News Releases

Be the Match registry held in Tempe tomorrow

ckussala — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:52:28 -0700

For more information on Sun Devil Family Charities click here

For more information on the National Bone Marrow program, click here

On October 2, 1999, Sun Devils rallied to be a potential donor for former ASU offensive lineman Joe Cajic, who was in need of a donor for a life saving bone marrow transplant. Joe found a donor and on November 3, 2009, he celebrated his 10th year cancer free. Sun Devil Family Charities founding members had originally united to help Joe Cajic find a donor and have continued this effort for other patients need a bone marrow donor.

On Saturday, November 7, 2009, Sun Devil Family Charities is hosting a recruitment drive to raise awareness about the need for marrow donors, and perhaps find a matching donor for the many families looking for a donor.

ASU students, faculty and alumni can take the first step to save a life by joining the Be The Match Registry between 12-6 p.m. using a simple cheek swab. The event will be held at Sixth Street Park (Sixth and Myrtle) in Tempe, just east of Tempe City Hall.

Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical, as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race and ethnicity.

For thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is their best or only hope for a cure. These patients, like Joe Cajic, depend on the Be The Match Registry to find a match - and a second chance at life. While many patients do find the life-saving match they need each year, more donors are needed to help increase the likelihood that all patients will find a life-saving match. Financial contributions and volunteers are also needed to help save lives.

ABOUT SUN DEVIL FAMILY CHARITIES
Sun Devil Family Charities (SDFC) is an all volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the purpose to support alumni, students, faculty, and staff of Arizona State University and their immediate families who need financial assistance resulting from a medical necessity. Funds raised at SDFC events help families pay for medical bills and co-pays resulting from devastating medical illnesses.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL MARROW DONOR PROGRAM® (NMDP) AND BE THE MATCH
The NMDP operates the Be The Match Registry and partners with a global network of leading hospitals, cord blood banks, laboratories and recruiters. As a leader in the field of marrow and cord blood transplantation, the NMDP facilitates transplants worldwide, conducts research to improve survival and quality of life, and provides education to health care professionals and patients. Since it began operations in 1987, the NMDP has provided more than 35,000 transplants to help give patients a second chance at life.

Women's tennis gears up to host 15th Annual Thunderbird Invitational

ckussala — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:54:48 -0700

The Arizona State women's tennis team will play host in the 15th Annual Thunderbird Invitational this weekend at the Whiteman Tennis Center in sunny Tempe, Ariz. With fantastic weather predictions for the weekend, the entire ASU team will compete in the tournament along with players from Boise State, California, Michigan, Ohio State and the University of San Diego.

Doubles play will begin at 8:30 each morning with the singles matches following. The tournament begins Friday morning and will conclude on Sunday. The singles will compete in a 32-player bracket while doubles matches will be assigned daily. Results will be posted on www.thesundevils.com at the conlusion of every round.

Thunderbird Individual Champions (since 2001)
Year Player School
2008 Jana Juricova California
2007 Marina Cossou California
2006 Marion Ravelojaona California
2005 Jessica Shu Michigan
2004 Not Decided Due to Rainout
2003 Jenny Zika Duke
2002 Saras Arasu Duke
2001 Kate Ruckert Texas

Scouting the Thunderbird:
The singles bracket features four players ranked in the Preseason top 100. Sun Devils Kelcy McKenna (7), Nadia Abdala (35) and Micaela Hein
(68) are all ranked along with Wolverine Rika To (74). ASU has already faced competitors from Cal and San Diego in the fall season.

All-American Duo
Two Sun Devils returned to school as All-Americans. Both McKenna and Hein were awarded All-American accolades last season after last season's NCAA Championships. McKenna earned honors in both singles and doubles while Hein garnered doubles awards last season.

Senior Star
Senior Nadia Abdala looks to cap her Sun Devil career in superior fashion. The three-time All-Pac-10 honoree made it to the second-round of the NCAA Championship last season and is looking to improve on that finish this season. This will be Abdala's first event this season.

Coach Mac Honored
ASU women's tennis head coach, Sheila McInerney, has been honored by the Maricopa County YWCA as the Sports Leader of the Year. The 26th year head coach will be recognized along with the 10 other honorees at the 2010 YWCA Tribute to Women luncheon in February.

Nixon first Sun Devil to earn three straight First Team selections

ckussala — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:46:26 -0700

For the third consecutive season, Arizona State University senior football student-athlete Mike Nixon has been named a First Team Academic All-District VIII selection by ESPN The Magazine. Nixon becomes the first football student-athlete in school history to earn First Team honors three straight seasons. Grayling Love earned Second Team honors in 2003 before being named to the First team in both 2004 and 2005.

Nixon, who has earned First Team Academic All-Pac-10 selections in each of the past two seasons, leads the Sun Devils with 49 total tackles. The team co-captain has started all eight games, recording 4.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, four pass break-ups and three forced fumbles. In the season opener against Idaho State, Nixon blocked a punt and intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown. He was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week following the game. The Sunnyslope High School product carries a 4.07 GPA and is a political science major.

