry says.

Schroder’s textbook “Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization” is used worldwide.

“I get e-mails from all over the world” from students and teachers using the book, he says.

“I still love to teach,” Schroder says. “I enjoy the challenge, and I like working with young people.”

Today he can bring into the classroom not only decades of experience in teaching and research, but knowledge he has gained working with technology industry leaders such as Motorola, Intel, Westinghouse Electric Corp., Sperry Flight Systems, Texas Instruments and Litton Industries. He was employed by Westinghouse for 13 years before beginning his academic career.

Demand for Schroder’s expertise has risen with such accomplishments as the technological advances made under his direction at the Center for Low-Power Electronics, which he led at ASU from 1996 to 2004.

His research team helped solve the problem of how to make integrated circuits operate more speedily while at the same controlling the excessive heat the circuits generated in the process.

The solutions he helped develop are widely applied today in the computer microprocessor industry.

Despite a typically full schedule of research pursuits and classes to teach, Schroder has answered the call numerous times over the years to help guide the development of engineering education at ASU.

“Dieter is one of those talented people who have never learned to say no,” says Heydt, another Regents’ Professor. “He is invariably elected and re-elected to departmental and universitywide committees because of his leadership qualities.”

Despite a long list of past achievements, Schroder focuses on the present and future.

“In the past, engineers could be loners and get by on expertise in one or two technical fields,” he says. “Today’s engineers must be skilled communicators and collaborators with people outside their specialties. Educating students to be engineers in the 21st century still drives me.”

Making battlefield communications better

jkullman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:39:00 -0700

Junshan Zhang is working to improve wireless communications technology with support from a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Zhang is an associate professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, a part of Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He also works in the engineering schools’ Sensor, Signal and Information Processing Center (SenSIP).

The grant of more than $600,000 will fund Zhang’s efforts to improve the reliability of communications networks under battlefield conditions.

"Battlefield wireless networks often operate under hostile conditions that include adverse radio frequency environments, interference, bursts of traffic and changing network topology,” Zhang explains. “As a result, network management of information flows in such a hostile environment often faces a number of challenges, such as network failure and compromise, and intermittent connectivity.”

There is an “urgent need to develop fundamental network science for identifying, representing and controlling information dynamics” in Department of Defense networks, Zhang says.

Advances in this area of research also promise to provide more reliability for various types of airborne and ground-based communications networks.

Zhang’s work is ASU’s part of a larger project, titled “Information Dynamics as a Foundation for Network Management,” led by Princeton University, with other research partners at the California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California- Irvine, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Wisconsin- Madison.

Zhang’s grant is part of a $7 million MURI award for the overall project.

The MURI program is designed to accelerate research and technology development that supports specific science and engineering efforts considered vital to national defense.

Writer: Chelsea Brown

Equipment donation advances ASU medical research, student learning

dprewitt — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:51:45 -0700

A donation of equipment from the Intel Corporation to Arizona State University will put sophisticated technology to an entirely new use that could result in earlier, less costly diagnosis of disease.

A long-standing supporter of ASU research and programs, Intel donated equipment, which has a market value of more than $2.3 million. The majority of the equipment will be used by ASU’s Biodesign Institute on promising research that aims to detect illness before there are any symptoms of the disease.

“One of the remarkable aspects of this generous donation is that it provides an entire suite of sophisticated equipment, allowing us to make a dramatic leap in capabilities,” said Dr. Neal Woodbury, deputy director of the Biodesign Institute.

Key components of the equipment were originally designed for the fabrication of computer microchips. Now, Biodesign researchers will repurpose it to make "peptide chips." Each chip will have millions of protein fragments on its surface. The concept is that a tiny sample of blood – like that used in diabetic testing – would be put in contact with the chip. The goal is a comprehensive snapshot of the patient’s immune system called an immunosignature. Assuming a home-based test kit would be developed enabling the test to be run every month or so, this would enable detection of disease at its earliest stage – even before there are symptoms, improving the chance of effective treatment.

“ASU is a great research institution, and its engineering and science programs are becoming the cornerstones for the advancement of new technologies,” said Nasser Grayeli, vice president of Intel’s technology and manufacturing group and director of its Corporate Quality Network. “In the past few years, Intel and ASU have collaborated on a wide range of activities and programs, including manufacturing sciences, packaging, wireless and now, biodesign. We enjoy our interaction with ASU students, faculty members and administrators. We look forward to a strong, continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest.”

Intel has a long history of support for a broad range of ASU programs and initiatives, particularly in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering’s fields of computer science and biomedical informatics, to name a few. The equipment will be housed in a dedicated facility at ASU's Polytechnic campus.

Polytechnic’s Department of Engineering Technology also received another piece of equipment, a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3-D part models measurement, which junior-level mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology students will use.

According to Scott Danielson, an engineering technology chair at ASU, this piece of metrology equipment is something the program could never afford to purchase on its own and is invaluable to student learning.

“This CMM provides extremely accurate measurement for the quality-control step in product development,” he said. “The students’ access to this equipment greatly increases their real-world exposure to metrology. Our metrology laboratory is unique within ASU and its high quality is, in large part, due to Intel’s generosity.”

