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ASU Day at the Capitol to showcase community, research projects


January 25, 2013

The ASU Alumni Association plans to thank Arizona elected officials for supporting higher education projects, and showcase some of the university's most exciting current research projects and initiatives on Feb. 12 at its 27th ASU Day at the Capitol event.


The Day at the Capitol is set to run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix. Lawmakers may visit with ASU faculty, staff, alums and students, and will have the opportunity to visit exhibits from dozens of ASU departments, including:


• technology that is part of the Mars Space Flight Facility at ASU, which monitors spacecraft that explore the mineralogy and geology of the planet


• the ARPA-E Cyano project being studied at the School of Life Sciences, which uses cyanobacteria, the ancient precursor of all photosynthetic machinery in plants, to provide a carbon-friendly fuel via a natural “biofactory” process


• mini-Baja cars built by students in ASU's Automotive Engineering Program. Students sell the vehicles they made in a real-world market environment and also test the vehicles at off-road tracks.


• the Cronkite News Van, a part of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The van visits 25-30 high school journalism classes, newspaper and broadcasting clubs around the state each semester.


• tuning forks that detect toxins in the air and other items used to promote healthcare innovation, improved vaccine technologies, and early disease detection research from the Biodesign Institute, Arizona’s largest research infrastructure investment in bioscience-related research


• displays from the Pat Tillman Veterans Center at ASU, which provides a variety of support services for current ASU students who are military veterans


“We’re expecting nearly 500 people to attend the Day at the Capitol,” said Christine K. Wilkinson, president of the Alumni Association. “The event is an excellent opportunity to tell the ASU story and demonstrate that investments in higher education are important and should continue to be a funding priority.”


The Day at the Capitol is being coordinated by the Sun Devil Advocates Network, a program of the Alumni Association. For more information about ASU Day at the Capitol and to register to attend, please visit http://sundeviladvocates.org/index.php/asu-day-capitol-2013.