Arizona State University

People who aspire to apply social justice and human rights approaches to such issues as health, education, labor, international development, family welfare, and the environment will gain a strong theoretical background and hands-on management skills through Arizona State University’s new master’s degree program in social justice and human rights.

The program welcomes its first group of students to ASU’s West campus in August when the Fall 2008 semester begins. Inquiries from potential students have come from Arizona and across the United States as well as countries including Ethiopia, Pakistan, Nepal, the Dominican Republic, and Kenya.

“This program is unique in course design and content,” says William Simmons, assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and director of the new master’s degree program.

Students will choose from two tracks. Those pursuing the social justice and human rights research track will be prepared for careers requiring research skills in governmental and non-governmental agencies. Graduates from this track also are prepared for doctoral programs in the social sciences and law.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) management track combines coursework in social justice and human rights with practical training in non-profit management. Graduates are prepared for leadership positions in the rapidly growing NGO sector.

“The need in this area is huge – 2006 statistics show more than 12,000 charitable non-profit organizations in Arizona, with the majority in Maricopa County,” Simmons says. “Social justice and human rights issues are major components of the mission of many of these organizations.”

C. T. Wright lent his expertise to ASU professors who designed the new master’s program. Wright is founder of the Light of Hope Institute, which promotes human rights around the world. He is the former president and CEO of the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help and the former president of Cheyney University in Pennsylvania.

“This program will provide students with the ability to conceptualize and analyze issues confronting civil society,” Wright says. “Graduates will be equipped to plan, implement, manage and evaluate programs at local through international levels. They also will be prepared to conceptualize and write proposals, develop budgets, and communicate with people from diverse backgrounds.”

Simmons says much of the international interest in the new master’s program comes from people already working for NGOs who want to improve their leadership and management skills. Working professionals will be able to come to metropolitan Phoenix for nine months (August to May) to complete most of the program. They can finish their degree requirements at their place of work, regardless of location.

While most courses in the program will be taught on ASU’s West campus, students also may take advantage of courses and resources offered by programs at other ASU campuses such as the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Non-Profit Innovation, headquartered on the Downtown Phoenix campus, and the School of Justice & Social Inquiry on the Tempe campus.

“This is truly an interdisciplinary effort, with faculty involvement from all four colleges on the West campus and a tremendous spirit of cooperation among campuses,” Simmons says.

Many courses will be solution-based, with students and faculty working together to address real-world issues that can change from semester to semester. For example, New College associate professor Julie Murphy Erfani has become familiar with an indigenous village in Mexico that is facing environmental impacts from a nearby mining operation. This fall, Murphy Erfani and students in her class will research the situation from political, historical, and legal perspectives, with assistance from faculty members in a range of disciplines. The end result will be reports that students will present to the residents of the village, addressing actions they may wish to take.

“This will provide a rich learning experience, as student see how human rights and social justice issues cut across disciplines and also evoke numerous ethical, political and legal questions,” Simmons says.

Other courses will place students with local agencies, providing a benefit to those agencies while broadening students’ knowledge base. Additionally, students will complete a course in grant writing, a skill Simmons considers indispensable both for researchers and those employed in NGOs.

Students will work with faculty members to design and complete a capstone project that draws on the knowledge and experiences they gain in the program. Capstone projects may include traditional theses, legal briefs, drafting of legislation or policy statements, developing strategic plans for community organizations, or public art projects.

“Adding this dynamic degree program is an exciting development for ASU,” says Elizabeth Langland, New College dean. “People who choose to devote their lives to social justice and human rights are passionate, active individuals who will be a great asset to the university as they pursue the master’s degree. We hope they will maintain strong connections to ASU after they graduate.”

Social justice and human rights is the second graduate degree offered by New College. It joins the master of arts in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS) degree, which enables students to design their own unique programs of study. After introductory graduate courses in interdisciplinary studies, models of inquiry for the 21st century, and critical thinking, MAIS students move on to concentrations in Applied Arts, English Language Studies, Digital Media/Visual Cultures, Non-Profit and Civic Leadership, Women’s Studies, and/or electives from the wide spectrum of disciplines in New College. A capstone experience concludes the MAIS program, which may be pursued on a full-time or part-time basis.

Details about these master’s degree programs are available by visiting http://newcollege.asu.edu/programs or emailing NewCollegeGrad@asu.edu.

Shocking pink millipede, 75-million-year-old dinosaur and ‘Michelin Man™’ plant make the list 

The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists – scientists responsible for species exploration and classification – unveiled May 23 the world’s top 10 new species described in 2007.

On the list are an ornate sleeper ray, with a name that sucks: Electrolux; a 75-million-year-old giant duck-billed dinosaur; a shocking pink millipede; a rare, off-the-shelf frog; one of the most venomous snakes in the world; a fruit bat; a mushroom; a jellyfish named after its victim; a life-imitates-art “Dim” rhinoceros beetle; and the “Michelin Man” plant.

The taxonomists are also issuing a SOS – State of Observed Species report card on human knowledge of Earth’s species. In it, they report that 16,969 species new to science were discovered and described in 2006. The SOS report was compiled by ASU’s International Institute for Species Exploration in partnership with the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, the International Plant Names Index, and Thompson Scientific, publisher of Zoological Record.

Photos and other information on the top 10 and the SOS report are online at species.asu.edu.

Among the top 10 picks is an ornate sleeper ray – Electrolux addisoni – whose name reflects “the vigorous sucking action displayed on the videotape of the feeding ray” from the east coast of South Africa that “may rival a well-known electrical device used to suck the detritus from carpets.”

Also on the list is a 75-million-year-old giant duck-billed dinosaur – Gryposaurus monumentensis – discovered in southern Utah by a team from Alf Museum, a California-based paleontology museum on a high school campus.

From the plant kingdom is the “Michelin Man™” plant – Tecticornia bibenda – a succulent plant in Western Australia that resembles the Michelin® tire man.

And, in the category of life imitating art is a “Dim” rhinoceros beetle – Megaceras briansaltini – which, according to the author, looks like the Dim character from the Disney film “A Bug’s Life.”

“The international committee of taxon experts who made the selection of the top 10 from the thousands of species described in calendar year 2007 is helping draw attention to biodiversity, the field of taxonomy, and the importance of natural history museums and botanical gardens in a fun-filled way,” says Professor Quentin Wheeler, an entomologist and director of ASU’s International Institute for Species Exploration.

“We live in an exciting time. A new generation of tools are coming online that will vastly accelerate the rate at which we are able to discover and describe species,” says Wheeler. “Most people do not realize just how incomplete our knowledge of Earth’s species is or the steady rate at which taxonomists are exploring that diversity. In 2006, for example, an average of nearly 50 species per day were discovered and named.

“We are surrounded by such an exuberance of species diversity that we too often take it for granted. Charting the species of the world and their unique attributes are essential parts of understanding the history of life and is in our own self-interest as we face the challenges of living on a rapidly changing planet,” Wheeler says.

Today’s announcements fall on the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, who initiated the modern system of plant and animal names and classifications. The 300th anniversary of his birth on May 23 was celebrated worldwide in 2007 and this year marks the 250th anniversary of the beginning of animal naming.

The majority of the 16,969 species described (named) in 2006 were invertebrate animals and vascular plants, which according to the SOS report is consistent with recent years and reflects, in part, “our profound ignorance of many of the most species-rich taxa inhabiting the planet.”

There are about 1.8 million species that have been described since Linnaeus initiated the modern systems for naming plants and animals in the 18th century. Scientists estimate there are between 2 million and 100 million species on Earth, though most set the number closer to 10 million.

According to the authors of the SOS report: “There are many reasons that scientists explore Earth’s species: to discover and document the results of evolutionary history; to learn the species that comprise the ecosystems upon which life on our planet depends; to establish baseline knowledge of the planet’s species and their distribution so that non-native pests and vectors of disease may be detected; to inform and enable conservation biology and resource management.

“Perhaps most compelling is curiosity about the diversity of life analogous to our quest to map the stars of the Milky Way and the contours of the ocean floor.”

The State of Observed Species report will be issued annually on May 23 by ASU’s International Institute for Species Exploration, along with the top 10 new species from the previous year.

Another element of the institute’s public awareness campaign is the co-production of a humorous video on biodiversity titled “Planet Bob,” launched on YouTube last October. The video, produced with Media Alchemy of Seattle, combines live action, state-of-the-art animation, and the vocal talents of venerable TV host Hugh Downs and others.

“The Web site www.PlanetBob.asu.edu and the video ‘Planet Bob’ represent new ways to present taxonomy and biodiversity, in a creative fusion between academia and popular technology,” says Wheeler, who also is ASU vice president and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The International Institute for Species Exploration was created to advance the emerging field of cybertaxonomy in partnership with leading natural history collections, engineer new cyber tools, and educate and inspire the next generation of species explorers.