All-Time ASU Football Academic All-District VIII Selections
2009- Mike Nixon
2008- Mike Nixon
2007- Mike Nixon, Brandon Rodd (Second Team)
2006- Zach Miller
2005- Grayling Love
2004- Jason Burke, Grayling Love, Jesse Ainsworth
2003- Skyler Fulton, Grayling Love (Second Team)
2002- Phil Howard, Mike Barth (Second Team)

Volleyball to face Oregon State and Oregon

ckussala — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:40:40 -0700

The Sun Devil Women’s Volleyball Team (12-11 overall, 2-9 Pac-10) will take to the friendly skies again this week as they set to head north to face Oregon State (11-11, 2-8 Pac-10) and No. 14 Oregon (15-5, 5-5 Pac-10) this Friday and Saturday night. the Sun Devils will take on the OSU Beavers Friday night in Corvallis before facing the 14th-ranked Ducks on Saturday in Eugene. Both matches are set to kickoff at 7 p.m. PT.

Follow The Sun Devils Live!:
ASU’s fans can follow all of ASU’s home matches, as well as some road matches, via the free statistical GameTracker system at www.thesundevils.com. Just click on the Women’s Volleyball schedule and click on the live stats link!

Recapping Last Weekend:
Against No. 21 Washington State: Determined to snap the eight-match losing streak, Sarah Reaves, Cat Highmark and Erica Wilson came out in the first set to step up the ASU offense and shut down the Cougars line of attack as Reaves collected four kills, and two block assists, while Erica Wilson held down the net with three block assists and Cat Highmark controlled the pace with 13 assists for a .419 assist percentage as ASU came out to take the first set 25-22, which looked good for A State as they entered the match 9-0 in matches where they win the first set.

The second set saw ASU explode as everyone got in on the act with 14 kills for a .314 attack percentage with Sarah Reaves knocking back six kills with Sofie Schlagintweit right behind her with four. Wilson was stifling again with three more block assists for ASU’s four total blocks in the set as WSU was held to a .079 attack percentage as ASU ran off with a 25-18 win and a 2-0 lead into the break.

The third set saw ASU run out of gas a bit as errors wore down the Sun Devilswhile WSU hit .324 in the set to take one back from A State with a 25-15 win. ASU wasn’t willing to let it get to five though as Sofie Schlagintweit took the reigns in the fourth set with five kills and a .714 attack percentage as Cat Highmark kept everyone locked in and on target with 18 assists for a .529 assist percentage to lead ASU to a 25-22 win to seal the match with a 3-1 win over the Cougars.

Against No. 5 Washington:
The Sun Devils may have fell to the powerful Husky squad in three last Sunday, but they didn’t go quietly as they made U Dub work for it. Set one saw ASU match up strong with the Huskies as Sofie Schlagintweit matched Kindra Carlson’s six kills but UW was just able to edge ASU with a .205 attack percentage to ASU’s .178 for a 25-23 win. UW’s Kindra Carlson exploded in the second set as ASU just couldn’t contain her as she swung a .524 attack percentage with a phenomenal 12 kills. ASU hung tough though, forcing seven tie scores and a lead change as ASU pushed UW to extra point where the Huskies squeaked out a 28-26 win. The third set saw freshman Ashley Kastl step up to bat for the Sun Devils as she collected seven kills in the third set to keep ASU in it, but as fatigue set in, UW took advantage, swinging .283 to take a 25-18 win and finish the sweep.

Scouting This Weekend’s Competition/Series History:
Oregon State: The Sun Devils will face-off against the Beavers for the 49th time in overall program history where ASU holds the series lead 33-15. Earlier this season the Beavers traveled down the Tempe town where they were just barely able to fend off the Sun Devils, whisking off with a 3-2 win.

No. 14 Oregon: The Sun Devils will face the powerful Ducks for the 48th time in program history with the Devils holding an all-time record of 35-12. In their first meeting of the season in Tempe, ASU couldn’t seem to find the rhythm of the night as they fell in a tough 3-0 sweep.

Starting Out on the Right Foot:
There’s been a marked change in the tides of the ASU Volleyball program as they posted an 11-3 record to open the 2009 season, which is their best opening record since 1992, where they finished with a 23-8 record overall and tied for fourth in the Pac-10 as well as taking a dance into the NCAA Tournament... all the way to a program-best “Sweet 16” appearance.

Bring The Heat!
In addition to bringing in some powerhitters this season, the Sun Devils also see their kill leader from the past two seasons returns for only her junior campaign as Sarah Reaves takes to the court as an upperclassman. Reaves finished the 2008 season with 431 kills on the year, and 287 in 2009 already to bring her career tally to 1,220,to enter the 1,000 mark club where only 11 others in ASU history stand as well as place her 6th in active Pac-10 leaders.

In ASU career history, Reaves already ranks ninth all-time with only 41 kills to go to take over eighth. Reaves also led the 2007 squad as a freshman with 418 kills, something a Sun Devil froshie hasn’t done since Christine Gardner in 1992 who holds the all-time record in ASU history. In addition to smashing some freshman ASU records, Reaves decided to break another ASU all-time record as she bested Juliana Escobar’s 27 kills against Oregon in 2002 with 28 of her own, also against Oregon on Sept. 27. But Reaves wasn’t going to stop there. She bested her own mark of 28 last season with 30 against Western Kentucky. Swing for the fences junior!

