The Pacific Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council named Arizona State University its 2013 Corporation of the Year for its supplier diversity leadership. ASU has been working with the council since 1993 when it was known as the Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Council.

The council’s 20th annual awards luncheon was held June 3 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Download Full Image

Morgan R. Olsen, ASU executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer attended the luncheon and accepted the award.

“I am grateful to accept this award on behalf of ASU,” Olsen said. “This award emphasizes the university’s continued commitment to working with minorities and small businesses."

Chester "Chet" Yancy is the ASU small business and diversity program manager and the current council board chairman. He gave an address during the June 3 awards event.

“We are proud of Chet’s leadership within the the council and also within ASU’s procurement efforts,” Olsen added.

Yancy will play an important role in planning a future "doing business with ASU" training track in partnership with the council. In addition, ASU procurement regularly hosts the council holiday reception in December and is a routine sponsor of other important council events.

The council covers Arizona and San Diego County and is a regional affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc., which is headquartered in New York City. The National Minority Supplier Development Council's mission is to “advance business opportunities for certified Asian, Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic and Native American business enterprises and connect them to corporate members.”

Southeast Asia is about as far as one can get – geographically and culturally – from Iceland, where Hjorleifur Jonsson was born and raised. Yet it is this region that drew his interest as a budding anthropologist, and the area where his focus has remained.

Jonsson has spent well over two decades researching the cultural dynamics and ethnohistories of the diverse peoples of Southeast Asia, particularly ethnic minorities of the mainland. One thing he has discovered in his work is the unifying, not divisive, nature of difference. Download Full Image

The Arizona State University associate professor’s latest book, based on this premise, is being released this month from Cornell University Press.

Jonsson calls “Slow Anthropology: Negotiating Difference with the Iu Mien” a guided tour through the human past and present, from ancient China through Laos and Thailand in the nineteenth century, to the contemporary United States.

“My case is that this region’s peoples have not only a long history of negotiating difference for mutual benefit, but that Southeast Asians have also made up or exaggerated their differences in order to find creative and enriching ways of bridging them,” Jonsson says. “Difference is not an obstacle, but an invitation to creative solutions to practical problems of getting along; it is a resource that is often ignored, it seems.”

He points out that recent research in linguistics and archaeology supports his case, as well as the idea of Southeast Asian diversity arising in the last 10,000 years.

Rethinking the past

The Mien of Thailand were the subject of dissertation research and a book by Jonsson several years ago, and he thought he had wrapped up his work with that culture. Then, he came to know some Mien refugees from the war in Laos that ran from 1962-1975.

As he learned about their lives and histories, and through sporadic research over the last few years, he was forced to rethink everything he knew about Southeast Asia, anthropology and how we make a case based on an ethnic group.

He explains, “I focus on the Iu Mien because I know something about them, but the book is also on Southeast Asia as a region, and on academic ideas about tribal peoples and how this has come out differently in U.S., French and Japanese scholarship.”

Being Icelandic helped give Jonsson a neutral perspective in dealing with an area of the world that has seen internationally invested conflicts that still evoke difficult sentiments decades later.

The Iu Mien at the center of Jonsson’s book were farmers who were brought into war as a CIA-sponsored militia. When the Lao communists won the war in 1975, these people became refugees, and lasting divisions were created in Laos.

Building connections

As with much of his published work, this book began with conversation. Jonsson finds that when he starts talking to people, interesting things happen.

In the field, Jonsson has been asked to tag along to weddings, funerals and various social events, bestow awards at sports festivals and participate in worship services. He observes that it often takes people a while to size up the stranger in their midst, but that engaging in conversation, rather than direct interviews, usually leads to more meaningful interaction. He calls those real human connections the highlights of his career.

He says, “We cannot take for granted the importance of talking to people to establish a deeper understanding.”

Jonsson, who is faculty in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will begin a visiting fellow position with Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Program this fall.

Using memoirs, film, ethnographies, newspaper reports and fiction from 1950 on, he will study the complex diversity of supposedly antagonistic groups of people in Thailand during the last century.

As news emerges from Thailand regarding discord between Buddhists and Muslims in the south, and political fighting in the streets of Bangkok, Jonsson holds out hope for what insights anthropology can offer.

“Maybe I am exposing myself as an optimistic researcher, but I am committed to finding credible alternatives to separatism and conflict,” he notes. “I can either assume the antagonistic rhetoric as a fact or go against the grain to study recurring signs of peaceful and creative co-existence. Perhaps that is the recipe for ‘slow’ anthropology more generally.”