An international committee of experts, chaired by Janine Caira of the University of Connecticut, selected the top 10 new species for this year’s list. Nominations were invited through the species.asu.edu Web site and generated by institute staff and committee members themselves.

The Caira Committee had complete freedom in making its choices and developing its own criteria from unique attributes of or surprising facts about the species to peculiar names. Committee members included Daphne Fautin, University of Kansas; Mary Liz Jameson, University of Nebraska; Niels Kristensen, Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; James Macklin, Harvard University; John Noyes, Natural History Museum, London; Alan Paton, International Plant Names Index, Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, U.K.; Andrew Polaszek, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, London; Adam Slipinski, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia; Gideon Smith, South African National Biodiversity Institute; Antonio Valdecasas. Museo National Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain; and Zhi-Qiang Zhang, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, New Zealand.

Deposits of nearly pure silica discovered by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in Gusev Crater formed when volcanic steam or hot water (or maybe both) percolated through the ground. Such deposits are found around hydrothermal vents like those in Yellowstone National Park. That’s the conclusion of planetary scientists working with data collected by the rover’s mineral-scouting instrument, which was developed at Arizona State University.

The silica discovery, announced briefly by NASA in 2007, is fully described in a multi-author paper that appears in the May 23, 2008 issue of the scientific journal Science. The lead author is Steven Squyres of Cornell University, principal investigator for the rover science payload.

The silica finding turns a spotlight on an important site that may contain preserved traces of ancient Martian life.

"On Earth, hydrothermal deposits teem with life and the associated silica deposits typically contain fossil remains of microbes," says Jack Farmer, professor of astrobiology in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Farmer is one of the paper’s co-authors.

"But we don’t know if that’s the case here," Farmer notes, "because the rovers don’t carry instruments that can detect microscopic life." He adds, "What we can say is that this was once a habitable environment where liquid water and the energy needed for life were present."

NASA landed the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, on opposite sides of the planet in January 2004 to look for rocks showing the presence of water. As of now, the rovers are more than four Earth years into a mission designed to last just three months. Despite dust collecting on their solar panels and mechanical wear-and-tear, both are continuing to explore.

Dawning realization

The silica discovery unfolded in slow motion as Spirit emerged from hibernation after its second Martian winter. The rover spent those months on the edge of a football-field-size feature dubbed Home Plate.

Home Plate lies in the Columbia Hills, a range of low hills in the middle of Gusev Crater, which spans 100 miles (170 kilometers) wide. The Hills rise about 300 feet (100 meters) above the flat lava plain that fills Gusev, but their structure and origin remain unclear to scientists.

"We were going back to an area of exposed soil called the Tyrone site, which we didn’t have time to investigate before winter began," notes Steven Ruff, a faculty research associate at ASU’s Mars Space Flight Facility. Ruff is another of the paper’s co-authors.

The Tyrone soil proved rich in sulfate minerals, a phenomenon seen by Spirit at other locations in the Columbia Hills, where Spirit has been exploring since late 2004. While sulfates can form in several ways, water is involved in most.

"While parked next to Tyrone, we used the Mini-TES to look at some nearby light-toned and knobby outcrops," says Ruff.

Mini-TES is short for the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer, an instrument placed on each rover to identify minerals by their infrared spectrum. Ruff is the scientist in charge of day-to-day operations for Mini-TES, which was designed by ASU’s Philip Christensen, a Regents’ Professor of Geological Sciences and director of the Mars Space Flight Facility.

Silica surprise

Ruff continues, "It wasn’t clear what we were seeing in the knobby outcrops because they were contaminated with dust and wind-blown soil. But I thought they might be silica-rich." Additional surveys with Mini-TES identified other outcrops, similarly contaminated but likewise hinting at silica.

As it happened, the rover’s jammed right front wheel inadvertently produced the "Aha!" moment. Ruff and others on the science team noticed that the stuck wheel had gouged a trench a few inches deep through the soil as the rover drove ahead in reverse, dragging the crippled wheel behind.

"The trench looked bright white," Ruff recalls, "but we thought initially it was just more sulfate minerals."

Over the winter, however, Ruff got curious. "We aimed Mini-TES at the trench and it showed a clear silica spectrum. This prompted us to drive back to it, where the rover’s Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer told us the white soil was more than 90 percent silica. That’s a record high for silica on Mars."

Fumaroles and hot springs

Making such pure silica requires a lot of water, says Ruff. "On Earth, the only way to have this kind of silica enrichment is by hot water reacting with rocks."

This, Ruff says, links the silica with Home Plate, which the rover team already knew was a volcanic feature. "Home Plate came from an explosive volcanic event with water or ice being involved," he explains. "We saw where rocks were thrown into the air and landed to make small indentations in the soft, wet ash sediment around the vent."

Once alerted what to look for, the scientists found more silica in many places nearby.

As Ruff explains, "It’s not just the soil in a trench in one place. It’s a broader story of outcrops that extend 50 meters [about 150 feet] away from Home Plate. It’s not a small scale, modest phenomenon."

The combination of geothermal heat and water produces a hydrothermal system like that which powers the hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles (steam vents) of Yellowstone National Park.

Capturing evidence

Astrobiologist Farmer helped with the mineral identification by supplying a variety of high silica rock samples from his laboratory collection. They included rocks from hot spring and fumarole deposits in Yellowstone and New Zealand. These rocks provided reference spectra for Mini-TES. "The best fit we got was with siliceous sinter," he says, referring to deposits of "opal," a type of amorphous silica laid down by hot springs.

Farmer explains that hydrothermal systems generally precipitate silica and other minerals as heated groundwater rises, cools, and gives off dissolved gases. "If there were organisms living there," he says, "our terrestrial experience shows that microbes can easily be entrapped and preserved in the deposits." Silica, he notes, is an excellent medium for capturing and preserving traces of microbial life.

Whether Mars ever had life is unknown. But if there was once a Martian biosphere, both Ruff and Farmer say the deposits around fumaroles and hot springs are ideal places to start hunting for it.

Although the microscopic imagers on the current rovers cannot resolve the microbial remains seen in terrestrial hot spring deposits, Farmer notes that the new microscopic imagers now in development for future rovers should let scientists detect such features in situ.

Says Farmer, "We just need to deliver such instruments to the right place. The discoveries at Home Plate have helped us know where to go next."

Ruff adds, "This discovery has us really excited. This site is clearly the best example of a habitable environment that we’ve found in Gusev."

Pamela Marshall, an assistant professor in Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, has won the Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Student Mentoring for doing what she says is the “hallmark” of her teaching focus – mentoring students in her research lab, treating students as individuals, and developing the next generation of critical thinkers in the science field.

The award is presented annually by ASU Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth D. Capaldi. Faculty nominations are judged by Regents’ Professors in each of 11 categories.

“We are proud of the many achievements of our faculty,” says Capaldi. “This award was conceived as a way of celebrating the top intellectual contributions at ASU annually.

“Pamela’s work with her students is a wonderful and meaningful reflection of this university’s commitment to its students. Her mentoring is tailored to the interests and academic strengths of her individual students and is the direct result of the countless hours she spends in the individualized mastery-learning environment she has created to bring out the best in each of her students.”

Marshall came to ASU in fall 2003. She received her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center in 1996 after receiving her bachelor’s in biological sciences from Southern Methodist University in 1991. A member of the New College’s Department of Integrated Natural Sciences, Marshall’s research focuses on the biogenesis and functions of the vacuole of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

“Undergraduate mentoring is the hallmark of my research endeavor and the focus of ASU’s West campus life sciences major,” says Marshall.

“My overall goal is to develop the next generation of critical thinkers in science fields. I pride myself on always asking the question, ‘What is in the best interest of the students?’ and developing research projects best suited for their needs.

“Through one-on-one interactions with undergraduate researchers, I am able to place my thumbprint on their soul.”

One of those touched by Marshall is senior life sciences major Belinda Miguel. Miguel has had the benefit of Marshall’s attention in a genetics class as well as a Bridges to Biomedical Careers course, the latter a program that championed diversity through the recruitment of minority community college students to engage them in research projects at ASU. Miguel is now an undergraduate researcher with the MARC program (NIH-funded Minority Access to Research Careers Program).

“Her greatest strength is her understanding of her students,” notes Miguel, who says Marshall has taught her to not give up in her educational career and to follow her dreams. “When you have someone as understanding as Dr. Marshall, it makes your educational career a little bit easier, because unexpected things can occur.

“She has always been there for her students to listen to their concerns, both personal and educational. She takes the time out of her busy schedule to assist her students in any way possible.”