Joe Caspermeyer, joseph.caspermeyer@asu.edu

(480) 727-0969

Biodesign Institute

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.

New canine officer is official member of ASU Police

jnewberg — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Every dog has at least one special day, and ASU’s new canine police officer had hers when she was sworn in as an official member of the department.

Disney received a doggie-sized badge and an identification tag that her handler, Parker Dunwoody, an ASU Police Department detective, assumed custody of after the yellow Labrador retriever was asked to protect the United States Constitution during the ceremony.

ASU’s Police Department first became interested in acquiring a canine in 2001. Disney came on board earlier this year after she and Dunwoody completed 10 weeks of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) training. She also spent six weeks becoming proficient in recognizing approximately 19,000 explosive scents.

Canine officers that are trained to detect explosives have a responsibility to protect the public including the students on campuses in Arizona, said William D. Newell, ATF Phoenix Field Division's special agent in charge.

“There’s a long waiting list around the country (for dogs),” Newell said.

Disney is a star around campus where she attracts attention from students, faculty and staff. It also takes the canine and her handler quite a while at times to get through the police station.

“Everybody stops and plays with Disney,” said John Pickens, chief of the ASU Police Department.

Disney doesn’t just work the four ASU campuses. She’s on call to work other events where she may be needed such as a U2 and Black Eyed Peas concert where former President Bill Clinton was in attendance.

Dunwoody spoke at the ceremony about working every day with his best friend.

“This is why I got into law enforcement,” Dunwoody said. “It’s the best thing when you’re a dog person.”

Diving dominates tower to conclude Wildcat Invitational

ckussala — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:39:26 -0700

The Arizona State diving team concluded a successful weekend at the Wildcat Diving Invitational with a Sun Devil taking first on both the men and women's 10-meter platform. 2008 Olympians Elina Eggers and Riley McCormick proved they live up to the hype as they each earned wins on the tower.

Eggers, who was a finalist on the 10-meter at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, dominated the tower to win by almost 50 points. Eggers scored 284.50 points to easily take first. The score surpassed the NCAA standard by 20 over points and has now qualified for the NCAA Zone E Championships in all four events. ,

Like Eggers, McCormick handily won the platform. The Canadian freshman was victorious by over 60 points as he scored 404.20 to secure a victory and an NCAA "A" standard.

Freshman Ciara Gellar, a former Level 10 gymnast, finished fourth with 227.60 points, good enough for an NCAA consideration score. Chris Pasanella placed ninth on the tower with 224.50 points.

The diving team will head to coach Mark Bradshaw's alma mater next week at the Ohio State Invitational.

Wrestling falls at OU

ckussala — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:35:57 -0700

The No. 20 Arizona State University wrestling team’s three lightest weight classes secured wins to stake the Sun Devils to an early 11-0 lead, but the team was unable to win any more matches as the host No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners came back with seven victories in a row to take the team win, 24-11, Sunday afternoon inside McCasland Field House in Norman, Okla. The loss, ASU’s second in a row, sends the Sun Devils to a 2-2 overall record while the Sooners improved to 2-0 on the year.

The dual began at 125 pounds with No. 3 Anthony Robles dominating Justin Forrest with a 16-0 technical fall in 4:17. Robles took Forrest down just 10 seconds into the match and turned him three times for nine more points to take an 11-0 lead into the second stanza. There, the two wrestlers started neutral before Robles took down Forrest and scored another three-point near-fall for the tech fall, his third of the season.

Leading 5-0, the Sun Devils added to the lead as Ben Ashmore rebounded from a tough loss on Friday night with a 7-5 decision over Alex Ekstrom at 133 pounds. Ashmore took down his foe and held a 2-1 lead through one before Ekstrom chose bottom and escaped to tie the match at 2-2. Another Ashmore takedown and Ekstrom escape made it 4-3 Ashmore through two before an Ashmore escape to open the third made it 5-3. Ekstrom tied it with a takedown of his own with 1:18 remaining, but Ashmore escaped and added a point for 2:03 of riding time for the final score.

For the second time this weekend, No. 5 Chris Drouin had a tough match at 141 pounds as he faced a Top 20 foe and, for the second time, Drouin won a decision, this time defeating No. 17 Zack Bailey, 3-1. The deciding points came in the first period as Drouin used a takedown with just eight seconds remaining in the period for a 2-0 lead. Both men used escapes to open the second and third periods to end the scoring with Drouin on top.

Despite the 11-0 lead, the Sooners went on to win the remaining seven matches, including five decisions that were decided by four or fewer points with two being decided by a single point. ASU maintained its lead through the second trio of matches as Vicente Varela dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 5 Kyle Terry at 149, Te Edwards lost a 17-10 decision to Shane Vernon at 157 and Kyle Edwards dropped a 5-2 decision to Tyler Caldwell at 165.

Leading 11-9, the Sun Devils tried to hold their edge in the overall dual, but Eric Starks was unable to upset No. 9 Jeff James, dropping a 4-3 decision at 174 for his first loss of the year and a 12-11 OU lead. From there, Jake Meredith fell at 184 to Erich Schmidtke, 3-1, Anthony Pike was pinned in 47 seconds by No. 7 Eric Lapotsky at 197 and Erik Nye lost a 3-2 decision to No. 13 Nathan Fernandez at heavyweight.