Camp Darfur exhibit to focus on humanitarian crisis

mattcrum — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:31:56 -0700

An interactive exhibit that brings attention to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan will make an appearance at Arizona State University’s West campus, Wednesday, Nov. 18, and Thursday, Nov. 19. The Camp Darfur exhibit is free and open to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day on the Fletcher Library Lawn at the West campus, 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.

Camp Darfur is designed to educate attendees about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and give individuals the opportunity to discover their own power to make a difference. The mock refugee camp puts the Darfur situation into context with other historical examples of genocide including the Holocaust, Armenia, Cambodia and Rwanda.

The West campus is hosting Camp Darfur as part of ASU’s Four Realms of Discovery initiative, which presents events on all four ASU campuses to provoke intellectual discourse and empower citizens to make a difference. “Camp Darfur will help to educate the ASU and Valley communities about the critical situation in Darfur and give them opportunities to take action,” says Katie Fischer, coordinator in the Office of Student Engagement on the West campus.

The traveling Camp Darfur exhibit is a project of Stop Genocide Now and i-ACT (interactive-activism), a grassroots team that seeks to change the way the world responds to genocide. Stop Genocide Now also sends teams to the refugee camps on the Chad-Sudan border. Visit www.stopgenocidenow.org or www.iactivism.org for more information.

For details about Camp Darfur’s upcoming visit to ASU’s West campus, contact Student Engagement on the West campus at (602) 543-8200 or campdarfur@asu.edu.

Sun Devils defeat Vanguard in exhibition game

ckussala — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:16:42 -0700

Sophomore guard Kimberly Brandon scored 19 points while fellow sophomore Kali Bennett added 18 points as No. 16 Arizona State defeated Vanguard University 97-64 in exhibition play on Thursday.

Senior guard Danielle Orsillo (14 points), redshirt freshman forward Janae Fulcher (12 points) and senior forward Kayli Murphy (11 points) also scored in double figures for ASU, which shot 45 percent for the game.

As a team, the Sun Devils outrebounded Vanguard 65-28, including a plus-25 advantage (37-12) on the offensive boards. Bennett, who sat out last season after transferring from Washington in 2008, led ASU with 13 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive.

A 28-5 run over a 6:47 span helped the Sun Devils open up a 29-point lead, 48-19, with just over five minutes left in the first half. Vanguard would not get closer than 21 points the rest of the way as the Sun Devils would lead by as many as 36 in the second half.

Thursday's game included six new faces on the floor for the Sun Devils, including Bennett and Fulcher, who both redshirted last season; junior Tenaya Watson (3 points, 2 assists, 1 steal), who transferred to ASU last spring from Central Arizona; and Joy Burke (4 points, 2 rebounds), Deja Mann (4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) and Sabrina McKinney (2 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound) who comprise ASU's freshman class.

The Sun Devils are off until November 15 when they host South Dakota State in the 2009-10 season opener.

Research shows impacts from airborne nitrogen

mcoulomb — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:06:37 -0700

The impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and widespread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater than previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes, according to a study published Nov. 6 in the journal Science.

Examining nitrogen deposition in alpine and subalpine lakes in Colorado, Sweden and Norway, James Elser, a limnologist in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, and his colleagues found that, on average, nitrogen levels in lakes were elevated, even those isolated from urban and agricultural centers.

The article “Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition” presents experimental data from more than 90 lakes. The researchers’ collaboration also revealed that nitrogen-rich air pollution has already altered the lakes’ fundamental ecology.

“This is because plant plankton or phytoplankton, like all plants, need nitrogen and phosphorus for growth,” Elser says. “Inputs from pollution in the atmosphere appear to shift the supplies of nitrogen relative to other elements, like phosphorus.”

The increase in the availability of nitrogen means that growing phytoplankton in lakes receiving elevated nitrogen deposition are now limited by how much phosphorus they can acquire. Elser says that this is important because “we know that phosphorus-limited phytoplankton are poor food – basically ‘junk food’ for animal plankton, which in turn are food for fish.”

“Such a shift could potentially affect biodiversity,” he adds. “However, we don’t really know because unlike in terrestrial systems, the impacts of nitrogen deposition on aquatic systems have not been widely studied.”

Elser’s collaborators include researchers Tom Andersen and Dag Hessen from the University of Oslo; Jill Baron of the United States Geological Survey and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University; Ann-Kristin Bergström and Mats Jansson with Umeå University, Sweden; and Koren Nydick of the Mountain Studies Institute in Colorado, in addition to Marcia Kyle and Laura Steger, who are members of his own group in ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Hessen, a well-known limnologist, and Elser have had a long-standing collaborative relationship, looking not only at nitrogen deposition but also zooplankton nutrition and a broad range of stoichiometric studies. Elser met Bergström at a conference at Umeå University and discovered that she had performed similar experiments in Sweden.