Marshall, who has contributed to such renowned industry publications as Cell Biology International, Journal of Microscopy, The Journal of Cell Biology, and Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, says the interdisciplinarity of her research and teaching is critical to an overall understanding of any project. One of her many grants is well-known and has been widely covered by the media – the so-called “DINS Lizard Project” successfully integrates life sciences undergraduate curriculum using a thematic organism – the common tree lizard – and developing, implementing and assessing inquiry-based lab exercises in the major.

“We felt this type of lab curriculum would serve our students well,” she says. Many of them are not able to perform undergraduate research, and these labs give all undergrad majors valuable experiences in hypothesis testing, extended research projects, and authentic laboratory experiences.

“Students must use chemistry and physics to perform much of the research in our lab. There is no real differentiation in the sciences and math, and there is a seamless need for biology, chemistry and math in order to study any biological problem.”

In the end, what makes Marshall’s mentoring skills worthy of such university recognition is her own time-tested formula.

“I try to develop independence in each research student by a combination of hands-on guidance, a well-defined research plan, and allowing them to work unassisted to learn their own strengths and weaknesses to ultimately guide them to autonomy.

“I hope that my students will become the scientific leaders of tomorrow.”

The generosity of nearly 30 adjunct professors at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law has prompted the creation of a new scholarship program that will reward deserving students with full in-state tuition.

The first two adjunct faculty scholarships have been awarded to Brian Barner, a second-year student from Peoria, Ariz., and Jue Wang, a first-year student from Qingdao, in northeastern China. Each will receive $16,289 to help offset the cost of tuition and fees in the 2008-2009 academic year.

“I was just thrilled,” says Barner, who has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. “My parents were able to pay for Georgetown, but they said, ‘You’re on your own after that.’ It’s a real help not to have to graduate with so much debt.”

The program was funded by some of the college’s 2007-2008 adjunct professors, who are judges and lawyers from the private and public sectors in Maricopa County. They include two Arizona Supreme Court justices, a former chief judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals, a former chairman of the Arizona Board of Regents, the managing partners of two of the Valley’s largest law firms and the managing partner of an international accounting firm.

The adjunct faculty members enhance the college’s curriculum by teaching a variety of legal topics, including patent litigation, Arizona media law, evidence, health law, employment law, estate planning and many others. In exchange, they each receive an honorarium.

This year, 29 of them waived nearly $80,000 in honoraria, which was made available to the college’s dean, Patricia White, to use for guest speakers, school awards and the Adjunct Faculty Scholarship Program.

“The College of Law is particularly proud of the efforts and generosity of our distinguished adjunct faculty, and we are proud to establish these scholarships in honor of their contributions,” White says. “We hope this is the first year of an annual tradition.”

Gary Birnbaum, the college’s associate dean for graduate studies and program development, has been an adjunct at the college for about seven years. He worked with White to establish the scholarship program.

“It’s another unique program designed to assist students who have outstanding academic credentials and perceived economic need,” says Birnbaum, the managing director at the Phoenix law firm of Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander. “We feel these scholarships are an appropriate means to recognize the contributions of the adjunct faculty members to the university in general, and the College of Law in particular.”

Geoffrey Sturr, an attorney at Osborn Maledon, spends most weekends preparing for the Professional Responsibility course that he teaches every Monday night at the college. Despite the time commitment, Sturr says he has enjoyed the experience – especially getting to know his students – and he strongly supports the scholarship program.

“I think of waiving the honorarium as doubling the return on my investment,” says Sturr, whose degree is from the UCLA School of Law. “I happily devote time to teaching because it is such a rewarding experience. It helps improve my knowledge and experience, and it gives me a chance to meet and get to know some very bright and talented students. And given the area that I teach, I hope I have an opportunity to leave a mark on young lawyers entering the profession.”

Programs such as the new scholarship fund are needed to make it possible for more law students to go into public-interest law or government work, Sturr says.

“Law school debt is affecting the choices people make in their professional lives,” he says. “Anything that we, as professionals, can do to help students receive a legal education without accumulating too much debt is something we all should be doing.”

Wang, who holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Wuhan University in China, came to the United States in 2006 with her husband, Chunpeng Zhao, a doctoral-degree student at the School of Earth and Space Exploration. In addition to the expense of law school, Wang has survived the challenges of being a first-year law student with a significant language barrier.

“Our professors in China teach more about the theory of law, where here we get to actually read cases, so it’s a big difference,” she says.

“It’s a lot of pressure to be a second language learner and be at law school, but I feel excited to learn new things and to see myself improving.”

Wang says the scholarship will help her with that pressure, too.

“It’s kind of hard for me to pay out-of-state tuition, and it’s a big help that I won’t have to take out loans next year,” she says.

The generosity of nearly 30 adjunct professors at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law has prompted the creation of a new scholarship program that will reward deserving students with full in-state tuition.

The first two adjunct faculty scholarships have been awarded to Brian Barner, a second-year student from Peoria, Ariz., and Jue Wang, a first-year student from Qingdao, in northeastern China. Each will receive $16,289 to help offset the cost of tuition and fees in the 2008-2009 academic year.

“I was just thrilled,” says Barner, who has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. “My parents were able to pay for Georgetown, but they said, ‘You’re on your own after that.’ It’s a real help not to have to graduate with so much debt.”

The program was funded by some of the college’s 2007-2008 adjunct professors, who are judges and lawyers from the private and public sectors in Maricopa County. They include two Arizona Supreme Court justices, a former chief judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals, a former chairman of the Arizona Board of Regents, the managing partners of two of the Valley’s largest law firms and the managing partner of an international accounting firm.

The adjunct faculty members enhance the college’s curriculum by teaching a variety of legal topics, including patent litigation, Arizona media law, evidence, health law, employment law, estate planning and many others. In exchange, they each receive an honorarium.

This year, 29 of them waived nearly $80,000 in honoraria, which was made available to the college’s dean, Patricia White, to use for guest speakers, school awards and the Adjunct Faculty Scholarship Program.

“The College of Law is particularly proud of the efforts and generosity of our distinguished adjunct faculty, and we are proud to establish these scholarships in honor of their contributions,” White says. “We hope this is the first year of an annual tradition.”

Gary Birnbaum, the college’s associate dean for graduate studies and program development, has been an adjunct at the college for about seven years. He worked with White to establish the scholarship program.

“It’s another unique program designed to assist students who have outstanding academic credentials and perceived economic need,” says Birnbaum, the managing director at the Phoenix law firm of Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander. “We feel these scholarships are an appropriate means to recognize the contributions of the adjunct faculty members to the university in general, and the College of Law in particular.”

Geoffrey Sturr, an attorney at Osborn Maledon, spends most weekends preparing for the Professional Responsibility course that he teaches every Monday night at the college. Despite the time commitment, Sturr says he has enjoyed the experience – especially getting to know his students – and he strongly supports the scholarship program.

“I think of waiving the honorarium as doubling the return on my investment,” says Sturr, whose degree is from the UCLA School of Law. “I happily devote time to teaching because it is such a rewarding experience. It helps improve my knowledge and experience, and it gives me a chance to meet and get to know some very bright and talented students. And given the area that I teach, I hope I have an opportunity to leave a mark on young lawyers entering the profession.”

Programs such as the new scholarship fund are needed to make it possible for more law students to go into public-interest law or government work, Sturr says.

“Law school debt is affecting the choices people make in their professional lives,” he says. “Anything that we, as professionals, can do to help students receive a legal education without accumulating too much debt is something we all should be doing.”

Wang, who holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Wuhan University in China, came to the United States in 2006 with her husband, Chunpeng Zhao, a doctoral-degree student at the School of Earth and Space Exploration. In addition to the expense of law school, Wang has survived the challenges of being a first-year law student with a significant language barrier.

“Our professors in China teach more about the theory of law, where here we get to actually read cases, so it’s a big difference,” she says.

“It’s a lot of pressure to be a second language learner and be at law school, but I feel excited to learn new things and to see myself improving.”

Wang says the scholarship will help her with that pressure, too.

“It’s kind of hard for me to pay out-of-state tuition, and it’s a big help that I won’t have to take out loans next year,” she says.

When space shuttle Endeavor blasted off March 11, some tiny “astronauts” piggybacked onboard an experimental payload from ASU’s Biodesign Institute.

The experiment, called “Microbial Drug Resistance Virulence” was part of the STS-123 space shuttle Endeavor mission. It advanced the research studies of Cheryl Nickerson, project leader and scientist in the institute’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology. Nickerson has been at the forefront on studying the risks of germs associated with spaceflight to the health and well-being of shuttle crews.