Navajo classes that are taught at ASU are helping to revitalize what is now classified as a dying language. Learning the language is also a way for students to grow closer to their culture and pass it on to future generations. 

Navajo is also a language that is very difficult to learn, according to instructor Jolyana Begay. Student must spend time outside of class speaking the language with elders, during ceremonies at home or talking with fluent speakers on campus. Download Full Image

Diane Humetewa, Arizona State University special advisor to the president for American Indian affairs, has been named the first American Indian woman to serve as a federal judge.

Humetewa won unanimous approval in the U.S. Senate in a 96-0 vote and will serve in the federal District Court of Arizona. Download Full Image

“I feel privileged to serve in this new capacity and I am certainly grateful for all of the support that President Crow and the ASU community offered me throughout the confirmation process,” Humetewa said.

This isn’t the first time Humetewa has made her mark in history. She was the first American Indian female to be appointed as a U.S. Attorney in 2007. During a long career in public service, she also served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Subcommittee, then chaired by Sen. John McCain. Before the Senate vote, Senator McCain informed the Senate body of the historic nature of the vote.

As a professor of practice in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and special advisor to the president, Humetewa taught Indian law and worked to improve the retention and success of American Indian students at the university.

“Diane Humetewa has excelled in efforts to bring higher education to American Indian people on tribal lands throughout the state and to improve their academic experience at the university,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow. “We look forward to following her progress as she continues her exceptional career in public service.”

Humetewa, who will leave ASU to serve on the federal district court, was chairperson of the ASU Tribal Liaison Advisory Committee and a member of the Provost’s Native American Advisory Council. She worked to promote higher education opportunities among Arizona’s tribes, notably with the Tribal Nations Tour that brought university students and staff to reservation communities.

Humetewa, a member of the Hopi tribe, was born and raised in Arizona. She began school on the Hualapai Reservation and traveled throughout Arizona’s Indian country with her father, who worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She maintains close ties to her family and culture on the Hopi reservation. 

Humetewa received her juris doctor degree in 1993 from ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from ASU in 1987. She has served on the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Indian Legal Advisory Committee since 1997.

Editor’s Note: Jake Adler graduates this spring with an honors degree in creative writing, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Dean's Medal for the Department of English and a prestigious Fulbright Award. Fellow English major Sophie Opich met up with him on a beautiful afternoon to talk art, politics and his post-graduation plans.

In April, the Fulbright Program awarded Jake Adler for his research proposal on the influence of the revolutionary Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. He will be funded to travel and work in Calcutta, India, for nine months. Download Full Image

“Poetry can be used to reclaim national identity in times of political and social crises,” he explained. Adler, who currently works as an English teaching assistant, will teach English and Western culture to Indian students from fourth to seventh grade.

As he explains his plans, Adler smiles excitedly. He is enthusiastic and articulate – our conversation ranges through Indian history, Walt Whitman, jazz and skateboarding. He jokes, “I'm hoping that when we start to talk about Tagore’s folk songs in class I can ask, ‘Have you guys heard of Bob Dylan?’”

We laugh, but Adler maintains that his interests all root in similar values. He recently defended his thesis on the ASU Social Action Research Team at Barrett, the Honors College, which studies the development of individuals who identify as straight LGBT allies. Adler examined what motivated these subjects to pursue LGBT activism: “I'm looking for commonalities, on a macro scale. What makes someone in a privileged class want to help someone in a lower class?”

Adler will walk at ASU's graduation ceremony with an honors degree in creative writing, focus in poetry. “I'm happy my family will get to see it,” he said. Of his recent accomplishments, Adler is most happy to make his family proud, especially his dad, brother and late mother.

"I'm into finding the experiences that make us all the same – the experiences that all human beings have – whether it's in India, or it's here," Adler says. "There are things that never change, things that, throughout centuries, we can always relate to.”

Written by Sophie Opich

Armed with undergraduate degrees in molecular biosciences and biotechnology, political science and international studies from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, Nisarg Patel is ready to pursue a doctor of dental medicine degree at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Cambridge, Mass.