“By combining these studies we were able to achieve a more global picture of how nitrogen was impacting a broad range of lakes and come to firmer conclusions about effects of deposition,” Elser says.

Elser and Hessen hope to expand on these findings and have a pending grant proposal with the Norwegian government. In addition, Elser says he hopes to perform similar studies in China “where atmospheric nitrogen pollution is extremely high,” but, as yet, unstudied.

Elser has built a career around asking questions about energy and material flows in ecosystems, and traveling all over the world to find answers.Understanding the balance of phosphorus, carbon and nitrogen in systems forms the backbone of Elser’s worldview, known as “stoichiometric theory.” His pioneering studies have jumpstarted new research approaches, insights into nutrient limitation, trophic dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, and linkages between evolutionary and ecosystem processes. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation.

New book expands on concept of sustainability

jkullman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:49:55 -0700

Brad Allenby, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, has recently co-authored a book that combines concepts of sustainable engineering with his pioneering work in industrial ecology.

"Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering," co-written with Tom Graedel, a professor in Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, is the first book to fully integrate the two fields.

Industrial ecology broadens the scope of the sustainability concept, Allenby says.

“It looks, for instance, at economic, technological and industrial systems and their interaction with environmental and social systems,” he says.

From that point of view, Allenby says, “You look at a factory not only from merely an economic perspective, but from the perspective of its overall impact on environmental and social systems. You look at things like its carbon emissions and how the factory uses resources, and how they are tied to design choices and manufacturing practices.”

Allenby is writing a second book, "The Theory and Practice of Sustainable Engineering," which is designed to provide students a comprehensive introduction to the subject.

The books “are going to further solidify ASU’s leadership in both sustainability and industrial ecology,” says Paul Westerhoff, interim director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.

Investment in air traffic program provides hope for future aviation professionals

dprewitt — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:26:04 -0700

Donald L. Ottosen’s fascination with aviation began early in life with his childhood dreams of flying airplanes. As an adult, not only did Mr. Ottosen fly them, but he helped recondition and maintain some of the most historic planes in the United States. When World War II ended, his experience in working with aircraft propellers led him to start Ottosen Propeller Services, Inc. This long-standing business has helped inspire three generations of aviators.

Today, the Ottosen Family Foundation wants to honor his memory by investing in generations to come with a gift to establish the Ottosen Air Traffic Control Simulation Laboratory in Arizona State University’s College of Technology and Innovation at the Polytechnic campus.

“As a pilot, I understand the important role played by talented and well-trained professionals who can safely manage and control air traffic,” said Don Ottosen, founder of the Ottosen Family Foundation. “We hope this gift on behalf of our late father is instrumental in helping more students pursue aviation careers as air traffic controllers for years to come.”

As current air traffic controllers start to retire the need for qualified, highly trained replacements will be critical. Recent stories in the media have highlighted the lowering of overall experience levels as the retirees are replaced.

“High quality simulation systems are an important part of controller training to optimize students’ skills as they enter the workforce,” said Verne Latham, lecturer and laboratory coordinator in the air traffic management program.

The Ottosen gift will help students learn in one of the most advanced air traffic simulation centers in a university setting in the country, he said.

ASU is one of two institutions in the state that offers such a program and is the only public institution in Arizona filling this need. In addition, it’s the only one in an educational setting that has the control tower and radar simulation systems interfaced. Eventually, the ATC system could interface with flight simulators used by students in the professional flight program.

“This will allow students to truly engage in a real-world experience both for the student pilots and the future air traffic controllers,” said Keith Hjelmstad, university vice president and dean of the College of Technology and Innovation.

The new simulator equipment from Adacel is similar to what’s being used at the FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) Academy in Oklahoma City. The Tower Simulator System displays a virtual 315-degree view of an airport area, depicting the operational movement areas, taxiing aircraft, ground vehicle movement, and arriving and departing aircraft. The four radar simulator systems depict enroute and terminal airspace and the associated air traffic movement.

“The new equipment will provide the advanced preparation students need to transition to the workforce,” said Hjelmstad. “With the gift from the Ottosen Family Foundation, we are helping to prepare students to fill a vital role in the air transportation industry in our country.”

In 2007, the air traffic management program earned the distinction of being sanctioned by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Collegiate Training Initiative institution. “That designation and the new laboratory make it possible for preferential hiring of our graduates,” said Latham.

A dedication ceremony is planned for Nov. 5, at the Simulator Building on the Polytechnic campus.

Chris Lambrakis, lambrakis@asu.edu
(480) 727-1173
Public Affairs at ASU Polytechnic campus

‘Canalscape Exhibition' unveils bold plans for Valley's canal system

chughes3 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:18:39 -0700

As builders, designers and architects from around the world arrive in Phoenix for the 2009 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the Arizona State University Art Museum is unveiling a radical rethinking of the Valley's canal system. The Sonoran Desert metropolis, better known for freeways and mountain ranges, is also home to 181 miles of canals.