“Wherever people go, germs will follow,” says Nickerson, who also is an associate professor at ASU’s School of Life Sciences.

Last fall, she completed a multi-institutional study that showed for the first time that microbes could be affected by spaceflight, making them more infectious pathogens. The results were from a payload flown aboard the space shuttle Atlantis in 2006.

Spaceflight not only altered bacterial gene expression but also increased the ability of these organisms to cause disease, or virulence, and did so in novel ways. Compared to identical bacteria that remained on earth, the space-traveling salmonella – a leading cause of food-borne illness – had changed expression of 167 genes. In addition, bacteria that were flown in space were almost three times as likely to cause disease when compared with control bacteria grown on the ground.

The latest shuttle flight offered Nickerson’s research team – which includes James Wilson, Laura Quick, Richard Davis, Emily Richter, Aurelie Crabbe and Shameema Sarker – an extraordinarily rare opportunity to fly a repeat experiment of their NASA payload to confirm their earlier results.

In the new experimental wrinkle, the team tested a hypothesis that could lead to decreasing or preventing the risk for infectious diseases to astronauts. The experiment focused on determining if the modulation of different ion (mineral) concentrations could be used as a novel way to counteract or block the spaceflight-associated increase in the disease-causing potential that was seen in salmonella.

In addition, the project supported three other independent investigators to determine the effect of spaceflight on the gene expression and virulence potential of other model microorganisms, including:

• Dave Niesel, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Streptococcus pneumoniae.

• Mike McGinnis, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

• Barry Pyle, Montana State University, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

These microorganisms were chosen because they are well-studied organisms that have been, or have the potential to be, isolated from the space shuttle, Mir space station, International Space Station, or its crew, or have been shown to exhibit altered virulence in response to spaceflight. These organisms are all important human pathogens that cause a significant amount of human morbidity and mortality on Earth.

“We now have a wide variety of supportive evidence that the unique, low-fluid shear culture environment the bacteria encounter in space is relevant to what pathogens encounter in our body, including during salmonella infection in the gut, and there may be a common regulatory theme governing the microbial responses,” Nickerson says. “But to prove that, we need to fly these common bugs together with the same hardware on the same flight so that everyone is tested under the same conditions.”

The investigators believe that information gained from these studies will prove beneficial in assessing microbiological risks and options for reducing those risks during crew missions. When taken together, these studies ultimately will provide significant insights into the molecular basis of microbial virulence. Once specific molecular targets are identified, there is the potential for vaccine development and other novel strategies for prevention and treatment of disease caused by these microbes both on the ground and during spaceflight.

“We are learning new things about how salmonella is causing disease,” Nickerson says. “There is compelling evidence that the unique environment of space flight provides important insight into a variety of fundamental human health issues with tremendous potential for the commercial development of novel enabling technologies to enhance human health here on Earth.”

The research studies are supported by several grants from NASA.

Students in Arizona interested in studying the role that science and technology have on societies around the world, the structure and mechanisms of government or globalization will have a new degree program available to them at Arizona State University this fall.

The School of Applied Arts & Sciences at ASU’s Polytechnic campus is rolling out a bachelor of science degree in science, technology and society, which will help establish the university as a leader in this area.

"We are truly excited about the new program and its immense promise at ASU," said Nicholas Alozie, professor and head of social and behavioral sciences. "The new degree has an important niche within the state of Arizona."

In fact, ASU is the only higher education institution in the state offering this type of comprehensive, interdisciplinary degree. The program’s core provides students with a strong understanding of social systems and theory; the history and development of science and technology, with emphasis on societal control of science and technological pursuits; analytical techniques required for a sophisticated study of science and society; and the basics of science and technology studies.

The degree is designed to complement ASU’s emerging interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in human and social dimensions of science and technology. It offers three focus areas — science, technology and governance; global technology and development; and general science and technology studies.

"Each area is tailored to develop expertise in different aspects such as, the interaction of science and technology with issues of governance or for the understanding of how technology, processes of globalization and society influence one another," said Alozie. "Students outside of the major can use the general science, technology and society focus to design a double major, minor, or to pursue interests such as pre-law or pre-med."

The curriculum will benefit students majoring in engineering, science, technology or other programs, according to Alozie.

"Educating future engineers, scientists, and other professionals about how their innovations and activities will impact society, and the societal imperatives that control the way they do their work is as important as the innovation itself. There has never been a better time to place studying the interaction of science, technology, and human systems center stage in our educational system in Arizona," he said.

Students who graduate with the degree will use the degree as a launching pad for careers in government at all levels, international organizations (the United Nations, International Monetary Fund), business and non-profit organizations. Moreover, students interested in a broad-based preparation for graduate and professional schools will find the program very useful.

This type of degree is needed as part of a sound 21st century education, according to Alozie. "We are moving more and more into a world of technological determinism. Whether we are asking questions regarding the organization and governance of human communities, cultural change, sustainability, public health, or national security and public safety, science and technology are never far behind," he said.

More information can be found at http://www.poly.asu.edu/saas/socialbehavioral or by calling (480) 727-1987. For information to enroll, visit http://www.asu.edu/prospective/.

Christine Lambrakis, lambrakis@asu.edu
480-727-1173, 602-316-5616

Every year, the number of children in Arizona public schools who need speech and language services increases, while the number of qualified speech-language pathologists does not. To address this shortage, Arizona State University’s Department of Speech and Hearing Science, together with the Arizona Department of Education, is helping technicians who work in Arizona public schools earn a master’s degree while completing their clinical training on the job.

ASU’s Professional Enhancement Program (PEP) provides education and training on a part-time basis to speech-language technicians who are working in Phoenix area public school districts. Students enrolled in the accelerated master’s degree program takes classes at night at ASU and are partnered during the day with qualified speech-language pathologists for their clinical training.

“The demand for speech and language services has increased so much, and so quickly,” says Cathy Bacon, a clinical associate professor of speech and hearing science in ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She oversees PEP, which is supported with a five-year, $625,000 grant from the Arizona Department of Education.

In 2006, there were about 50,000 children in Arizona public schools who qualified for speech and language services, according to the Arizona Department of Education. Yet, in that same year, there were only 1,620 qualified speech-language pathologists in public school districts. A qualified speech-language pathologist has a master’s degree and the necessary clinical training to identify and administer therapy to people with speech and language disorders, according to Bacon.

There are many reasons often cited for the increased demand for speech and language services in public schools, including the rise in the number of children diagnosed each year with autism, Bacon notes.

“In addition, there are a lot of other handicapping conditions that result in speech and language delay in children that then require the services of speech-language pathologists,” she says.

And, while more and more school-aged children need such services, so do adults. People who suffer from strokes or brain injuries often need services from a speech-language pathologist.

“These types of needs have resulted in a national shortage of speech-language pathologists,” Bacon says. “Our department is very concerned about this problem and is addressing ways that ASU can contribute to solutions to address this shortage.”

ASU and the Arizona Department of Education are hosting a stakeholder meeting May 23 to review data and develop a plan to address the statewide shortage. Stakeholders, including special education directors, Arizona certification and licensing agencies, state lawmakers, school district representatives and other universities will meet at ASU’s Decision Theater and use the facility’s advanced visualization environment to view detailed, three-dimensional models of potential solutions.

“We also have a strong commitment to providing the best services possible to school children from qualified pathologists, because speech and language disorders can have such a strong impact on learning. Children who are born with significant birth disabilities or are born prematurely often times experience academic failure,” says Bacon. “If we can intervene and help support their language skills and development, they have a greater chance to be successful in school and later in life.”

With the goal of increasing the number of qualified pathologists who work in Arizona’s public schools, ASU developed PEP. The part-time, accelerated master’s degree program is designed to be completed in three years, compared to the full-time master’s program, which takes two years to complete. Now in its second year, 11 students are enrolled in the program. They work in the Mesa, Scottsdale, Kyrene, Deer Valley, Murphy Elementary, Roosevelt, Washington or Creighton school districts.

ASU receives more than 200 applications each year to its master’s degree program in speech-language pathology, Bacon says. With the addition of PEP, the program will accommodate 10 additional students for a total of 40 master’s students in speech-language pathology admitted and trained each year.

“ASU’s program is competitive. We have very bright, successful students in the master’s program,” says Bacon. “It’s not a matter of having enough students who are interested and are in the field, as much as it’s having enough resources to provide the training programs for those students.”

One of the graduate students in the program, Monica Avina, chose PEP for its flexible class schedule and benefits.

“It’s a wonderful program if you want to pursue a master’s degree and you aren’t the typical age of most college students,” she says. “It’s also great because it allows you to continue working and still get a degree part time.”

Courtney Petersen, another student enrolled in the program, feels more confident in her ability to do her job because of the on-the-job clinical training.