ASU will play host to its first of five home duals next Sunday as local rival Grand Canyon comes to Wells Fargo Arena for a 2 p.m. dual.

#12 Oklahoma def. #20 Arizona State, 24-11
McCasland Field House • Norman, Okla.
125 - #3 Anthony Robles (AS) tech fall Justin Forrest, 16-0
133 - Ben Ashmore (AS) dec. Alex Ekstrom, 7-5
141 - #5 Chris Drouin (AS) dec. #17 Zack Bailey, 3-1
149 - #5 Kyle Terry (OU) dec. Vicente Varela, 4-0
157 - Shane Vernon (OU) dec. Te Edwards, 17-10
165 - Tyler Caldwell (OU) dec. Kyle DeBerry, 5-2
174 - #9 Jeff James (OU) dec. Eric Starks, 4-3
184 - Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. Jake Meredith, 3-1
197 - #7 Eric Lapotsky (OU) pinned Anthony Pike, 0:47
285 - #13 Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Erik Nye, 3-2

Volleyball falls to Stanford

ckussala — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:31:49 -0700

Sofie Schlagintweit led the assault Saturday night with 12 kills as the Sun Devil Women’s Volleyball team closed out their 2009 home season with a tough 25-21, 25-15, 25-20 loss to the No. 6 Stanford Cardinal to fall to 13-15 overall and 3-13 in Pac-10 play. The Cardinal improve to 20-7 on the season and 13-14 in conference play with one week left in the regular season.

Set one saw A State come to play as they hit .250 with Erica Wilson and Sofie Schlagintweit both collecting five apiece to hang tough with Stanford, but the Cardinal were just able to best the Maroon and Gold with a .310 team attack percentage and two blocks to just edge ahead with a 25-21 win.

The Cardinal came out rocking in set two as well as they posted an amazing .455 attack percentage to blaze by on the coattails of Barbara Ifejika’s five kills and two team blocks to take a 25-15 win.

Coming out of the break the Sun Devils showed a bit more heart with three blocks to hold down the Cardinal as best as they could, but Eileen Murfee was swinging to win it with seven kills and a blazing .467 attack percentage that ASU just couldn’t contain as Stanford completed the sweep with a 25-20 to wrap the match.

Post match, Jason Watson stated, “We seemed to struggle with the small details again today, which is something we’ve been working on all season. We had solid outings from Sofie Schalagintweit and Paige Mittelstaedt, but we just weren’t able to get everyone in sync throughout the match.”

Up next the Sun Devils will wrap up the 2009 regular season as they head to Los Angeles next weekend to take on the UCLA Bruins and USC Women of Troy next Friday and Saturday night.

ASU football falls to UCLA

ckussala — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:28:09 -0700

Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince passed for 161 yards, UCLA's defense accounted for two touchdowns and set up a field goal, and the Bruins beat Arizona State 23-13 Saturday to become bowl eligible with their sixth win.

Prince was 15 for 31 with no interceptions and no TDs for the Bruins (6-5, 3-5 Pac-10), whose last postseason appearance was a loss in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. They won their third straight, and will visit crosstown rival Southern California next weekend in a bid to solidify their selection to a lower-tier bowl.

When UCLA's defense wasn't scoring, it forced six turnovers.

ASU's (4-7, 2-6) hopes of being extended a bowl invitation were dashed with its fifth consecutive loss. The Sun Devils averaged 15 points during the skid. They finished 1-4 on the road this season, only beating Pac-10 doormat Washington State.

ASU's Kyle Williams had six catches for 128 yards and two TDs, including a 70-yarder in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Samson Szakacsy, the Devils' third quarterback of the season, was 15 of 22 with one interception and two touchdowns while getting sacked four times in his first career start. Dimitri Nance was ASU's leading rusher with 21 carries for 110 yards.

Chane Moline led UCLA with 84 yards rushing on 25 carries. Nelson Rosario had six catches for 81 yards.

Williams' second TD reception pulled Arizona State to 23-13 with 11:47 remaining in the game. The 2-point conversion failed when Jovon Williams Thomas Weber also missed a 43-yard field goal wide left in the third. dropped Szakacsy's pass on the goal line.

The Bruins outscored ASU 13-0 in the second quarter and overcame 11 penalties for 100 yards in their home finale at the Rose Bowl in front of 46,151. Kai Forbath kicked two of his three field goals in the second.

Szakacsy was sacked by Brian Price for an 11-yard loss, causing a fumble that was recovered by Akeem Ayers at the ASU 9-yard line. Ayers reached across the goal line with the ball as he fell, extending UCLA's lead to 16-7.

On Arizona State's ensuing kickoff, Sean Westgate recovered a fumble by Jamal Miles at the ASU 18. UCLA capped its possession with Forbath's 20-yard field goal for a 20-7 halftime lead.

Forbath hit a 22-yard field goal earlier in the second quarter to give UCLA a 10-7 lead.

The Sun Devils tied the game at 7 on Szakacsy's 35-yard TD pass to Williams with 51 seconds remaining in the first. Szakacsy lofted the pass under pressure to Williams, who dove into the end zone.