Patel, who is also an entrepreneur, scientist, debate coach and an avid community volunteer, is the winner of the 2014 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award from Barrett, the Honors College. Download Full Image

A Chandler High School graduate and a National Merit Finalist, Patel chose ASU over the bioenegineering program at the University of California in Berkeley, impressed by the resources that Barrett had to offer students, as well as the success of its alumni.

“I had also received multiple scholarships from ASU and Barrett that covered nearly the full cost of my college education, which factored into my decision,” he said.

Since then, Patel has taken advantage of any and all opportunities that came his way.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned about life from my undergraduate career, it’s that the best experiences and opportunities are the ones you never see coming,” Patel said. “Oftentimes, they happen in the spur of the moment. I never felt afraid or discouraged about creating something here, whether it was an event, a student organization or even a company.”

The School of Life Sciences student founded the ASU chapters of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM), a premiere synthetic biology competition for undergraduates to develop novel applications for genetic engineering, as well as Operation Smile, an international non-profit that provides reconstructive surgeries to children with cleft lip, palate or other facial deformities.

One of Patel’s most successful creations is HydroGene Biotechnologies, a biotechnology venture that he co-founded with ASU students Kwanho Yun, Maddie Sands, Ryan Muller and K. Hyder Hussain. The startup has developed a portable pathogen biosensor that changes color on exposure to contaminated water or food. It has raised nearly $30,000 in seed funding from several competitions, including ASU’s Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative and innovation Challenge, for product and business development.

“HydroGene’s goal is to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases in developing countries and provide on-site rapid screening of bacteria and viruses in food processing plants,” he said. “The idea of using a portable biosensor is practical, inexpensive and much needed to improve public health conditions around the world.”

The HydroGene team was also selected to showcase their venture at the 2013 and 2014 meetings of the Clinton Global Initiative University held at Washington University in St. Louis and ASU, respectively. At the latter, Patel shared the stage with President Bill Clinton to speak about the venture’s potential contribution in advancing public health.

“Experiences like speaking with President Clinton, or PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel at another conference, and meeting incredible groups of young entrepreneurs and visionaries from all over the world wouldn’t have been possible without the opportunities that I took advantage of at ASU,” he said. “I’ve found that what matters most in life are the people you meet and the things you do together, and the university gave me the chance to accomplish incredible things with an incredible group of people.”

Driven by the idea of creating something that will survive him, as well as bringing to life ideas that will improve the life of others every day, the young visionary is looking forward to pursuing a degree in dental medicine at Harvard. According to him, the undervalued field is poised for innovation in the near future.

“Technologies like three dimensional bioprinting, digital health and wearables can take advantage of oral physiology and its impact on holistic health to improve patient care,” he said. “I’d like to work at the intersection of those emerging technologies and biomedical advances.”

Patel said winning the Outstanding Senior Award from Barrett is a wonderful surprise. He is excited to meet new people and explore new places in Boston, but will miss the opportunities, flexibility and diversity experienced throughout his undergraduate education at ASU.

“I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow alongside such an amazing group of people.”

The Arizona State University Commission on the Status of Women recently held its 15th annual Outstanding Achievement and Contribution Awards Breakfast, April 23, at the University Club. Nearly 100 guests attended the breakfast, including faculty, staff, students and university leaders.

The awards program seeks to honor individuals and groups whose work benefits women and other underrepresented groups in the university community and beyond. Download Full Image

Established in 1991, the commission aims to monitor the advancement of women at ASU in three major areas: equity, career development and climate. Since its inception, the commission has coordinated a number of important programs and opportunities that have helped to increase the status of women at the university.

This year, the commission received a significant number of nominations for awards from members throughout the ASU community – all of which detailed the fantastic achievements and contributions being made across the university toward improving the status of women and other underrepresented groups. A total of nine awards were given out by the comission as part of the 2014 program.

According to senior coordinator of the commission, Karen Engler-Weber, “It is an incredible privilege for the commission to be able to recognize the outstanding work of all of the nominees and recipients. Their contributions speak volumes about the great work being done across ASU for women and other underrepresented groups.”

In recognition of the outstanding leadership of the nominees, Dean Marlene Tromp of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences delivered a moving keynote address on her own development as a woman leader and the importance of women's leadership overall.

Read on to learn about the recipients and their achievements:

Jennifer Kampp, assistant to the vice president – Office of Public Affairs

Like many working parents, after the birth of her first child, Jenny Kampp felt like a “fish out of water” when she returned to work. After reading an article about the importance of a support network for working parents, Kampp approached the ASU Employee Assistance Office about creating what has since become the Working Parents Network, and for several working parents at ASU, the impact of her work has been immeasurable.