“I was able to learn more about the type of tools I could use to implement therapy through the great examples of experienced speech-language pathologists. I know I have so much more to learn, but at least I know I’m on the right track,” Petersen says.

“The scope of speech language pathology has expanded so much in the last several years,” Bacon explains. In a master’s degree program students “must learn the research that guides clinical practice for a variety of communication disorders that affect individuals from birth to old age.”

The Arizona Department of Education hopes this program will eventually increase the number of qualified speech-language pathologists to accommodate the overwhelming need.

“We are really committed to the highest qualified person working with our students. If ASU could concentrate on a cohort of master’s degree students, it would help increase the skill level of these people,” says Miriam Podrazik, director for the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development at the Arizona Department of Education. “We are tremendously grateful to ASU for providing this program.”

ASU strives to increase its community reach by providing technicians a place to advance their career while still making a difference, according to Bacon.

“People choose this profession to make a difference in children’s lives,” she says. “This program really embeds ASU in the community and allows us to impact the shortage of speech-language pathologists directly.”

More information at shs.asu.edu.

Arizona State University juniors Ike Davis and Brett Wallace have been named semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced. The award is presented annually to the top player in collegiate baseball.

Davis (Scottsdale, Ariz.) is batting .400 with 15 homers and 62 RBI. He also leads the Pac-10 with 24 doubles. Davis doubles as ASU’s closer, recording four saves and compiling a 4-1 record. He has thrown in 13 games, striking out 26 in 20.1 innings. He is a two-time First Team All-Pac-10 selection, was the 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and earned All-American honors last year. Davis was also named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.

Wallace (Sonoma, Calif.) is the Pac-10’s leader in hitting with a .409 average and RBI with 77. He has set a new career high this season with 19 homers. He was the 2007 Pac-10 Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American after winning the Pac-10’s Triple Crown. Wallace was also named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.

Davis and Wallace are two of 50 semifinalists for the award, which will be presented in Omaha on June 14. Arizona State is one of nine schools with more than one semifinalist. The Sun Devils have had three Golden Spikes Award winners, including Bob Horner, who won the first award in 1978.

Leading Off:
After a three game sweep of Washington, Arizona State closes out the regular season with a three-game series in Tucson against in-state rival Arizona. The Sun Devils have clinched at least a share of the 2008 Pac-10 title. Any combination of one ASU win or Stanford loss during the final weekend would give Arizona State its second straight Pac-10 title. Arizona is 36-15, 10-11 in Pac-10 play. They took two of three from Stanford last week. 

Devils vs. Arizona:
The Devils hold a 172-112 edge over Arizona since ASU began varsity baseball in 1959. Last season Arizona State went 3-2 against the Wildcats, including two wins in their Pac-10 series that clinched the conference title for the Sun Devils. ASU won the previous meeting this season, beating Arizona 6-5 in Tempe.

40 Win Seasons:
Arizona State won its 40th game of the season on May 11, the fifth time in the past six years it has totaled at least 40 wins. It is the 29th time in school history that the baseball team has hit the 40 win mark and the 46th straight season they have won at least 30 games. It is also the 48th season out of 50 that ASU has won at least 30 games. ASU won 43 regular season games in 2007.

200 Club:
With the win over Stanford on April 4, head coach Pat Murphy recorded his 200th career victory in Pac-10 play. Murphy now holds a 211-146 career mark in conference action, including conference titles in 2000 and 2007. Murphy has the third most Pac-10 victories among active coaches, trailing Stanford’s Mark Marquess (520 in 31 years) and Washington’s Ken Knutson (226 in 15 years). Murphy is in his 14th season at Arizona State.

Facing Tough Competition:
The Sun Devils will face one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2008. 14 of their opponents are or have been ranked at some point this season, including 11 who have spent time in the top 10. 

Rankings:
Arizona State is ranked #2 in Baseball America, #3 by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA and #4 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll and Rivals.com.

Washington Recap:
Washington came into the weekend series with the top ERA in the Pac-10, but they left Packard Stadium battered and bruised, having given up 37 runs to the Devils in a three-game ASU sweep…Friday night was supposed to be a pitchers duel between UW’s Jorden Merry and Mike Leake, but Merry lasted 2.2, allowing nine runs on 10 hits. Petey Paramore went 4-5 with a homer in the 13-3 ASU victory, while LeakeJosh Satow was masterful on Saturday, allowing only a run in six innings to pick up the win in the 11-4 triumph. Ryan Sontag, Jason Kipnis, Brett Wallace and Kiel Roling all homered in the win…The Devils mustered only two hits through the first three innings, but scored five in the fourth, breaking open a close game. Ike Davis had three hits and Brett WallaceArizona State’s 13-7 win to sweep the series. allowed only one run in eight innings to pick up the victory… hit a grand slam in

Pac-10 Player of the Week:
Kiel Roling was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week, the second time this season he has earned the award. Roling also won the award on April 29. It is the fifth time this season a Sun Devil has won the award. Brett Wallace won opening weekend and Ike Davis won back-to-back weeks in March.

Time To Pick The Field:
Arizona State head coach Pat Murphy is in his second season as a member of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. Murphy will not be traveling to Indianapolis due to the series in Tucson, instead he will be meeting with the committee members via teleconference.

Golden Spikes Semifinalists:
Ike Davis and Brett Wallace have been named semifinalists for the 2008 Golden Spikes Award.  Wallace was a semifinalist last season. Arizona State is one of nine schools with more than one semifinalist. ASU has had three Golden Spikes winners, Bob Horner, Oddibe McDowellMike Kelly. and

20-Game Winner:
Sophomore Mike Leake picked up his 20th career victory with his complete game win over the Golden Bears on April 25, becoming only the ninth Sun Devil in history to win at least 20 games in their second year in Tempe. Leake is also only the fourth to do it as a sophomore, joining Ken Jones (1978-79), Kendall Carter (1981-82) and Doug Henry (1983-84). It was Leake’s second complete game this season and fourth of his career.  Leake is 9-1 on the year, has 22 career victories and was named a semifinalist for the Roger Clemens Award.

            20-Game Winners In First Two Seasons At ASU

            Jeff Pentland, 1966-67

            Eddie Bane, 1971-72

            Jim Otten, 1972-73

            Ken Jones, 1978-79*

            Kendall Carter, 1981-82*

            Doug Henry, 1983-84*

            Linty Ingram, 1987-88

            Jason Urquidez, 2004-05

            Mike Leake, 2007-08*

            *- Freshman and Sophomore years

Team USA:
Mike Leake was among the initial 12 players selected for the USA National Team Trials to be held over the summer. 32 total players will be invited, with 22 making the final roster. Last year, Brett Wallace and Petey Paramore played for Team USA during the summer. 

Powering Up:
Brett Wallace homered twice against the Huskies, giving him 19 on the season, a new career high. He surpasses last season’s 16 homers and has now hit 42 long balls in his career, 6th most in Arizona State history. He is two shy of Dan Rumsey (1986-89) for fifth on the list. Bob Horner is the all-time leader, leaving the yard 56 times from 1976 to 1978.

      Most Career Home Runs, ASU History

      1. Bob Horner, 1976-78…………… 56

      2. Jeff Larish, 2002-05…………….. 51

      3. Mike Kelly, 1989-91…………….. 46

      4. Barry Bonds, 1983-85………….. 45

      5. Dan Rumsey, 1986-89…………. 44

      6. Brett Wallace, 2006-P………. 42

      7. Andrew Beinbrink, 1996-99…… 40

      8. Casey Myers, 1998-2001………. 39

      9. Mitch Jones, 1999-2000………… 38

Academic All-District:
Junior Petey Paramore and sophomore Mike Leake were each named First Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII selections. With the selections, they are both eligible for Academic All-American status. Paramore was a First Team Academic All-Pac-10 selection last season.

Visiting With The Home Run King:
The Sun Devils got a surprise visit from former ASU star and Major League Baseball Home Run King Barry Bonds on May 2 at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Bonds, who lives by the UCLA campus, watched ASU take batting practice from the dugout and shared some hitting tips and stories with the current Devils. He cheered on ASU to the victory Friday night from the stands while wearing an ASU hat.