UCLA scored first on Alterraun Verner's 68-yard interception return at 11:47 of the opening quarter. It was the senior cornerback's school-record fourth career interception return for a TD.

Prince was briefly replaced by Kevin Craft after being shaken up early in the fourth, but he soon returned.

Women's basketball falls to Xavier

ckussala — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:21:14 -0700

Katie Rutan walked into the interview room, glanced around and hesitantly asked for directions.

"Where do I go?" she said.

It was the only time all day she sounded like a freshman.

Rutan made three consecutive 3s during a first-half run that put Xavier ahead to stay, and had a steal and layup that ended No. 14 ARIZONA STATE's comeback and sent the ninth-ranked Musketeers to a 59-46 victory on Saturday.

Xavier (2-0) never trailed after Rutan came off the bench to lead a 13-point run, making her three attempts from behind the arc. The freshman from Ambler, Pa., took quick shots without hesitation.

No shy freshman here.

"Never, never, never," Rutan said. "I'll never be shy. I just launch 'em."

Her ability to hit one long shot after another has already earned her a nickname. Teammates call her Brad Redford, a reference to the long-distance shooter on Xavier's men's team.

"I was excited," said forward Amber Harris, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds. "I felt like I was watching Brad Redford."

Rutan hears it all the time.

"It's a compliment, though," she said.

Rutan also had a steal and layup after the Sun Devils (2-1) cut the lead to 38-36 in the second half. The Musketeers then took control with some of their usual defense, holding the Sun Devils to one basket over the next 11 minutes, 17 seconds.

Last December, the Musketeers went to ARIZONA STATE and lost by 18 points to a team that would reach the elite eight. The Sun Devils return only two starters from that team. Dymond Simon, who was the leading scorer last season, is still recovering from a knee injury.

"This is life with seven new players," coach Charli Turner Thorne said.

Their inexperience showed during that 11-minute stretch, when the Sun Devils went 1 of 15 from the field and had nine turnovers. They finished with 21 turnovers overall.

"It gets frustrating when you throw the ball away on 10 of 13 possessions," Turner Thorne said. "It's not like we made the same mistake. We were very creative. We made different ones every time down. We took turns not getting things done throughout the game."

Danielle Orsillo led ARIZONA STATE with 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Playing with the highest ranking in school history, Xavier got off to a ragged start before Rutan got into the game and put her imprint on the offense. She finished with 13 points.

"We brought her in here to make shots," coach Kevin McGuff said. "If she passes up a good shot, I'll probably take her out. She might as well keep doing what she's doing."

The 13-point run put Xavier ahead 20-8. The Musketeers led 28-23 at halftime even though Ta'Shia Phillips, their dominant center, didn't take a shot and played only 10 minutes because of foul trouble. The Musketeers got the ball to her inside for a basket that opened the second half. Phillips finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Xavier was one of the nation's top defensive teams last season, holding opponents under 50 points a school-record 16 times. The Musketeers allowed only 53.8 points per game last season, ninth-best in the nation.

During those decisive 11 minutes in the second half, they looked like themselves.

"The chemistry's going," Harris said. "We're staying together and keeping our composure during games. This is a good win for us. We've got stuff to prove because people aren't really looking at Xavier because we're Xavier."

Top experts to deliver 2010 economic forecasts

djfreem1 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:11:17 -0700

Though the recession may officially be over, Americans are still worried about unemployment, debt and making it through continued tough times. Top economic experts will offer up their 2010 forecasts for Arizona and the nation at the Valley's largest and most trusted economic event. The 46th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon, co-sponsored by Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business Department of Economics and JPMorgan Chase, will be held Dec. 2.

More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the event, which is always popular with both the public and the media. This year, a lot of attention will focus on when the Arizona economy will start to recover from its recent freefall.

"In past downturns, we were often able to say the Arizona economy was still doing better than most states," says Professor Lee McPheters, director of the W. P. Carey School of Business' JPMorgan Chase Economic Outlook Center. "However, in this recession, Arizona has been hit harder than other states, and we are looking down a long, twisted road before we can say the economy has recovered here."

Attendees will learn more from the experts about how and when recovery is expected. Luncheon presentations will include the outlooks for:

1. The Arizona and regional economies - from W. P. Carey School of Business Professor Lee McPheters, editor of the Arizona and Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast publications
2. The United States and the financial sector - from Anthony Chan, managing director and chief economist for JPMorgan Chase Private Client Services
3. Real estate and construction - from Elliott D. Pollack, president of Elliott D. Pollack and Company

The 46th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon will be held in the Phoenix Convention Center's South Ballroom from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Admission is $75 per person. Proceeds from the luncheon are used to support student scholarships, faculty research, and other academic and professional activities at the W. P. Carey School of Business Department of Economics. For more information, including registration details, go to http://wpcarey.asu.edu/ecn/efl.

Women's basketball faces Xavier in Cincinnati

ckussala — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:13:16 -0700

Up next
The No. 14/7 Arizona State women’s basketball team continues its current road trip when it travels Cincinnati, Ohio, to face the No. 9/13 Xavier Musketeers on Saturday (2 p.m. ET/noon MT). Saturday’s game is the second of four consecutive contests the Sun Devils are playing away from home. ASU began its current road trip with an 82-46 win at Yale on Thursday.

