ASU Main

NASA picks alumna's ASU project as Mars finalist

NASA has selected a proposal for a mission that would collect samples of martian atmospheric dust as one of four finalists for the first Mars Scout mission. The proposal, directed by Arizona State University geologist and cosmochemist Laurie Leshin '87, will receive a $500,000 grant to complete its development prior to the agency's final selection process, which will begin next summer. The Mars Scout Program plans to mount at least one (and perhaps several) Scout missions to Mars beginning in 2007, with budgets of up to $300 million per mission.

Leshin's proposal is called "Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars" (SCIM), and involves a mission that would do a hit-and-run with the dusty Martian atmosphere. The proposed mission would perform the first return of a Martian sample at less cost, lower risk and in a shorter time frame than the far more complicated missions that will eventually be launched to collect samples from the planet's surface. For full details on the mission proposal, including images and animations, see http://scim.asu.edu.

Smithsonian showcases ASU research of Mars

ASU's up-to-the-minute photographs beamed directly from Mars are causing a sensation at the Smithsonian Institution.

The work done in ASU's Planetary Imaging Facility, led by ASU Korrick Professor of Geology Phil Christensen, is getting major attention as part of a new exhibit at the museum, located in Washington, D.C. The exhibit features never before seen images as they are downloaded directly from the 2001 Mars Odyssey Spacecraft, which is orbiting Mars.

"Going through the museum as a kid and seeing everything from Spirit of St. Louis to the Apollo 11 space capsule was a remarkable experience," says Christensen. "Having our Mars images on display in the same museum is a real thrill for me, and gives excellent exposure to the entire ASU THEMIS Team."

The images are providing researchers with never-before-seen details of the planet's surface, highlighting craters, mountains and canyons. Visitors to the Moeur Building can see the same images through high-resolution plasma screens in the lobby of the building as they are received.

Giczi to lead KAET as general manager

Greg Giczi has been named general manager for KAET-TV/Channel 8, the public broadcast station owned and operated by ASU. The announcement came Feb. 18, in the station's Studio A, as Giczi was introduced by ASU Vice President for Public Affairs Virgil Renzulli and welcomed by station employees.

Giczi, a native of South Bend, Ind., was chosen after a national search and replaces Charles Allen who retired in December 2002.

As the number two executive at WNDU-TV and Radio, a top-rated NBC affiliate owned and operated by the University of Notre Dame, Giczi was instrumental in the station's overall management, strategic direction, long-range planning, marketing and operations.

In addition, Giczi is creator and executive-in-charge of Golden Dome Productions, a video production and live events staging company. Under his direction, more than 1,000 video productions were created, benefiting education, community and commercial organizations.

He was attracted to ASU because of its strong affiliation with the PBS network and the station's stalwart industry reputation.

We are moving forward to provide the best quality programming and to be even more innovative in serving our viewers with the rich resources of an university-owned public broadcasting station," Giczi said.

KAET has been broadcasting since January 30, 1961. With more than 1.5 million viewers each week, KAET consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations in the country. The station employs 100 full-time and 60 part-time workers.

Student body grows larger, smarter

Official enrollment figures for fall show another record-breaking year, with 55,941 students enrolled on all campuses. This represents a 5 percent increase over last year's 52,759. ASU East has grown about 30 percent a year for the past four years, hitting 3,126 this fall. ASU West added 14 percent more students to reach 6,630. Main campus enrollment is 47,359, up 3.6 percent.

The largest freshman class in ASU history, 6,348, has 105 National Merit Scholars. ASU has a total of 368 National Merit Scholars enrolled, compared with just 47 10 years ago. The student body at ASU Main is more diverse than ever, with a record 20.4 percent minority, and younger, with only 18 percent 25 and over. More students are going to school fulltime, 48 percent compared with 45 percent two years ago.

Pettit discovers possible cancer breakthrough

Combretastatin, a compound isolated from the bark and wood of the African willow tree, could be the next breakthrough in cancer treatment. It was discovered by Regents Professor G. Robert Pettit, Director of ASU's Cancer Research Institute, in a new phase of testing following surprising results from its Phase 1 clinical trial.

Combretastatin is a vascular targeting agent that cuts off a tumor's blood supply and shrinks its inner core. During its Phase 1 safety trial, it shrank a cancerous tumor in a 56-year-old man's thyroid. The tumor disappeared, and the man has been cancer-free for three years.

Combretastatin is now in Phase 1B testing at Pennsylvania, where it is being combined with a classic anti-growth agent, carboplatin, to test the efficacy of a combination therapy that could be less toxic and faster acting than current cancer treatments.

Freshman program among top in nation

ASU's Freshman Year Experience program has achieved national recognition in U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings in America's Best Colleges 2003. The magazine listed ASU as having one of the top academic programs for first-year students, ranking 23rd in the nation.

This is the first year U.S. News has ranked schools with outstanding examples of academic programs that lead to student success. The FYE program put ASU among only a dozen public universities to make the list of top first-year programs.

Other rankings include ASU's undergraduate business program, 17th among public institutions and 25th overall; the undergraduate program in the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences rose to an all-time high of 37th; the Business College's supply chain management, 3rd in the nation behind Michigan State and MIT; computer information systems, 14th; accountancy, 15th; marketing, 21st; and management, 24th.