So Nice Do It Twice:
Apparently the meeting with Barry Bonds worked for Arizona State, as they hammered 10 homers against the Bruins. They hit back-to-back homers three times, including twice in the finale. Brett Wallace and Petey Paramore did it Friday night in the fourth inning, then Mike LeakeRaoul Torrez did it in the third inning on Sunday. Jason Kipnis and Wallace did it again in the fifth inning on Sunday. The Devils hadn’t hit back-to-back homers since May 19, 2006, when Ike Davis and Brett Wallace did it in Tucson against Arizona. and

Bull Out Of The Bullpen:
Tommy Rafferty earned a save against Washington, putting his record on the season at 11-0 with four saves. Rafferty is the first Sun Devil since Kaipo Spenser in 1994 to win his first 10 decisions in a season. Rafferty has won all 11 games out of the bullpen, the only pitcher in the country with that many victories all coming without a start. Rafferty is also tied for the second most wins in school history without making a start. Noah Peery went 11-2 in 39 relief appearances in 1994. Only Dave Alexander, who was 12-2 in 30 relief appearances in 1989, has ever won more games in a season without a start. Rafferty leads the Pac-10 with the 11 victories and is tied with Arizona’s Daniel Schlereth for first with 30 appearances. Rafferty transferred to ASU from Angelo State, where he made 19 appearances all of 2006. He sat out 2007 after Angelo State did not grant him his release. Rafferty was named to the midseason watch list for the Stopper of the Year Award. 

Graduates:
Six Sun Devils graduated from Arizona State University this month, including five players and one student coach. Greg Bordes, Dustin Brader, Mike Jones, Tommy Rafferty and Ryan Sontag were joined by student coach Derik Olvey at graduation ceremonies. Rocky Laguna graduated last year.

Super Smash Brothers:
Ike Davis and Brett Wallace have combined to hit 74 home runs over their nearly three seasons in Maroon and Gold (32 for Davis, 42 for Wallace). The two have homered in the same game seven times in their career, including twice this season. Davis and Wallace have also combined for 375 runs batted in since 2006. Davis and Wallace have both been named semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy. Wallace was a semifinalist last year.

Ike Davis The Man-Child:
Junior Ike Davis is turning in another stellar season, something ASU fans have become accustomed to over his three years in Maroon and Gold. Ike has five career multi-homer games, all of which have come this season and he has a 4-1 record on the mound with four saves. Davis has 15 homers on the season, extending his career high. His previous high was nine, which he did during his Pac-10 Freshman of the Year campaign in 2006. He also has 62 RBI, three short of his career high, also set in 2006. Davis has 188 RBI in his career, good for 10th place on the school’s all-time list. He returned from injury this weekend, collecting five hits in the three-game series.
      
       Most RBI, ASU History

      1. Andrew Beinbrink, 1996-99…… 283

      2. Casey Myers, 1998-2001………. 275

      3. Clay Westlake, 1973-76……….. 250

      4. Jeff Larish, 2002-05…………….. 235

      5. Bob Horner, 1976-78…………… 229

      6. Antone Williamson, 1992-94….. 203

      7. Alvin Davis, 1979-82……………. 200

      8. Mike Kelly, 1989-91…………….. 194

         Ken Landreaux, 1974-76……….. 194

      10. Ike Davis, 2006-P…………… 188

      11. Brett Wallace, 2006-P…….. 187

Mr. Double:
Ike Davis is climbing up the school’s all-time doubles list. Davis now has 67 doubles in his career, fifth most all-time. Clay WestlakeDavis (1973-76) is the school’s all-time leader with 88. has 24 this year after hitting 23 last season.

      Most Career Doubles, ASU History

      1. Clay Westlake, 1973-76……….. 88

      2. Andrew Beinbrink, 1996-99…… 75

      3. Dustin Pedroia, 2002-04……….. 71

      4. Antone Williamson, 1992-94….. 70

      5.   Ike Davis, 2006-P…………… 67

      6. Casey Myers, 1998-2000………. 64

      7. Dan Rumsey, 1986-89…………. 58

      8. Jeff Phelps, 1998-2001…………. 57

         Jeff Larish, 2002-05……………… 57

Walk This Way:
Petey Paramore led the Pac-10 in bases on balls last season, totaling 53 in 64 games. His good eye has continued so far in 2008, as he has drawn 50 walks. Paramore now has 137 walks in his career and is only the 22nd Sun Devil to ever draw over 100. The 137 walks is the fifth most in school history. Alvin Davis (1979-82) is the all-time leader with 207.

      Most Career Walks, ASU History

      1. Alvin Davis, 1979-82……………. 207

      2. Jeff Larish, 2002-05…………….. 200

      3. Andrew Beinbrink, 1996-99…… 154

      4. Clay Westlake, 1973-76……….. 148

      5. Petey Paramore, 2006-P…… 137

      6. Doug Newstrom, 1991-93……… 131

      7. Mike Kelly, 1989-91…………….. 127

      8. Barry Bonds, 1983-85………….. 122

      9. Willie Bloomquist, 1997-99……. 119

         Rick Peters, 1974-77……………. 119

Wall Ball:
Only 22 players have ever hit a ball over the Green Monster at Packard Stadium, and three of them are on the current roster. Last season, Brett Wallace did it and earlier this season Jason Kipnis did it. Ike Davis joined the list against UC Irvine on March 23. All the more impressive, Davis broke his bat on the swing. 16 of the 22 players to clear the wall were Sun Devils. 

Keeping A Weather Eye:
Arizona State is drawing a ton of walks as a team, drawing 338 so far this season, including a whopping 47 against Cal State Fullerton and Cal. During the series finale with the Golden Bears, the Devils drew 16 walks, two short of the school record set in 1959. The Sunday game with Cal was called in the seventh inning. Last season they drew 319 free passes as a team. The school record for bases on balls in a season is 482, set in 1982. The Devils have also been hit by 67 pitches this year. Brett Wallace, who has drawn 41 walks, has also been given the intentional free pass a team leading six times.

Are You Experienced?:
Entering the 2008 season, the Sun Devils had only 12 players on their roster with Pac-10 Baseball experience. Of those 12, only four were pitchers. ASU has used eight pitchers this season who had no prior Pac-10 experience, as well as nine position players who had never played in the Pac-10 before. Mike Leake, Josh Satow, Ike Davis, Brett Wallace, Ryan Sontag, Petey Paramore and Kiel Roling were the only returners with significant starting experience

30-Game Starts:
The 2008 Sun Devils went 28-2 during their first 30 games, matching the 2003 Sun Devils for best start through the first 30 games of a season in school history. The 2003 team finished the year 54-14, falling to Cal State Fullerton in three games at the Fullerton Super Regional.

Call To The Hall For Bane and Bannister:
Legendary Sun Devil pitchers Eddie Bane and Floyd Bannister have been named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2008. BaneBane is the school’s leader in career strikeouts, fanning 535 in his three seasons in Maroon and Gold. Floyd Bannister went 38-6 with a 1.88 ERA from 1974 to 1976, throwing 29 career complete games, second most in school history. He won 19 games in 1976, tied for the school single season record, and struck out an ASU record 217 in 1975. He was the #1 overall pick in the 1976 MLB draft. Bane and Bannister join Bobby Winkles, Jim Brock and Bob Horner as Sun Devils in the College Baseball Hall of Fame. pitched for ASU from 1971 to 1973, recording a 40-4 career record with a 1.64 ERA. He threw the only perfect game in Sun Devil history, striking out 19 in a 9-0 win over Cal State Northridge in 1973.

Family Matters:
Freshman OF/LHP Matt Newman has Maroon and Gold in his blood. His father, Randy, was a pitcher for the Sun Devils in 1981 and 1982, winning 15 career games and the 1981 National Championship. Freshman catcher Andrew Pollak is the brother of former Sun Devil football great Mike Pollak, who played center for the Devils from 2004 to 2007. Mike was a two-time All-Pac-10 performer. Andrew wears number 76, the same number Mike wore on the gridiron. UTL Mike Murphy is no relation to head coach Pat Murphy, although he is the first player named Murphy Pat Murphy has ever coached. New assistant coach Josh Holliday is the son of former Oklahoma State head baseball coach Tom Holliday and the brother of current Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday.

Pac-10 Picks:
The Sun Devils were picked to finish second in the Pac-10 in the annual preseason coaches poll. ASU got three first place votes, while ArizonaArizona State won the Pac-10 last season. Arizona finished second. was picked to win with six first place votes.

Wallace Award Watch List:
Arizona State has four players on the Wallace Award Watch List. Brett Wallace, Ike Davis, Mike Leake and Tommy Rafferty are all on the current list. Wallace was Semi-Finalist for the award last season.

Captain and the Bench Award Watch List:
Head coach Pat Murphy has named junior catcher Petey Paramore as the captain of the 2008 Sun Devils. Paramore has also been named a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, one of 12 on the list.

Coach Murphy Honored:
Pat Murphy has been inducted into the Florida Atlantic University Baseball Hall of Fame. Murphy played for the Owls from 1981 to 1982, then coached three years at the school. 