Xaiver represents the second of five 2009 NCAA Tournament teams the Sun Devils have or will face during the non-conference portion of their schedule. ASU defeated 32-game winner and 2009 NCAA participant South Dakota State in its opener, 73-64. Over the next several weeks the Sun Devils will also face East Tennessee State (Nov. 28 at Hawaii Tournament), No. 15/8 Texas A&M (Dec. 19 in Las Vegas) and No. 8/9 Baylor (Dec. 20 in Las Vegas).

On the air
Arizona State’s game at Xavier can be heard live on 1440 KAZG. Pre-game coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Valley. Veteran broadcaster Jeff Munn is in his sixth season as the voice of ASU women’s basketball.

Preseason rankings
Throughout much of the preseason, Sun Devil head coach Charli Turner Thorne has made it a point to stress that the Sun Devils are about ‘reloading’ and not ‘rebuilding’ after losing six seniors from last year’s Elite Eight squad.

If preseason polls are any indication, it appears that media and coaches alike have taken notice that the Sun Devils intend to be among the nation’s best despite the number of losses from last season. After finishing 19th in the final 2008-09 Associated Press regular season poll, the Sun Devils opened at No. 16 in the AP’s 2009-10 preseason poll. ASU also opened higher in the preseason coaches poll, coming in at No. 11 after finishing 12th in the final coaches poll of the 2008-09 season. ASU’s No. 11 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches’ preseason poll represents the highest preseason ranking it has ever received in either poll.

The highest ranking ASU had received in a preseason poll prior to this season came two years ago when it opened No. 12 in both polls. This year represents the fifth straight season that ASU has been ranked in both preseason polls.

In the latest polls the Sun Devils moved up to No. 14 in the AP and No. 7 in the coaches’ poll following their win over South Dakota State on Sunday. ASU’s No. 7 ranking ties the ASU’s highest in school history. ASU was also ranked No. 7 prior to facing Stanford in the 2007 Pac-10 Tournament championship game.

Preseason predictions
The Pac-10’s coaches picked the Sun Devils to finish second in the conference this season, which is exactly where it finished last season when it tied California for the league’s runner-up spot. The media that cover the conference had the Sun Devils in third. Worth noting is the Sun Devils received a first-place vote in the coaches poll.

Both the league’s coaches and media were in agreement in picking Stanford to win the conference.

Scouting Xavier
Saturday’s game will be Xavier’s second contest of the season. The Musketeers opened the season with an 81-71 overtime win at USC. Xavier was picked to repeat as champions of the Atlantic 10 Conference, receiving 12 of 14 first-place votes. Junior forward Amber Harris (19 points and 12 rebounds at USC) and junior center Ta’Shia Phillips (14 points and 11 rebounds at USC) were both named to the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team and the All-Defensive Team.

ASU and USC are the only Pac-10 schools the Musketeers have ever faced with each meeting coming within the last calendar year.

If the Sun Devils are able to come out on top on Saturday, they will do it against a program that has won its last 17 home openers dating back to 1992.

Sun Devils look to remain among the best
During ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne’s stint leading the Sun Devil program, ASU has developed into one of the most successful programs not only in the Pac-10, but around the country as well. Since 2000, the Sun Devils have finished first or second in the Pac-10 a combined six times, and have finished lower than third only once. Nationally, ASU is one of 20 schools whose current streak of NCAA appearances is 5 or more, one of 15 schools that has qualified for the Sweet 16 three or more times in the last five seasons and one of 9 schools that has qualified for the Elite Eight at least two times in the last three years.

Always feeling at home
Something else the Sun Devils have come to be known for under Turner Thorne is having one of the best success rates in the country when they play on their home floor. Since 2004 the Sun Devils have won 87 percent (67-10) of the games they have played at Wells Fargo Arena. In addition, under Turner Thorne ASU has also proven to be nearly as effective when it is playing away from home. In the last three seasons the Sun Devils have won more than nearly 71 percent of their games when they were the visiting team or made a trip to a neutral site.

Who is returnng?
#13 Danielle Orsillo - Sr. - G - Returns as ASU’s most experienced player in the backcourt... Started all 35 games last season after missing all but one game of the 2007-08 season with a knee injury... Scored in double figures 17 times last season, including 11 times in ASU’s last 15 games... Named to the 2009 Trenton Regional All-Tournament Team after she averaged 12.5 points and 2.5 assists while making all 10 of her free throws in ASU’s four NCAA Tournament games... Has averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in ASU’s first two games of 2009-10.

#21 Kayli Murphy - Sr. - F/C - Returns as ASU’s most experienced player in the frontcourt... Played in every game her first two years before a hand injury caused her to miss the first six games last season... Would go on to start in 27 of the 29 games she played in... Made 58 percent of her field goal attempts in Pac-10 play and was successful on 64 percent of her shots (32-50) in ASU’s last nine games of the season... Had the best all-around game of her career in ASU’s first round NCAA Tournament win over Georgia (Mar. 21). Made all six of her field goal attempts and scored a career-high 12 points for the second consecutive game. Also grabbed season-best 11 rebounds (one short of her career high) to account for the first double-double of her career... Through two games in 2009-10 has averaged 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while connecting on 60 percent of her shots... Had the second double-double of her career in the 2009-10 season opener against South Dakota State in which she scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds.