Beginning Nov. 9, visitors to the ASU Art Museum in Tempe can discover a host of ideas intended to transform underutilized pathways alongside the ribbons of water stretching across the city. The "Canalscape Exhibition" showcases ideas from students and professionals to create park space, community gardens, bike paths, public art and prime spots for mixed-use development including housing, shops, cafés and other businesses.

Canalscape is a project developed by the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It focuses on creating vital urban hubs where canals meet major streets throughout the Phoenix metropolitan region. Each hub will be unique, responding to the needs of surrounding neighborhoods, while forming part of a larger network along the canals that adds to metro Phoenix's quality of life. The goal is to transform canals into amenities, making Phoenix a more interesting and sustainable city, according to Nan Ellin, planning program director in the school.

Phoenix's vast network of canals, initially constructed by American Indians almost two millennia ago, attracted the first settlers to the area and inspired the name Phoenix. These canals are the Valley's lifeline, supporting agriculture and providing drinking water.

"Canalscape builds on this legacy by envisioning the canals as shady linear parks, corridors for biking and running, vital urban hubs and an opportunity for alternative-energy generation," Ellin says.

The "Canalscape Exhibition" is at the ASU Art Museum from Nov. 9-Dec. 1, with an opening event on Nov. 10 from 6-8 p.m. The ASU Art Museum is located in the Nelson Fine Arts Center, Tempe campus, on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street. For hours and additional information, visit http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu. For more information about Canalscape, visit http://canalscape.asu.edu or contact Ellin at (480) 965-6160, nan.ellin@asu.edu.

Brandon Bethke named ASU Male Athlete of the Week

ckussala — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:13:50 -0700

Cross Country runner Brandon Bethke has been named ASU's Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending November 7th. Bethke led a Sun Devil team which placed four men in the top 25 at the Pac-10 Championships. Bethke, who stayed with the leader much of the race placed second overall with a time of 22:41.1.

Bethke led the men to a third-place team finish at the 2009 Pac-10 Championships in Long Beach, Calif., as he covered the 8,000m course in 22:41.1 to finish as the meet's runner-up. His finish, which tied for the highest finish in program history at the Conference meet, helped the No. 16 Sun Devils score 88 points - the fifth-best total in program history - and finish ahead No. 13 Washington. Bethke's finish also earned him a spot on the All-Pac-10 First Team.

Award-winning photographer from Ground Zero to speak at ASU

icsea — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:28:48 -0700

In an image-focused world, we are all photographers, says Joel Meyerowitz, acclaimed photographer who gained unlimited access to Ground Zero to create a record in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack.

Meyerowitz will give the public a fascinating “Look Behind the Lens” at a free presentation at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in Katzin Concert Hall in the Music Building, Arizona State University Tempe campus, as the 2009 Flinn Foundation Centennial Lecturer.

As an award-winning artist and Guggenheim Fellow, his work has appeared in more than 350 galleries and museums around the world. He is the author of 16 books, including “Cape Light,” considered a classic work of color photography.

In his programs, Meyerowitz often shares selections of audience photography along with some of his own work, to illustrate the increasingly blurred lines between professional and amateur photography.

Tickets for the free event are available at the front office of Barrett, the Honors College, and also a limited number at the door. Meyerowitz will be at ASU all week, speaking to photojournalism and honors classes, and to the student photo club.

His book, “Aftermath: the World Trade Center Archive,” features 400 images as well as an engaging account of his experience during recovery efforts. Through persistence and determination, he was the only photographer given access to the site. An exhibit from the archive has traveled to more than 200 cities in 60 countries.

In the latest phase of his career Meyerowitz turned his lens onto nature, commissioned by the city of New York to document, interpret and celebrate one of the city’s greatest legacies: nearly 29,000 acres of parks. The resulting 90 photographs are now on view in an exhibition and accompanying book, “Legacy: the Preservation of Wilderness in New York City Parks,” in the Museum of the City of New York

Through a stunningly rich archive of parks, shorelines and forests, his exhibit transports the viewer into the heart of a lush wilderness which is a key part of New York City life.

Meyerowitz is a street photographer who began photographing in color in 1962 and was an early advocate of the use of color during a time when there was significant resistance to the idea of color photography as serious art. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1959 with a degree in painting and medical illustration but took to the streets with a camera shortly thereafter.

His talk is presented by Barrett, the Honors College. This is the 20th year for the annual lecture which was established by an endowment from the Flinn Foundation, to bring some of the world’s most influential intellects to campus.

The ASU Music Building is at Gammage Parkway and Mill Avenue. Parking is available in ASU’s lot 16, at the southeast corner of Mill and University.

Kari Hardt named ASU Female Athlete of the Week

ckussala — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:50:11 -0700

Women's cross country runner Kari Hardt has been named ASU's Female Athlete of the Week for the week ending November 7th. Her spectacular performance in the 6,000m race helped the Sun Devils place third overall, including a win over the 12th ranked Stanford Cardinal. This is Hardt's second Athlete of the Week award this season.

Hardt continued to be the team's front-runner as she ran the 6,000m course at the 2009 Pac-10 Championships in 20:07.8 to place seventh overall and help the unranked women's team to a third-place finish, which was one place higher (by one point) than No. 12 Stanford. Hardt's finish, up two spots from last year, gave her the final placement on the All-Pac-10 First Team.

