Blog

Welcome to the Office of University Initiatives Blog, an online journal that allows our office to share and reflect on our work at ASU.

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Pathways to Purpose

I’ve never been very good at naming things, giving titles, coming up with captions, etc. I’ve always been all too aware that stating what a thing is, is the same as stating what a thing is not. Language shapes meaning. Form influences content and whatnot. Both of my children have a name that—between first, middle, and last—contains at least nine possible variations. I wanted them to have the freedom to craft their own identities and name themselves, something neither of them have taken advantage of, yet. They are still firmly ‘Vicki’ and ‘Nick.’ (except when I’m frustrated and tongue-

I'll fix this place up.

Nearly one out of every four women between the ages of 15 and 59 are currently infected with genital human papillomavirus (HPV), and about 50% of sexually active men and women will acquire HPV at some point in their lives. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), which can lead to the development of cervical cancer among women if left untreated. Cervical cancer, in addition to causing tremendous pain, can also result in sterility and (ultimately) death.

Personality: Another Strategy in the Toolbox

Around here, we talk a lot about personality – how people think and what makes them the way they are. Since we work collaboratively in a team environment, it makes sense to spend time understanding each other and ourselves. In doing so, we are best able to work as a group and produce a high-quality product amicably and efficiently.

One University, in Many Places...

Fellow’s training was last week and for the first time all five of us were working together—an experience that (for me, anyway) was challenging, inspiring, and at times, downright exhausting. We are all so very different—not only in our personal backgrounds and areas of study, but in the ways that we think, how we view the world, and how we approach problems and brainstorm solutions. I learned so much about each of us (myself included) and I realized that it might be precisely along the lines of our differences where some of our most exciting work will be found this year.

A View from Both Sides

Last Friday I was on a conference call with colleagues in my office and two researchers from the Student Experience Lab, a project launched by the Business Innovation Factory and supported by the Lumina Foundation.

A Car Full of Memories

I just finished loading up my aunt’s car with 7 years of memories. Trust me, it was no easy task compartmentalizing and organizing the books, clothing, appliances, photographs, and knick-knacks I acquired as an undergraduate and then law student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. My Mom and Aunt Joyce are driving the packed car back to my childhood home in Manalapan, New Jersey, located in a quiet and safe suburban neighborhood.

The beginning is always today. - Mary Wollstonecraft

Sitting in a comfortable-enough looking room on an assortment of beanbag chairs, pillows, and throw rugs, the girls quietly chatted in cliques. Nervous giggles erupted from time to time as they eyed one another, then the stranger in pearls and heels standing before them. I cursed myself, wishing I had worn jeans and sneakers, maybe an Ed Hardy t-shirt.

"So what are you doing at ASU?"

The refrain is a familiar one, asked by friends, family, and colleagues near and far. I’ve been here for a few weeks now, and so far the go-to answer is “loving my job.” The real answer – which does actually include “loving my job” – is a bit more extensive, so I save it for when “loving my job” isn’t accepted as a sufficient response.

Most of the time, it’s not.

Hi, I'm Chris

I recently graduated from Arizona State University in the Spring of 2009 with a Masters of Science in Design. My time at the university has been incredibly rewarding: I taught various undergraduate design courses, organized two stellar design research conferences (the most recent), took classes in numerous academic units and experienced ASU’s New American University first hand as a student.

Samantha: A little about me

During the last four years I’ve been an undergraduate and graduate student, an employee, a tutor, a volunteer, a newspaper columnist, an instructor, and now a fellow at Arizona State University. I’ve seen this university from more angles than most and have enjoyed being a part of the journey ASU is taking. Whether the road has been smooth or filled with potholes (flooded washes, felled trees, blinding sandstorms, etc.), I have been proud to stand behind the vision of ASU. I believe strongly that ASU will be a “force for many,” not only because of the dreams and ambitions of a few individ