Journalism students win awards

Senior journalism students Michelle Beaver and Sara Thorson received first place awards in the 2002 Roy Howard National Reporting Competition sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation. Beaver and Thorson received $5,000 scholarships, Howard medals and a trip to Indiana University for a seminar with the judges who selected them.

ASU West

Building helps keep pace with growth

To keep pace with the campus's growing enrollment (nearly 7,000 students), construction has begun on the first new classroom building to be added in more than a decade. When the Classroom and Laboratory Building opens in 2004, the campus will gain more than 100,000 square feet of space for classrooms with full computer and audio/video capabilities, science and computer teaching labs and information technology offices.

"The new labs will help us meet the needs of students in the sciences, one of our fastest-growing areas," said Emily Cutrer, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "The fact that all of the new classrooms will incorporate state-of-the-art design and media capabilities will enable faculty to maintain an emphasis on learner-centered education, even as enrollment continues to grow."

Master's program serves SW Valley

Teachers in Southwest Valley schools who aspire to administrative positions are now able to pursue a master's degree without commuting to ASU West. Professors from the campus are traveling to Western Sky Middle School in Goodyear to teach courses leading to a master's degree in educational administration and supervision.

Program requirements are the same as those for students pursuing the degree on campus. For more information, call education professor Eleanor Perry at (602) 543-6318.

Campus, Art Institute form partnership

A new agreement between the Art Institute of Phoenix and ASU West is simplifying the path to a bachelor's degree for graduates of the institute's associate degree programs. The articulation agreement enables institute graduates with Associate of Applied Science degrees to transfer their coursework as a block of credits into the Bachelor of Applied Science degree program, with no course-by-course review of classes required. Call (602) 543-4227 for details.

Program streamlines path to teaching

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in a field other than education who wish to pursue elementary school teaching careers may complete their university education requirements in 10 months through a new accelerated program. The College of Education collaborated with the Peoria Unified School District to offer the certificate program.

ASU East

Teaching Factory heralding new approach

A new $6 million Microelectronics Teaching Factory is heralding a new approach to educating students and preparing them for direct entry into the global semiconductor workforce. ASU President Michael Crow joined representatives from companies including Intel and Motorola in October in dedicating the microchip fabrication facility, the cornerstone of the Electronics Engineering Technology program's microelectronics concentration.

The 15,000-square-foot, Class-100 cleanroom provides students hands-on experience in the design, development and production of microchips, the heart of everything from personal computers and cell phones to automobiles and airplanes. Leading semiconductor companies have partnered with East to produce graduates who possess the skills and discipline needed for immediate employment.

The National Science Foundation has awarded $1.2 million in grants to East to develop curriculum and outreach programs in connection with the campus's new $6 million Microelectronics Teaching Factory.

East will receive two grants: the first for $599,126 to create an educational outreach program to mentor students and urge them to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering; and a $599,074 grant to create curricular programs for the teaching factory.

ASU East alumni join to battle cancer

ASU East campus alumni are participating and helping to organize the first annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life on campus. The Relay for Life is an overnight team event that raises money, honors survivors, remembers those who lost their battle with cancer, joins communities and builds awareness of weapons for fighting a disease that touches everyone.

The ASU East Relay for Life will be held Friday, April 11, at 6 p.m. through Saturday, April 12, at 7 a.m. on the East track. For information, contact Anna Wales at anna@asu.edu or (602) 295-3289.

GIT students learning digital photography

Graphic Information Technology students are learning the skill of commercial studio digital photography in a professionally equipped photography studio. They are preparing for careers in a field that requires expertise in a variety of graphic communication technologies, including web site development, multimedia and digital photography.

ASU Extended Campus

Credit hours surpass 50K for semester

Enrollments for classes delivered by the college hit a record 51,084 student credit hours in the fall, up from just 8,439 in the same semester in 1994. Dean Bette DeGraw said college enrollment now accounts for more than eight percent of all student credit hours (SCH) generated by the Main, East and West campuses.

DeGraw said the great increase came from enrollments in Web-delivered courses, which increased from 8,690 last fall to 11,068 this semester. The largest SCH generators for the college, however, remain in its off-campus, evening and weekend classes, which accounted for 35,540 student credit hours this semester.

Mesa employees graduate together

Twenty Mesa city employees earned their Masters in Public Administration degrees and 39 more were awarded their Bachelor of Applied Science degrees or Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degrees with an emphasis in municipal operations management in December graduation ceremonies. Each group participated in a different ASU degree program, and both were offered on site at City of Mesa facilities. ASU faculty delivered the instruction during evening hours, with students receiving on-site services to assist them in successfully completing the programs.

ASU alumna Laurie Leshin works in her lab on the main campus. Leshin is a geologist and cosmochemist who has proposed a Scout mission to Mars.

Greg Giczi

Fred Driscoll, left, president and CEO of Oxigene, ASU Regents Professor G. Robert Petit and Dai Chaplin, Oxigene's chief scientific officer, study an African Willow Tree at ASU.

ASU President Michael Crow, right, participates in a ribbon cutting for the Microelectronics Teaching Factory. The ceremony was held just outside the 15,000 square foot clean room.

ASU East's new entry to the campus was completed March 1. For the past nine months, the east campus has been undergoing a transformation into a desert arboretum with pedestrian pathways.