Swimming and diving host UNLV and Washington State in home opener

ckussala — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:47:51 -0700

The Arizona State University swimming and diving teams will host UNLV and Washington State in their home opener this Saturday, November 7 at 1 pm. The ASU women's team went 1-1 in their season-opening weekend in Utah while the men fell to 0-2.

Scouting the Competition
Washington State kicked off their season with a first place finish at the Debbie Pipher Memorial Invitational. The UNLV men's team went 2-0 in their first weekend in action while the women finished 0-2, dropping matches to both Utah and BYU.

New Staff
There are a few new faces at the helm of the swimming program. Dorsey Tierney-Walker was named the Sun Devils head coach of both the men and women's swimming programs. Hailing from most-recently Auburn, Tierney-Walker has been a winner in every team she has been a part of and looks to return the Sun Devils to national prominence. Simon Percy remained on the Sun Devils staff and has been promoted to associate head coach. Tierney-Walker brought in two new coaches to Tempe. Demerae Christianson, a fine collegiate athlete who accumulated 15 All-American accolades while competing at Auburn, joins the staff after having served assistant coaching positions at Maryland and Louisville. The final member of the new coaching staff has some familiarity with ASU as he was a graduate assistant for the Sun Devils for two years before a three-year stint at Auburn.

Record-Breakers
Ashton Aubry and Jamie Martinez can look up at the record board this season and see their names on the list. Both seniors broke records at last year's Pac-10 Championships. Aubry passed Sarah Baham's seven-year standing standard in the 200 fly with a time of 1:56.14. Martinez crushed former ASU standout Caitlin Andrew's 200 back record by almost a second and set the new record at 1:55.78. Both Martinez and Aubry are also members of the ASU record-holding 400 medley relay, along with recent alum Jen Beckberger and sophomore Jordyn Green.

Diving Olympians
The Sun Devil diving team looks to be one of the nation's best this season. With three 2008 Olympians on the squad, the team is what head coach Mark Bradshaw has said is the best he's had in his 13 years at ASU. Riley McCormick, a native of Vancouver, finished 15th at the Beijing Olympics on the tower. Elina Eggers represented her native Sweden in Beijing and made it to the final of the 10m platform. Constantin Blaha, a springboard specialist from Austria, placed 23rd on the 3-meter springboard.

What a Debut!
Numerous Sun Devils came a way with wins in their first meet competing for ASU. Ashley Daly, who transferred from Washington, swam away with a win in the 1000 free. Paige Schultz, one of the Sun Devils top newcomers, took first in the 200 free while her fellow Canadian Cassie Morrice was the first person to touch the wall in the 500 free. After sitting out for a season due to NCAA regulations, Rebecca Edjervik made her first race as a Sun Devil a sweet one as she out-swam everyone in the 100 breast. Despite being known as a platform specialist, Riley McCormick Xavier Mohammed was a success his first time in an ASU dual meet as he won five events over the weekend.
took first in both the 3-meter and 1 meter. Although not his first time competing as a Sun Devil, sophomore

Next Up
The Sun Devils will host UCLA and USC in two Pac-10 matchups next weekend. The ASU women's team will take on UCLA on Friday at 1 pm with the men and women both competing on Saturday at noon.

Mike Kohler named new general manager of Sun Devil ISP Network

ckussala — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:43:56 -0700

Mike Kohler, who has played a key role in building ISP Sports' successful sales and marketing efforts for the University of Houston the past four years, has been named General Manager of the company's staff at Arizona State.

Kohler, who also worked for ISP at the University of Pittsburgh prior to becoming General Manager of its Houston sales office, begins his new duties with the Sun Devils this week.

"We are excited to have Mike as leader of our team at Arizona State," Ben Sutton, Chairman and CEO of ISP, says. "Mike has incredible energy and passion for his work, and I know that will be evident to everyone within the Sun Devil family and to our many clients as he undertakes this new and very important role with our company."

Prior to joining ISP, Kohler spent three years as Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Promotions at Brown University, where he supervised marketing efforts for a 37-sport program. He also has corporate sales and promotions experience at San Diego State and the University of Denver.

Kohler received two master's degrees from Denver, one in Sports Management and one in Higher Education and Student Development. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cal-Santa Barbara.

Now in the first year of a multi-year agreement with ASU, ISP markets a variety of corporate sponsorship opportunities involving Sun Devil sports, including live play-by-play game radio broadcasts, game publications, signage in on-campus facilities and corporate hospitality events. The company also serves as sales representative for TheSunDevils.com, the official athletic department website.

ASU women's basketball ranked No. 11 in Preseason Coaches' Poll

ckussala — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:55:00 -0700

The Arizona State women’s basketball team is ranked No. 11 in the country, according to the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches’ preseason poll released Wednesday.

The Sun Devils return senior starters forward Kayli Murphy and guard Danielle Orsillo from last year’s team that earned the team’s second Elite Eight berth in the last three years and set the school record for most consecutive wins (15).

Overall, 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.