Honoring Pat Tillman:
Former ASU football player and American Hero Pat Tillman had strong ties to the ASU Baseball program. In addition to his brother Kevin playing for ASU, Pat became extremely close with head coach Pat Murphy. Murphy wears jersey #42 in honor of Tillman, and in January 2007, Murph donated $100,000 to the baseball program for the construction of the Tillman Training Room, a room that will honor both Pat and Kevin and their commitment to both Arizona State University and the United States of America. The team wears a memorial "PT*42" patch on their jerseys in honor of Pat.

Up Next:
Arizona State will wait and see if they will host a regional for next week’s NCAA Tournament.

Lawrence Krauss, a theoretical physicist and cosmologist whose research is so broad that it covers science from the beginning of the universe to the end of the universe, will join Arizona State University in August to assume a leadership role in an emerging research and educational initiative on “origins.”

“Lawrence Krauss has been at the forefront of trying to unify particle physics and cosmology; of trying to use the universe itself as a laboratory to understand fundamental interactions, fundamental science and fundamental physics,” says ASU President Michael Crow. “His ability to address fundamental questions of life, of origins – Where did we come from? Why are we here? – and to seek an understanding of the long-term sustainability of life on Earth, will facilitate this new research and educational initiative at Arizona State University.”

Krauss will join ASU’s faculty as professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He will come to ASU after 15 years at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, 12 as chair of the physics department. Previously, Krauss was a member of the physics and astronomy departments at Yale University.

“What attracted me to ASU was not only the entrepreneurial spirit and wonderful new colleagues, but also the opportunity to build on existing novel interdisciplinary programs to create a broad new structure that looks at exciting open issues of origins, ranging from the origins of the universe to the galaxy and solar system and onward to human origins, to origins of consciousness and culture. We will look for new symbiotic relationships, build excitement across disciplines, and help convey the wonder of discovery to the public,” says Krauss.

“Arizona State University has a long tradition of studying the origins of human beings; we have great strengths in applied, use-inspired research, in the Biodesign Institute and across our colleges and schools,” says Crow. “We also have tremendous interest in fundamental research, and Dr. Krauss will help define for ASU a major, comprehensive initiative, to answer the complex questions of our time.

“It’s foolish for us to believe that all origins have already happened. On the eve of a set of very rapid changes in our world, the only kind of origins we can observe, can truly document, are the origins of the future,” says Crow. “ASU aims to be a global leader in this area. This new, far-reaching initiative will help us build strong links with many of our existing research centers, including the Institute of Human Origins and the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science.”

“Human beings have always been interested in the origins around them, whether of the universe, or of Earth,” says Professor Sander van der Leeuw, director of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. “Arizona State University has achieved an international reputation in human origins, with our Institute of Human Origins and our published research on the origins of modern humans and the origins of human uniqueness. While we already are addressing many questions of origins, there is a lot of space for a broader origins initiative at ASU, to address the origins story in a wider sense.”

Professor Paul Davies, a theoretical physicist, cosmologist and director of ASU’s Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science says: “ASU has scored a major success in recruiting Krauss. He will act as a magnet for other world-class researchers. Krauss’ appointment will greatly strengthen ASU’s expertise in cosmology – the study of the origin, evolution and fate of the universe as a whole.”

“Cosmology and its related area, particle astrophysics, are probably among the most exciting experimental and theoretical parts of physics and perhaps all of science, right now,” says Krauss. “We’re opening new windows on the universe, and with that, our understanding of our place within it is dramatically changing.”

When he looks across ASU, Krauss sees many complementary aspects for a comprehensive origins initiative.

“There’s great strength in human origins, sustainability, Biodesign, astrophysics, geology, life sciences and astrobiology. In fact, the person in Cleveland who discovered Lucy and built the human origins program at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where I am currently a trustee, is of course, Don Johanson, who’s at ASU,” Krauss says.

“From a research perspective, it will be incredibly interesting to mesh everything from cosmology to culture and at the same time to think of new ways to teach undergraduates,” says Krauss. “We’ll use the unifying principles to teach as well, and to try to get students from humanities and science together and interested in courses from each other’s areas; to have students do a kind of origins major where there are humanities components and science components together as a preparation for a truly 21st century liberal arts education,” says Krauss.

“Lawrence Krauss’ research and approach to teaching transcends boundaries and fits squarely with the mission of the college to integrate and innovate across the disciplines of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities,” says Sid Bacon, dean of natural sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Origins Symposium

Krauss also envisions “a kind of unifying structure that would sponsor visitors and research workshops as well, and, therefore, enhance the research at the institution, making it an international magnet for talent, as well as provide an international outreach center to enhance public understanding of origins issues.”

To jump start the origins initiative at ASU, Krauss is organizing an origins symposium for April 5-7 with Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Craig Venter, and at least five Nobel laureates in different areas, including Frank Wilczek.

“This sort of symposium will help raise the intellectual energy in the region,” Krauss says. He plans to bring 100-150 “of the best people in the different areas, and have sessions on forefront puzzles, outstanding mysteries in each of these areas; and some of the most active young people as well as senior people, so key discoveries will likely be unveiled.”

In addition to the working symposium, “we’ll have a public symposium, which will, I think, be at a level that is probably unheard of in the world in terms of the quality and public profile of the speakers,” Krauss says.

He envisions other outreach efforts, including a workshop for science writers and journalists to interface with well-known scientists to talk about key origins issues “so that the journalists can better report on topics including evolution.”

Broad research

Krauss is the author of more than 250 scientific papers, usually working on several simultaneously.

“Right now, I’m looking at things as esoteric as gravitational waves from the very earliest moments of the big bang and concerns about whether our universe may be unstable; and trying to understand what probably is the biggest puzzle in science, and certainly in physics right now, something called dark energy,” says Krauss.

“The universe is dominated by the energy of empty space. There’s far more energy in empty space than in all the matter and all the galaxies and stars in the whole universe,” Krauss says. “And, we don’t have the slightest idea why it’s there.”

Another area of Krauss’ research – and, another big mystery – is dark matter. “Not to be confused with dark energy,” says Krauss. “Most of the mass in our galaxy doesn’t shine. We don’t know what it is. We think it’s some new type of elementary particle, which is distributed throughout the galaxies, and we’re trying to discover it by direct detection and indirect detection.”

Popular scientist and author

Scientific American has described Krauss as a public intellectual. In addition to writing the best-seller, “The Physics of Star Trek,” which has been translated into 13 languages, Krauss has written six other books, including “Fear of Physics,” “The Fifth Essence,” “Quintessence,” “Beyond Star Trek”, “Hiding in the Mirror,” and the science epic “Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth … and Beyond.”

“Krauss has the rare ability to grasp the key foundational concepts across a range of sciences, and to explain them in an attractive and comprehensible way. His world-famous book ‘The Physics of Star Trek’ well captures the fun-loving, daring and out-of-the box thinking of this renowned scientist,” says Davies, who brought Krauss to ASU last November for the Beyond Center’s inaugural sci-fi meets sci-fact lecture.

“One of the reasons I write books is that one of the things that got me interested in science when I was a kid was reading books by Einstein, George Gamov and people like that. I am returning the favor,” says Krauss. “I meet lots of kids who read ‘The Physics of Star Trek’ who are graduate students or beyond, now in physics, who say that book is what convinced them to become a scientist.

”I think it’s vitally important for scientists to not only do what we do, but explain why we do what we do. We owe it to the public in the first place, but also because these ideas are some of the most exciting ideas that humans have ever come up with. As a civilization, we owe it to the people, for cultural reasons,” he says.

Krauss also writes commentary for New Scientist magazine and is a commentator for National Public Radio programs “Marketplace” and “All Things Considered.” In the past, he has written popular science articles for Nature, Discover, Wired, Physics World, Wizard and the Yearbook of Science, as well as having been a regular contributor to the New York Times.

Krauss also has appeared on numerous radio and television programs in the U.S., Canada and Europe, including three BBC documentaries, National Public Radio’s “Science Friday,” Nova, the Discovery Channel, CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks,” National Geographic and the History Channel.

Science, Public Policy and Society

Krauss has helped lead a national effort to defend and promote science, from Washington to the classroom, beginning in 2002 with his own successful efforts in Ohio to keep evolution in that state’s science curriculum, and continuing through 2004, when he was among a group of 62 prominent scientists who wrote a public statement to congress and the president regarding scientific integrity in Washington. He has continued to speak out on these issues, and most recently has helped lead the call for a presidential debate on science and technology.

He also remains active on issues of science and security. In 2007, he participated in a transatlantic press event unveiling the new Doomsday Clock, and associated with that, he has been writing extensively on issues related to nuclear defense and nuclear proliferation, and the dangers associated with a new nuclear arms race. This year he joined 94 other prominent scientists in a public statement calling on the United States to combat proliferation and begin unilateral reductions in our nuclear weapons stockpile.