Lauren Sandground, undergraduate student, justice studies – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

From a very young age, Lauren Sandground dedicated countless hours to volunteering for causes to benefit women and other underrepresented groups. Most recently, Sandground served as the outreach coordinator for the Take the Lead event, and as president of the Woman as Hero student organization.

Laura Mendoza, administrative assistant – University Libraries

Despite a full plate of duties as an employee at ASU and a graduate student in social work/non-profit management, Laura Mendoza dedicates countless hours helping victims of domestic violence earn their college degree. Mendoza is unwavering in her support, encouraging them and helping them fill out their applications, often paying the application fees herself – and when they graduate, she pays for their cap and gowns.

Cathy Kerrey, director of academic advising – New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences

When people talk about what makes Cathy Kerrey special, they note her daily support, mentorship and encouragement. Kerrey dedicates countless hours to programs and initiatives that promote diversity, including extensive work on a collaborative program with a Native American tribe to provide an opportunity for Native American students to earn a college degree.

Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, associate professor – School of Social Work, College of Public Programs

The impact of Dominique Roe-Sepowitz can be felt through her outstanding work in the community on behalf of some of the most marginalized groups. Roe-Sepowitz pioneered a collaborative community project that involves over 14 local community agencies, and has helped to provide services to over 300 adults arrested for prostitution. She recently received grants to help women in poverty provide for their children, and to create a peer mentoring program to help survivors of sexual exploitation.

Jacquelyn Scott Lynch, principal lecturer and Honors Faculty Fellow – Barrett, the Honors College

Over the past decade at Barrett, the Honors College, Jacquelyn Scott Lynch has worked to support women and other underrepresented groups in three profound ways: expanding the honors curriculum to include underrepresented voices; encouraging faculty to integrate a commitment to diversity in their syllabi and classroom; and providing direct support for Barrett faculty women, LGBT faculty and faculty of color. Perhaps one of her greatest contributions to Barrett and the university was her creation of the Barrett Faculty Mentoring Program for Teaching Excellence.

Carol Comito, academic success specialist – Hugh Downs School of Communication

Carol Comito is an individual dedicated to advocacy at ASU and beyond. For several years, she has volunteered her time as chair of the ASU Staff Council and director of Membership for University Career Women, working to increase the visibility of issues related to staff. Outside of the university, Comito founded the Arizona Women’s Conference, an annual event which provides a forum to discuss leadership, networking and professional career advancement for women.

Jordan Hibbs, undergraduate student, psychology – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Through her work with the Undergraduate Student Government, Jordan Hibbs helped to launch the Barrett Association of Transfer Students, which recognizes and supports the needs of a transfer or a non-traditional honors college student. In addition, Hibbs has also helped draft a USG Senate Bill to formally oppose SB1062 and served on the African American Heritage Month Planning Committee.

Graduate Women’s Association

For many years, the ASU Graduate Women’s Association remained dormant, until a group of graduate students from ASU’s English Department, including Alaya Swann, Kalissa Hendrickson, Meghan Nestel and Lakshami Mahajan, worked to re-establish the organization into a thriving resource for graduate students across ASU. The organization now provides a variety of workshops, co-sponsorship of university events impacting women and other underrepresented groups, and a website that provides information and resources to graduate students.

American Indian Studies graduate student Naomi Tom has been awarded first place in the Western Social Science Association Student Paper Competition for her paper, “Protecting Our Communities Through Tribally Operated Institutional Review Boards.”

Tom’s paper examines tribal codes that address research and help ensure that it is done according to tribal beliefs. Focused on the Colorado River Tribes - Navajo, Mohave, Hopi and Chemehuevi – Tom’s paper explains the role of an ethics review board that works to make sure there is no harm done to the tribe and its people through research. The paper reflects a small part of Tom’s thesis project on tribal research and the processes that regulate it. Download Full Image

“There aren’t that many tribes that have research codes, and not that many people have written about this,” Tom said.

The paper discusses vulnerabilities to American Indian communities by not regulating research, such as exposing sacred knowledge.

“More often than not, unethical research conducted within American Indian communities is a direct result of a disconnect in understanding of worldviews; Western views versus American Indian views of what is considered ethical,” Tom wrote.