The 2009-10 Sun Devils, who were ranked 16th in the Associated Press media poll released last week, will make their debut tomorrow night when they host Vanguard in an exhibition contest at 6 p.m. Tomorrow’s game is the the Select-A-Seat Night at Wells Fargo Arena. The Select-a-Seat event is FREE and open to the public. ASU ticket office personnel will be on hand to assist with the purchase. ASU officially opens its regular season Sunday, November 15 when it hosts 2009 NCAA Participant South Dakota State.

ASU software used to help allocate H1N1 vaccine

djfreem1 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:47:54 -0700

H1N1 is now widespread in all but two states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Arizona health officials are working hard to make sure those who most need the vaccine are able to get it. In the Phoenix area, Maricopa County public health officials are using an innovative new software program from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University to help them quickly determine where to send vaccine doses as they come into the state.

The CDC sends vaccines to the state, and then they go down to the county level. Officials with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health often have to decide where to send new doses of the vaccine in less than one hour. Instead of having to use a variety of spreadsheets to track everything, the new program puts all of the information into one database so a decision can be filtered as quickly as possible.

"This decision-support system factors in the relevant information, such as vaccine doses, which doctors and hospitals can best utilize the vaccine based on the types of high- or low-risk patient populations they serve, where previous doses have been distributed and where the vaccine dissemination would be most effective. And with the touch of a few buttons, it maps out the suggested vaccine distribution to best manage the outbreak," said Ajay Vinze, professor of information systems at the W. P. Carey School of Business and a Fulbright Senior Specialist, who helped design the new software. "While the system's suggestions account for a number of issues, both strategic and tactical, the final decision and ability to make needed adjustments are still left to the public health professionals and their expertise."

There are several types of vaccine doses coming in, only some of which are appropriate for children, some for pregnant women, etc. The new software takes this into consideration as well.

"Now, public health officials can focus on the key decisions, while allowing this decision-support tool to make the needed optimizations," said W. P. Carey School of Business associate professor Raghu Santanam, another of the software's creators. "We have even included details, such as vaccine orders from different doctors across the Valley and then communications back from them about how much more vaccine they need or how much they might still have stored for others to use."

Associate professor Benjamin Shao and W. P. Carey School doctoral students Trent Spaulding and Aaron Baird also helped to design the new software. They took into account the real-time pressure of making tough decisions.

"We examined the overall objectives and created a fast-working system that would help health officials maximize the vaccine's impact on the public," said Spaulding. "This is a very complicated public health problem, so we tried to look at it from an efficient business perspective."

New College student puts accent on research to help fight cancer

sdesgeor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:47:17 -0700

Julie Furmick is going places. A senior-year life sciences major in Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Furmick is headed to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), on her way to being published in the prestigious Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, in line for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R15 AREA grant, and is on the road to medical school and, quite possibly, a career in academic medicine.

Furmick, who graduated from Peoria Sunrise Mountain High School in 2006, is an ASU SOLUR (School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research) participant and has been under the mentorship of Peter Jurutka, an assistant professor in the New College Division of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, for the past two years.

“Julie and her research exemplify the type of opportunities and achievements that can be attained by our students,” says Jurutka, who is also a founding faculty member of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in Partnership with ASU. “Her experience demonstrates that if students are intellectually curious and motivated, they can, with hard work, develop their own research goals and interests as undergraduates.”

The research being conducted by Furmick at the West campus – which is catching the attention of biomedical industry insiders – focuses on curtailing or alleviating altogether the side effects of Bexarotene, a secondary medication used to treat patients suffering from Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL). Her work won the Outstanding Student Research award in April at the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science annual research conference in Tucson. It is the same research she was invited to present at the recent ABRCMS meeting at the Phoenix Convention Center where she competed in the chemical science division. The conference is one of the largest professional meetings for biomedical and behavioral science students, attracting nearly 3,000 individuals, including 1,500 undergraduate students from as many as 300 colleges and universities across the country.

“We are working on developing a better anti-cancer drug that works by the same mechanism of Bexarotene, but does not cause the same bad side effects, such as red skin lesions, in our patients,” says Furmick, who is originally from New Jersey but grew up in the Valley. “So far, we have developed 27 compounds and found six that appear to work anywhere from 20 to 100 percent of the Bexarotene’s ability.”

Furmick’s findings were recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, which publishes original research on the correlation of molecular structure to biological activity with a focus on the relationships of chemistry to biological activity. Jurutka says he is waiting to hear from the NIH if her research will be funded in the future through an AREA (Academic Research Enhancement Award) grant.

As exciting as Furmick finds her research, she is just as enthused about the opportunities provided by New College and SOLUR, a program that promotes and facilitates opportunities for undergraduates to participate in biological research at ASU and around the Valley.

“I knew that I was interested in research, but I didn’t know that I could act on it as an undergraduate student,” she says. “There are so many great programs ASU offers to support undergraduate research.

“Not only does research allow students to get an inside look into the wide variety of career paths a degree in science can offer, but it also allows them to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it. They see first-hand how science works, instead of just reading about it in a textbook.”