Liner notes

Krauss was born in New York city and grew up in Toronto. He received undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At Case Western since 1993, Krauss is the Ambrose Swasey Professor of Physics and a professor of astronomy. He also is the director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics. Previously, as an assistant professor at Yale University, Krauss received a Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1986. He also was a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows at Harvard University.

Krauss is the recipient of numerous international awards for his research accomplishments and his writing, and is the only physicist to have received the highest awards of the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the American Institute of Physics. Krauss is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He also is a scientist with a flair for the arts and popular culture. Krauss has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, narrating Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” He also was nominated for a Grammy award for his liner notes for a Telarc CD of music from “Star Trek.” In 2005, he served as a jury member at the Sundance Film Festival.

When he’s not writing, teaching, commentating or lecturing, Krauss says he enjoys scuba diving, fly fishing and mountain biking. 

Arizona State junior C/DH Kiel Roling has been named Pac-10 Player of the Week, the conference announced May 20. It is the second time this season and fourth time in his career he has earned the honor from the conference. This also marks the fifth time a Sun Devil has won the award this season. Roling also won on April 29, Brett Wallace won the award after the first weekend of play and Ike Davis won back-to-back awards in March.

Roling, from Grand Junction, Colo., went 9-for-13 (.692) leading the Sun Devils to a 4-0 week. He knocked in eight runs, slugged 1.385 and scored five runs helping Arizona State beat LMU on Monday and sweep Washington. He also played solid defense at first base.

A scholar with a vision for the future of legal education and an administrator who can move with speed and agility, Paul Schiff Berman has been appointed dean of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Currently the Jesse Root Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, Berman will assume his new duties prior to the start of the academic year.

"In Paul Berman, ASU has found a scholar and leader who reflects the core characteristics of the New American University," said ASU President Michael M. Crow. "Paul is a bold thinker and will push the boundaries of what a law school can be. He will move swiftly and adroitly to elevate an already great law school into the top echelon of American legal education not by chasing the handful of law schools that represent the old ‘gold standard" but rather by defining what 21st century legal education ought to be."

Berman, whose scholarly writing focuses on how globalization affects the intersection of cyberspace law, international law, civil procedure and the cultural analysis of law, is a 1988 graduate of Princeton University and received his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1995. He served as a law clerk first to Chief Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and then to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the United States Supreme Court.

"Paul Berman is incredibly creative and visionary," said University Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth D. Capaldi "From first meeting he impressed us all with his energy and ideas for building excellence in the law school, including greater interdisciplinary connections and new academic programs that will increase access, excellence and impact. He has terrific support from the faculty of the law school, and from the other deans. I am very excited we have attracted him here."

Berman begins his Deanship with an ambitious agenda built on the idea that the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is poised for transformative growth in both the quality and scope of its student body, its faculty, its programs, and its physical plant.

"Ultimately," said Berman, "I envision a truly multidisciplinary legal center, where future lawyers develop essential skills for both transnational and local legal practice, where leading scholars from around the world come to engage in high-level discourse on law’s role in society, where policy-makers can address the pressing social issues of our time, where corporate leaders can find the latest information on the legal regulation of cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation, and where even those who do not intend to be lawyers can spend at least a year exploring law’s crucial role in a multicultural democracy embedded within an increasingly interconnected world."

Berman will succeed the college’s current dean, Patricia D. White, who is stepping down after nearly a decade of leadership of the college to return to teaching. She will be a visiting professor at Georgetown University for one year before returning to the College of Law to teach tax law.

At Connecticut, Berman has taught Cyberspace Law, Conflict of Laws, Civil Procedure and Copyright Law, as well as an interdisciplinary seminar called Law, Culture, and Community and a course on Federal Courts and the Appellate Process.

He was visiting professor and visiting research scholar (2006-07) in the Princeton University Program in Law and Public Affairs and is the author of a half dozen scholarly books and more than a dozen scholarly journal articles. He has given more than 75 invited lectures and conference presentations and is frequently cited as a legal expert by the news media.

Berman was awarded a University of Connecticut Provost’s Research Fellowship (Spring 2004) and was named one of "Connecticut’s New Leaders of the Law" by the Connecticut Law Tribune (Fall 2004). He is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, the American Society of International Law and the Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities.

His activities outside the field of law include being founder and artistic director of the Spin Theater; the chief administrative officer for another theater company, The Wooster Group; and administrative director of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater at Saint Mark’s Church. All three theater companies are not-for-profit and located in New York City.

Talk about a road less traveled. Talk about getting here from there and about the best-laid plans. Arizona State University lecturer Barbara Klimek’s journey from a Warsaw University Ph.D. in economics to her current social work focus has been anything but usual, ordinary or traditional.

But it has been award-winning. The Poland native was recently recognized as the recipient of the 2008 Arizona Refugee Resettlement Honors by Arizona’s Refugee Resettlement Program within the Department of Economic Security (DES). The award is presented annually to acknowledge outstanding service by an Arizona refugee resettlement professional.

“Barbara is a force in refugee resettlement because she does such a remarkable job of harnessing her passion for helping refugees,” says Charles Shipman, state refugee coordinator in the DES Division of Aging and Adult Services.

“Refugee resettlement is not an accolade-laden effort, so this award provides a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate our heartfelt gratitude to Barbara. She truly represents the spirit that sustains this lifesaving humanitarian effort in our state and nation.”

Klimek’s route to such recognition is unique. She graduated from Warsaw University in 1979 and won the university’s Rector Award for her doctoral dissertation, “Projection of Qualified Labor Force to the Nation’s Economy and Culture, Using Simulation Models.” Hardly the stuff of which social workers are born, although she has not abandoned her economics roots.

“Apparently, economics never left my way of approaching different areas of interest, including social work,” says Klimek, who notes that her fascination with social work and her passion for helping others led her to pursue a master’s degree after her arrival in the States in 1981. She earned her MSW from ASU in 1992.

“Working for the refugee program has added an additional dimension to the whole mix that is cultural diversity. From this point, the combination of social work, diversity and economics led me to where I am today.”

She was hired by Catholic Charities in 1982 as a temporary, short-term employee assigned to work with people arriving from Poland as refugees. Her skills were so impressive, says Shipman, that when her term ended, co-workers offered to donate their mileage reimbursements to offset the cost of her salary. She was subsequently rehired – without dipping into employees’ mileage reimbursements – and continues to be involved today in all stages of case management services for refugee and immigrant clients coming to Phoenix from countries around the world.

“Initially, my interest in social work was simply my willingness to help others,” says Klimek, who has been a designated field instructor for bachelor- and master-level students from the School of Social Work at ASU’s Tempe and West campuses for the past 15 years. “Catholic Charities provided an excellent opportunity to learn and practice generalist social work – keep in mind that at the time I was living in Poland, social work did not exist as a profession. Working with refugees has allowed me to learn and exercise cultural competence and its importance while working with people from different cultures.”

As defined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a refugee is a “person who flees his/her home or country to seek refuge elsewhere, as in a time of war (or) political or religious persecution.” Klimek estimates she has worked with “close to 12,000” refugees during her quarter-century of service, while Shipman says her work has been exemplified by her passion and commitment.

“Barbara is a great advocator and educator,” he says. “She has taken important steps to heighten public awareness about refugees and, subsequently, has garnered great support for them as they transition to life in America. She has played a key role in helping refugees to pursue their educational and career goals and mentoring them in developing the capacity to provide support for other refugees in need.”

Klimek, who says the opportunities presented by social work were so fascinating they led her in that direction rather than the pursuit of a career in economics, is bringing her award-winning experience to the ASU classroom in her College of Human Services social work courses at the West campus. She is developing for the college’s Department of Social Work an elective course, Working with Refugees and Immigrants, that will be offered to social work students in the spring of 2009.

“Seeing refugees who have experienced terrible war trauma build a successful life in their new country has allowed me to teach students not only what theories are all about, but also how those theories can be applied while working with diverse populations.

“What I have learned through all this is that we, as human beings, can live in peace together, respect each other, and enjoy our cultural differences as well as our similarities. I believe that this is the primary message I am applying in my teaching at ASU.”

It is a message Barbara Klimek has traveled circuitously to deliver, but it is also a message that has caught the attention of – and earned her high recognition from – all those who come in contact with her.

“One of the most precious rewards we receive in social work is to see our clients moving forward with their lives and improving their social and economic functioning,” she says. “The resettlement honors is rewarding because it is acknowledgement not only from the clients I serve, but also from the whole community of professionals and organizations working and helping refugees.

“It is, after all, 25 years of my professional life in the United States.”