The President’s Recognition Reception honors the outstanding efforts and achievements of Arizona State University faculty and staff who have made an impact in the workplace through the promotion of the university’s core commitments to sustainability, innovation and social embeddedness.
Recipients of this year's President's Award for Innovation, President’s Award for Sustainability, President's Medal for Social Embeddedness and Top Multiple SUN Award designation were honored at a private award ceremony and dessert reception hosted by the Office the President on Tuesday at Old Main on the Tempe campus.
“None of the things that we’ve been able to achieve as an institution are achievable by anything other than the actual development of new ideas, and the actual implementation of change," said President Michael Crow. “People are inspired by the achievements of others, and this is a time for me to recognize the projects and programs developed by these outstanding individuals who have made an impact within our community.”
Here's a look at the 2018 honorees:
President’s Award for Sustainability
The Poly Community Garden
The Poly Community Garden provides an experiential learning opportunity for individuals who wish to increase their knowledge of local food systems and urban gardens. This program provides academic engagement, service and wellness within a sustainable food system setting. The garden also offers plots for lease and community service workdays, and it provides organic produce for a weekly campus farm stand. Over 30 percent of the harvest is donated to local food banks. For students, the garden is a hands-on opportunity to experience a sustainable food system on campus and learn about the origins of certain foods.
President’s Award for Innovation
Rapid-Launch Master’s Programs
The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law’s New Education Initiatives team implemented a “rapid-launch master’s program” process, borrowing from venture capitalist best practices. The rapid-launch model starts with a flexible degree as a shell to launch new programs. Based on market reaction, the degree is then tailored to fit market demands and student interests. The team successfully launched courses and programs designed to address employers' desired qualifications while giving graduates unique skill sets to use in their chosen careers. This process has also allowed ASU Law to increase master’s degree enrollments by almost 600 percent since 2013.
President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness
America Reads
The ASU America Reads Program partners with community organizations to offer tutoring to children from kindergarten through eighth grade who are living in low-income areas. Children are matched with an ASU student as their academic tutor and college role model, who helps them develop skills in time management, positive decision-making and self-esteem. ASU students are responsible for facilitating programs and activities that correspond to the Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards in reading, writing and math. ASU students obtain real-world job skills while tutoring and increasing academic opportunities for children in the community.
President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness
ASU Polytechnic — The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students Inc. North Desert Village Project
ASU Facilities Development and Management at the Polytechnic Campus, in partnership with the Austin Centers for Exceptional Students (ACES), developed a mentorship program for students with autism, emotional disabilities and intellectual disabilities. Students worked alongside ASU grounds staff to beautify two acres of common area in North Desert Village. ACES designed a structured lesson plan for students to follow while ASU grounds staff provided mentorship and guidance to students. Through the groundwork and mentorship, students learned vocational skills and life lessons in responsibility, accountability and leadership, preparing them for the workplace after they have left school.
SUN Award for Individual Excellence
In addition to the President's Awards and Medals, the reception recognized recipients who have received multiple SUN Awards:
Lindsey Bosak — research operations, Knowledge Enterprise Development
Paul Broccolo — academic advising, College of Health Solutions
Cindy Boglin — assistant director of academic services, The Polytechnic School, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Tamera Casto — academic finanical specialist, School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
Top photo: The Poly Community Garden team receives the President’s Award for Sustainability at the President’s Recognition Reception in the Carson Ballroom of Old Main on Tuesday (from left): John Herrera, Ruth Biggs, Phil Penn, Susan Norton and Paul Mancuso, along with ASU President Michael Crow. Photo by Summer Sorg/ASU Now
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