Jurutka, a recipient of the Norwich-Eaton Young Investigator Research and the John Haddad Young Investigator awards, believes the undergraduate research focus in New College is an important benchmark of the West campus school.

“New College embraces an interdisciplinary liberal arts college model where classes are small and professors not only are active leading scholars in their fields, but also are accessible to the student population,” he says. “Because of the small classes and the direct accessibility to their professors, students are better able to determine their areas of interest prior to applying for research opportunities, making for a more successful and enjoyable research experience. Moreover, many of our faculty actively pursue research grants that favor student participation.”

In the meantime, Furmick plans to graduate in May 2010 with bachelor's degree in life sciences from New College. She hopes to follow her undergraduate degree with a master’s in biomedical ethics at ASU’s Tempe campus and, eventually attend medical school. She says Jurutka’s mentorship has been a guiding force in her journey.

“He always takes the time to make sure I understand the science behind my work,” she says. “It would be easier for him to simply give me a protocol and tell me to follow the directions but instead he takes the time to ask me why and when each step is important. This allows me to develop as a researcher, and from it I am able to do better and more complex experiments. I couldn’t have become as successful as I am without his guidance.”

For more informtion on the New College, visit newcollege.asu.edu.

For more information on SOLUR, visit sols.asu.edu/ugrad/research_programs.php.

Robles selected to compete in NWCA All-Star Wrestling Classic

ckussala — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:50:40 -0700

Anthony Robles, a junior on the Arizona State University wrestling team, has been selected to compete in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic that will be held Sunday, November 22, inside Titan Gym on the CS Fullerton campus in Fullerton, Calif. The defending Pac-10 Champion, Robles enters the exhibition event as the second-ranked wrestler in the nation at 125 pounds this year.

Robles, who advanced to the national semifinals last year and completed his second year in the Sun Devil line-up as an All-American with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, will face No. 4 Zach Sanders of Minnesota. The duo met on the mats twice last year and split those meetings with Sanders taking the first and Robles the second.

The first time they met came in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational with an unranked Sanders upsetting No. 8 Robles, 7-3. Then, on the final day of the collegiate season at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Mo., Robles exacted his revenge as the No. 12 Sun Devil scored a 19-10 major decision over the No. 11 Golden Gopher in the consolation semifinals. Robles would lose his next match to place fourth overall in the national tournament while Sanders lost in the fifth-place match to finish sixth nationally.

The only Pac-10 wrestler in the field for the 44th edition of the Classic, Robles will become the 20th different Sun Devil to compete in the prestigious event. His current coaching staff all have competed in the NWCA All-Star Classic at least once in their respective careers, including head coach Shawn Charles (twice for Arizona State), head assistant coach Bryan Snyder (selected three times, competed once for Nebraska) and assistant coach Brian Stith (once for ASU). Stith was the most recent Sun Devil to compete as he dropped a close 2-1 decision to top-ranked Trent Paulson (Iowa State) at the 2007 Classic in Dallas, Texas.

Overall, the Sun Devils hold an all-time record of 9-12-1 in the Classic with three earning selections but not competing because of injury. The last time a Sun Devil won at the exhibition came in 2000 when Steve Blackford won a 13-2 major decision over Kirk White of Boise State at the 165-pound division.

2009 NWCA All-Star Classic Competitors
November 22, 2009 • CS Fullerton (Titan Gym)
125: #2 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) vs. #4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota)
133: #4 Steve Bell (Maryland) vs. #5 Daniel Dennis (Iowa)
141: #2 Nick Gallick (Iowa State) vs. #3 Alex Krom (Maryland)
149: #2 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) vs. #5 Kyle Borshoff (American)
157: #1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) vs. #2 Matt Moley (Bloomsburg)
165: #4 Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) vs. #6 Andrew Rendos (Bucknell)
174: # Chris Henrich (Virginia) vs. #7 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska)
184: #4 Max Askren (Missouri) vs. #5 Josh Patterson (Binghamton)
197: #1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. #2 Craig Brester (Nebraska)
285: #1 Mark Ellis (Missouri) vs. #5 David Zabriskie (Iowa State)

Featured Bouts:
141: Adin Duenas (Cal State Fullerton) vs. Elijah Nacita (Cal State Bakersfield)
184: Zach Giesen (Stanford) vs. Enoch Francois (Cal Baptist University)
197: John Drake (Cal State Fullerton) vs. Riley Orozco (Cal State Bakersfield)

Davis and Leake named to AZ Fall League's Rising Stars Showcase

ckussala — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:47:36 -0700

Former Sun Devil stars Ike Davis and Mike Leake will participate in the Arizona Fall League's Annual Rising Stars Showcase game. The game will be Saturday at 6:15 p.m. at Surprise Stadium. Davis and Leake will become the fourth and fifth Sun Devils to play in the Showcase, joining Travis Buck, Jeff Larish and Brett Wallace.

The Rising Stars Showcase is the fall league's version of Major League Baseball's Futures Game, which leads off the annual All-Star Game festivities each July. Scouting and minor league directors of every organization selected the players for the Showcase Game, and each big league club will have at least one player in the game.