It’s also important to consider the ethics of those who will be researched, as well as the researcher’s ethics, and to take into consideration whether or not work with one American Indian tribe will translate to procedures in another tribal nation. It’s also not probable that all tribes will be able to staff, fund and provide infrastructure for institutional review boards, especially among smaller tribes that may have limited resources, Tom wrote.

Besides a cash prize and a certificate, Tom presented her paper at the Western Social Science Association conference. As a member of the first cohort of American Indian Studies graduate students, Tom will graduate in December and will then work on earning her doctoral degree in American Indian Studies.

American Indian Studies graduate student Justin Hongeva also won the Vine Deloria, Jr. Student Paper Award at the conference for his paper, "Past and Present Hopi Leadership: as Contextualized by the Oraibi Split.”

"I feel pride in winning the Vine Deloria Student Paper Competition, not only for who the award is named after and what he represented, but also the content of my paper. The history of our Native communities is important, and through academia, we are given the opportunities to expound the importance of our history and how it has impacted our communities today," Hongeva said. Vine Deloria was an American Indian author, activist, historian and theologian.

In addition to the recent honors, Hongeva and fellow American Indian Studies graduate students Eric Hardy, Waquin Preston and Emery Tahy recently participated in the Indian Education and Leadership Summit sponsored by the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona at Ak-Chin Indian Community. ASU students conducted research, aided in writing a report on the State of K-12 Indian Education in Arizona and assisted in proceedings of the summit. The report that the students compiled was distributed to participants at the meeting.

“The work that we did with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona in correlation with the Indian Education and Leadership Summit involved myself and three other students researching on the state of Indian education in the state of Arizona,” Hongeva said. “We were charged with researching literature, and focused on contributing factors such as socio/economics, promising practices and a literature review that focused on common core and the history on Indian education, including sovereignty, Indian-controlled schools and culturally responsive schooling.”

American Indian Studies director John Tippeconnic praised the work of the program’s graduate students.

“We are proud of our students. It is an honor for them to be recognized for their scholarly work and to be involved in research that benefits tribal Nations. It is also an indicator that our young ASU American Indian Studies graduate program is on the rise and being recognized nationally,” Tippeconnic said.

Professor Madeline Spring has been selected to receive the 2014 Gary S. Krahenbuhl Difference Maker Award presented by ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The annual award was established through generous contributions of faculty, staff and friends of ASU to recognize and celebrate a faculty member who personifies the spirit of difference-making demonstrated by Krahenbuhl, a former dean of the college. Download Full Image

A distinguished professor of Chinese, Spring is the director of the Chinese Language Program in the School of International Letters and Cultures. Her research endeavors include the study of medieval Chinese literature and current issues in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL). In that area, her focus is on curricular design and implementation, teacher training, computer-based instruction, intercultural communication and second language acquisition and assessment. She is the author of "Making Connections: Improve Your Listening Comprehension in Chinese," now in its second edition.

Spring also is the director of two important institutional programs at ASU: the Confucius Institute and the Chinese Language Flagship program. The former is a partnership with Sichuan University and, unlike many Confucius Institutes, has a pronounced academic orientation and works closely with ASU faculty members, community groups and K-12 education. The latter is designed to move students to superior levels of Chinese language proficiency during their time at ASU.

“Professor Spring has transformed ASU and our state, creating programs that set up our students at ASU and in Arizona to be among the top professionals in their chosen career fields, internationally,” said Patrick Kenney, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“Madeline Spring is that kind of rare difference maker in academia: a faculty member who energizes programs for the community along with top performance in the classroom and in her research,” said George Justice, dean of humanities in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Because of Dr. Spring, students can come to ASU with no experience in Chinese and have their lives transformed personally and professionally. Her direct impact on campus and community is remarkable.”

ASU’s Chinese Language Flagship is part of a network of 26 programs at 22 universities across the United States. Eleven of these are for Chinese. Due to her experience and talents, Spring was recruited to create a program at ASU that offered multi-level, intensive curricula for ASU undergraduates who seek to achieve superior professional-level language proficiency and advanced cultural skills in Chinese. In 2012, Flagship program added an ROTC component, making it one of three in the U.S. and the only one in the West. This program reaches out to highly motivated students of all majors in Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC whose schedules might previously have prevented the development of their critical language skills. These efforts are funded by the Department of Defense and National Security Education Program.