#30 Gabby Fage - Sr. - G - Reserve guard who has played in 67 games over the last three seasons... Will look to pick up where she left off at the end of the 2008-09 season as she played a big role in helping the Sun Devils qualify for the Elite Eight for the second time in three years... After averaging 5.8 minutes in her first 24 games of the season, averaged 22.8 minutes in ASU’s four NCAA Tournament contests... Came through with clutch effort in ASU’s 63-58 win over Florida State to help send the Sun Devils to the Sweet 16 as she played a career-high 26 minutes and tied her career high in points (6) and set a new career best with six rebounds. Hit back-to-back 3-pointers over a 31-second span to cut Florida State’s once nine-point lead to a single point, 46-45, with 6:12 left in the game... Is averaging 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2009-10 (18.5 mpg).

#32 Becca Tobin - Jr. - F/C - Skilled post who will have a more prominent role in 2009-10... Came into the 2009-10 season having played in 66 games her first two seasons... In 2008-09 led or tied for the team lead in rebounds nine times and blocks 10 times... Was successful on 55.4 percent of her shot attempts (67-121) and 72 percent of her free throws (33-46) last season... Connected on 62 percent (31-50) of her shot attempts during ASU’s school record 15-game winning streak last season and hit 53 percent of her shots (10-19) in ASU’s four NCAA Tournament games... Has been ASU’s top offensive threat through two games in 2009-10, averaging 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while connecting on 65 percent of her shots... Made the first start of her career in ASU’s 2009-10 season opening win against South Dakota State and scored a career-best 18 points to go along with six rebounds.

#25 Kimberly Brandon - So. - G/F - Had a tremendous offseason and figures to play an ever bigger role in 2009-10 after playing in 30 games last season (5.8 minutes per game)... Recorded career-best numbers in points (11), rebounds (6) and steals (2) in win at Oregon (Jan. 10, 2009)... Led ASU in its exhibition win over Vanguard as she scored 19 points to go along with seven rebounds... Sister Gennifer is a freshman on the California women’s basketball team... Is currently averaging 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists... Made the first start of her career in ASU’s 2009-10 season opener against South Dakota State (Nov. 15).

#12 Alex Earl - So. - G - Will have a much bigger role this season following the graduation of three guards from last year’s team when she played in 23 games (4.3 minutes per game)... Has excellent perimeter shooting skills... Missed ASU’s 2009-10 season opener and she recovered from a foot injury... Made all four of her field goal attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers, and scored a career-high 12 points in ASU’s win over Yale (Nov. 19).

New cast members
#35 Tenaya Watson - Jr. - G - Transfer from Central Arizona who is one of the candidates to take over as the team’s starting point guard... At Central Arizona was part of NJCAA national runner-up (2008) and NJCAA champion (2009) where she was a teammate of fellow ASU newcomer Markisha Patterson... As a freshman in 2008 was named a NJCAA Division I First Team All-American following a freshman campaign in which she averaged 16.6 points and finished first in the nation in field goal percentage (.646), second in assists (8.4 apg) and 11th in steals (3.8 spg)... Turned in another outstanding campaign in 2009 as she averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 assists (13th in the nation) and 3.9 steals (fourth in the nation) per game in helping lead Central Arizona to a perfect 35-0 season and the NJCAA title.. Was named the MVP of the 2009 NJCAA Tournament after averaging 16.8 points in Central Arizona’s four tournament games. In the NJCAA championship game she scored a career-best 30 points and grabbed six rebounds to help Central Arizona defeat Missouri Jefferson College 78-77... Has started both games in 2009-10 and has averaged 5.0 points and 5.5 assists... Scored 8 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out seven assists in her Sun Devil debut against South Dakota State (Nov. 15).

#11 Kali Bennett - So. - F/C - Transfer from the University of Washington who figures to play a big role this season after sitting out the 2008-09 season because of NCAA transfer rules... Averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds for the Huskies while tying for the team lead in blocked shots with 15... Is currently averaging 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals... Scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in season opener vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 19), her first official game as a Sun Devil... Solid outing at Yale (Nov. 19) included 6 points, eight rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

#22 Janae Fulcher - RS-Fr. - F/C - Redshirted last year... Will have a big role this season after ASU graduated three post players from last year’s team... Helped lead her high school basketball team, La Jolla Country Day, to four league championships... Scored two points and grabbed a pair of rebounds in her Sun Devil debut vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 15)... Is currently averaging 6.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while connecting on 67 percent of her shots... Had the first double-double of her career with 11 points (5-6 FGs) and 10 rebounds in 12 minutes of play at Yale (Nov. 19).

#4 Haley Parsons - RS-Fr. - G - Redshirted last season... Has been slowed by injury in preseason.

#3 Joy Burke - Fr. - F/C - Extremely talented post who has outstanding range and versatility... Local product (Tempe Marco de Niza), who was McDonald’s All-American nominee and was also named to the Arizona Republic’s All-Arizona Team and earned all-city accolades three times... Connected on 63 percent of her field goal attempts as a senior while averaging 23.3 points, 17.8 rebounds, 7.5 blocks and 3.9 steals per game... Has averaged 7.0 minutes in ASU’s first two games... Scored 4 points and had 5 rebounds in ASU’s win at Yale (Nov. 19).

#5 Deja Mann - Fr. - G - A 2009 graduate of Merced High School in Merced, Calif., where she earned first-team All-Central California Conference honors each of her first two seasons, including being named the conference’s MVP her sophomore season... Savvy, hardworking, and dynamic combo guard who is both a prolific shooter and great decision-maker... Scored five points and had one assist in 16 minutes of play in season opener vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 15)... Has played 16 minutes in each of ASU’s first two games and has averaged 3.5 points.

#2 Sabrina McKinney - Fr. - G - Is also in the mix to assume the starting point guard role... Outstanding defender who was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year for Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas... Is currently averaging 2.5 points and 3.0 assists (20.5 mpg).

Adrianne Thomas signs with ASU
Charli Turner Thorne today announced on November 11 that Adrianne Thomas signed a national letter of intent to study and play basketball at Arizona State.

“I could not be more excited about the addition of Adrianne Thomas,” Turner Thorne said. “She is a powerful, explosive scoring combo guard who will fit in perfectly with our up-tempo offense and aggressive pressuring defense.

“Adrianne is an extremely tough and smart competitor who has had outstanding coaching through her high school and club programs. I predict she will adapt to the college game very quickly. Besides being one of the top guards in the country, Adrianne comes from an amazing family who has instilled in her great core values including impeccable character and strong leadership. She will be a great Sun Devil.”

A 5-9 guard, Thomas will be coming to ASU from Summit High School in Fontana, Calif., where she has earned Sunkist League MVP honors three times. In 2009 Thomas, who has scored in double figures 32 times the last two seasons, earned All-Sunkist League First-Team and All-CIF Southern Section First-Team recognition after leading her team to the state semifinals.

As a sophomore in 2008, Thomas helped Summit to its first CIF sectional championship game and the state quarterfinals. With her FBC club team she was named to the All-Tournament Teams of the adidas Womanhood National Championships, Summertime Invitational and adidas Super 64.

“Adrianne is a superstar on the court, off the court, in the classroom and in the community,” said Summit girls basketball coach Alexis Barile. “On the court she’s the type of player that won’t allow our team to lose. In crunch situations she’s the one that pulls us together and makes sure we win. She has a refuse-to-lose mentally. She’s going to fit into the ASU program very well as a person first and then as a basketball player.”

Up next
The Sun Devils travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic where they will face Hawaii (Fri., Nov. 27) and East Tennessee State (Sat., Nov. 28).

ASU head baseball coach Pat Murphy resigns

ckussala — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:06:50 -0700

Arizona State University head baseball coach Pat Murphy announced his resignation today. An interim head coach will assume responsibility for the program until his replacement is selected.

"Coach Murphy has an outstanding record of success on the playing field," said Lisa Love, university vice president for athletics. "I thank him for 16 years of hard work and service to the university and the sport."

Pat Murphy became ASU's head baseball coach in August 1994. During his tenure, he was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year four times, his teams took three straight Pac-10 titles, four overall, and four World Series berths, and in 1998 he was named the National Coach of the Year.

Since the 2000 season, no other Pac-10 school has won as many games as ASU, in both overall and conference games. Murphy also has had more players drafted by Major League Baseball since 1995 than any other coach in the nation.

ASU will immediately begin a national search for a new head baseball coach.

ASU, UAE partner for global decision-making platform

gpuente — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:01:41 -0700

Arizona State University is partnering with the United Arab Emirates on a decision platform designed to provide real-world, knowledge-driven decision support, planning and action-oriented outcomes to some of the most critical challenges confronting our nations and the world today.

A delegation of high-ranking officials from Abu Dhabi, UAE, came to ASU's Tempe campus in November as a follow-up to a series of recent of meetings in the UAE with ASU President Michael Crow, Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs R.F. “Rick” Shangraw and other ASU representatives. During that visit, the ASU delegation offered a series of proposals for collaborative projects, including creation of a Global Decision Network located in the UAE. The network would be based on the ASU Decision Theater, an innovative research facility designed to address shared challenges and explore a new decision-making landscape through the application of focused research within a flexible platform.

“The UAE is positioned among the most important countries in a critical region of the world,” said Crow. “A cutting-edge initiative like the Global Decision Network will create and advance a set of innovative processes and tools to help regional leaders and decision makers in both the UAE and Arizona address some of the most complex economic, social and environmental challenges we face today while building toward a more sustainable global future.”

The Global Decision Network will move beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries to link science, technology and principles of objectivity to the process of decision-making through the design and application of advanced analytic and systems-modeling tools and the integration of decision makers’ needs at all levels of the process. With founding centers and hubs in Abu Dhabi and Arizona, the network can expand to incorporate new partners, talents and creativity in regions across the globe.

“This is really about the application of state-of-the-art scientific knowledge to real-world problem-solving,” said Shangraw. “We live in a complex world. The Decision Network not only will be a means of finding the best solutions to manage current problems, but also will function as an international learning center to train the next generation of leaders and decision makers and build future decision-making capacity on a global scale.”

The UAE delegation had the opportunity to view ASU’s Decision Theater in action with presentations focused on university efforts in the areas of sustainability, urban planning, water resource management and public health crisis preparation.

The group also met with President Crow and Vice President Rick Shangraw to discuss next steps to move the initiative forward. ASU will work directly with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council to develop a plan and time frame for advancing the Global Decision Network.

The ASU team will include the Office of Research and Economic Affairs, the Global Institute of Sustainability, Decision Theater and Decision Center for a Desert City.

Gitzel Puente, Gitzel.Puente@asu.edu
ASU Research and Economic Affairs

Baby’s sleep position is major factor in ‘flat-headedness’

chughes3 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:49:00 -0700

A baby's sleep position is the best predictor of a misshapen skull condition known as deformational plagiocephaly – or the development of flat spots on an infant's head – according to findings reported by Arizona State University scientists in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Analyzing the largest database to date, more than 20,000 children, the ASU researchers found that the number of babies who have developed flat-headedness has dramatically increased since 1992. The increase coincides with the American Academy of Pediatrics launch of a "Back to Sleep" educational campaign that recommended parents place their infants on their backs to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

"We looked at a number of risk factors, but the largest factor was the sleep position of the baby," said Brian Verrelli, an assistant professor in ASU's School of Life Sciences and researcher in the Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics at the Biodesign Institute.

The condition is thought to occur when babies spend too much time in one position. The research team found that sleep position, and specifically, head position, are linked to flat-headedness. Babies who slept on their right-side or left-side tended to have right-side and left-side flat spots, respectively.

The study, "Risk Factors Associated With Deformational Plagiocephaly," also found that boys were twice as likely as girls to have the condition (a nearly perfect 2-to-1 ratio) and also more common in firstborn infants, babies with low birth weight, in breech and transverse positions in the womb, and in multiple births, specifically fraternal twins.

The study was designed to statistically evaluate the independent and interacting effects of biological and environmental risk factors that lead to deformational plagiocephaly, in an attempt to provide future guidance for clinical treatment.

"The unprecedented size of the sample in our study allowed us to identify potential factors, such as maternal prenatal conditions and low birth weight, that were previously unrecognized in smaller cohort studies. These other factors need to be explored further before we can begin to piece together the entire puzzle," said Jessica Joganic, who was an ASU undergraduate student at the time. She is the lead author on the study.

However, independent of the biological and environmental factors, the findings showed that sleep position was the best predictor of deformational plagiocephaly, and one that could be addressed by altering behavior, according to Verrelli.

The research was part of Joganic's undergraduate honors thesis as a student in ASU's Barrett, the Honors College. Joganic earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology in 2008 from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She currently is pursuing a doctorate in physical anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Also collaborating in the study, which appeared online this week, were John Lynch, an ASU evolutionary biologist, and Timothy Littlefield with Cranial Technologies, Inc., in Phoenix, which supplied the database of more than 20,000 children who were treated for deformational plagiocephaly between 1990 and 2007.

ASU scientists honored with Innovator of the Year award

lambraki — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:11:35 -0700

Two Arizona State University scientists who started their work with algae more than 25 years ago were recognized with the Innovator of the Year-Academia award at the 2009 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation event held Nov. 19 at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix.

Professors Qiang Hu and Milton Sommerfeld in the College of Technology and Innovation at ASU’s Polytechnic campus received Arizona’s highest honor for technology innovation for their work with the process of converting algae into fuel. Last year, Time magazine named the process one of the top innovations in 2008.

“We are very honored to receive the Innovator of the Year award for our lab’s work on developing a renewable and sustainable fuel source from algae, and are very proud of our team of students, research associates and staff who are committed to developing solutions to our nation’s energy problems," Sommerfeld said.

Sommerfeld and Hu have been working on algae as a source of renewable fuel for more than 25 years. The technology they developed uses sunlight, waste materials like carbon dioxide in flue gas, and nitrates and phosphates in waste waters as nutrients for growing a renewable algae feedstock that yields oil. The algae biomass residuals yield carbohydrates for ethanol production and proteins for animal feed or organic fertilizer.

The researchers recently received significant funding for their algae projects and already two spin-off companies have been created from technologies developed in their laboratory.

“Milt and Qiang are two faculty members who exemplify the spirit of technology innovation that is the core mission of our college,” said Keith Hjelmstad, university vice president and dean of the College of Technology and Innovation.

“This award is a fantastic spotlight to shine on their achievement. I am proud of them and even more pleased by what it means to others who will now be inspired to innovate.”

The Governor’s Celebration of Innovation has become a premier community gathering in Arizona. Three teams, two of which were from ASU, competed for the coveted award in the Academia category. The award – given to a department or office within an accredited higher education institution that has achieved success through innovation in the past calendar year – is presented by the Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Department of Commerce.