Under the leadership of ASU President Michael Crow, the Confucius Institute was developed by professor Stephen H. West, Spring and Cutter in partnership with Sichuan University and the Office of Chinese Language Council International. The institute supports numerous scholarly activities, provides language instructors to supplement those already teaching in the Chinese language program and works to enhance understanding about China and promote K-12 language training more broadly in Arizona. The institute now cooperates with partner schools, such as Boulder Creek High School, Cactus Shadows High School, Diamond Canyon School, Gavilan Peak School, Horseshoe Trails Elementary School, Lone Mountain Elementary School, Rhodes Junior High School and Sonoran Trails Middle School. Spring has also worked with community groups, as well as school districts and the Arizona Department of Education.

“Professor Spring has developed the Chinese language program at ASU into one of the best in the country,” said Joe Cutter, director of the School of International Letters and Cultures. “Students come to ASU from outside Arizona specifically to be part of this program. She has made a huge difference in our students’ lives. It is truly heartwarming to hear these outstanding young people talk about their achievements and their sense of gratitude to professor Spring.”

The Gary S. Krahenbuhl Difference Maker Award has been awarded since 2003 to a tenured faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences “who demonstrates a broad vision for academic scholarship and a passion for engaging students in discovery and exploration.”

Spring is the 12th recipient of the award. Prior recipients are:

• Stuart Lindsay, Regents’ Professor, Edward and Nadine Carson Presidential Chair in Physics, director of the Center for Single Molecule Biophysics in the Biodesign Institute. He is a professor in the Department of Physics and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (2012).

• Donald Johanson, Virginian M. Ullman Chair in Human Origins, a professor of physical anthropology in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and founding director of the Institute of Human Origins (2012).

• Matthew Whittaker, ASU Foundation Professor in History and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy – now with the School of Letters and Sciences (2011).

• Heather Bimonte-Nelson, a professor in the Department of Psychology, honored in part for her brain awareness programs for children (2010).

• Stephen Batalden, a professor of history and the founding director of ASU’s Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies (2009).

• Neal Woodbury, a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, and deputy director of ASU’s Biodesign Institute (2008).

• Nancy Jurik, a professor of justice and social inquiry in the School of Social Transformation (2007).

• Jane Maienschein, a Regents’ Professor and President's Professor, and director of the Center for Biology and Society in the School of Life Sciences (2006).

• James Collins, a professor in the School of Life Sciences (2005).

• Noel Stowe, a professor of history and founder of ASU’s Public History Program, deceased (2004).

• Richard Fabes, director of the School of Social and Family Dynamics (2003).

Nationally known authors, poets and performers will come together with 500 Arizona middle and high school students from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., May 12, in the Memorial Union on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus to observe El Día de los Niños, El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day, Book Day). The event is a national celebration of young people, literacy and cultural heritage.

This is the fourth annual El Día event at ASU. In 2014, local students will enjoy performances by poets, novelists, playwrights, dancers, artists and actors – including emcee Alberto Ríos (ASU Regents’ Professor of English and Arizona’s inaugural poet laureate), Gary Soto (author and keynote speaker), Xavier Garza (children’s author), Myrlin Hepworth (poet) and Aprilynne Pike, Tom Leveen, Bill Konigsberg and Janette Rallison (young adult authors). Following the performances, local professors and teachers will conduct workshops in which students can create and perform their own works. All students in attendance receive a book and an opportunity to meet that book’s author for an autograph. Download Full Image

ASU’s El Día is the winner of the 2013 Estela and Raúl Mora Award for the best event of its kind in the nation. ASU doctoral student Tracey Flores directs El Día de los Niños, under the mentorship of associate professor of English James Blasingame. Additional information is available at 480-965-3224 or online at http://english.clas.asu.edu/el-dia.

Made possible through a major grant from the Arizona Humanities Council, El Día is free of charge for participants. Additional support is provided by the Agua Fria Union High School District, the ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, ASU Project Humanities, the ASU Department of English, Phoenix Book Company, Reforma and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Founded in 1973, the Arizona Humanities Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and the Arizona affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHC supports public programming in the humanities that promotes understanding of human thoughts, actions, creations and values. AHC works with museums, libraries and other cultural and educational organizations to bring humanities programs to residents throughout Arizona.

The Department of English is an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ASU.

Pictures and news from previous El Día de los Niños events are available online.

Tracey Flores, Tracey.Flores@asu.edu
480-965-3224
Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences