Filed under: Arizona Biotech, Arizona State University, Arizona Technology, ASU, City of Tempe, City of Tempe News, Education, Tempe, Tempe Arizona | Tags: Donations
TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University’s research expenditures grew to $218.5 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30. This represents a growth of $15 million or 7.4 percent over last year’s total of $203.5 million.
“We experienced decent growth in our research expenditures this year, considering that there was a change in leadership in Congress that resulted in some delays in finalizing the Federal budget,” said R.F. “Rick” Shangraw, ASU’s vice president for research and economic affairs. “Right now, our proposal activity is up so I am optimistic about continued growth in our research portfolio.”
Shangraw added that at these levels of research expenditures, ASU ranks in the top tier of universities without a medical school and without an agricultural school.
The $218.5 million total research dollars for FY07 comes from a variety of sources. ASU spent $173.3 million in funds received from the federal government and industry, $39.1 million in state funds (including Technology & Research Initiative Funds from state sales tax revenue), $4.3 million in funds received by the ASU Foundation specifically for research projects and $1.8 million from local governments.
There was a wide variety of projects that brought in major funds in FY07, said Stephen Goodnick, ASU associate vice president for research. Those projects included the Flexible Display Initiative Center, which was funded at more than $9 million by the U.S. Army; the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera project got $3.85 million from NASA; a Department of Education grant of $2.35 million went to a program at ASU’s Speech and Hearing Science Department to maximize learning opportunities for young children with disabilities, and $2.35 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) was provided to the Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology for a project on “opening routes to math and science success for all students.”
The National Institutes of Health awarded $1.44 million for a project to explore plant-made microbiocides and mucosal vaccines; ASU’s Decision Center for a Desert City received $1.4 million from the NSF; and ASU’s Nanotechnology in Society Center received $1.4 million from NSF.
Fiscal year 2006 was the first time research expenditures at ASU topped the $200 million level, and it marked a doubling of research expenditures in a period of six years. This is a remarkable growth rate for a relatively young major research university, Shangraw said.
He adds that ASU is poised to earn more in research as it continues to bring on line new world class research facilities and ramps up its science expertise. Shangraw sees a maturing of ASU research efforts, which should result in securing larger grants for the university in the future.
“We have reached a point where a number of investigators are interested in and able to compete for much larger research projects,” he explained. “Our ability to match up against the more mature and better funded research institutions is a sign that we are moving into an elite tier of U.S. research universities. This is an exciting time for ASU research.”
Filed under: Arizona, City of Mesa, Education, K-12 Schools, Mesa, Youth | Tags: Assistance, Children, Citizens, Citizenship, Donations
Neighborhood Services staff donate backpacks to group homes
The days are getting shorter. Commercials and ads for back-to-school sales are everywhere. This means that teenagers all across Mesa are preparing to go off to school. But staff in one City of Mesa department knew that the ringing of the bell would not signal joyous preparation for every student. Neighborhood Services were aware that some teenage girls did not have the proper school supplies for the coming year, so they answered the call of that ringing bell.
The staff took nineteen backpacks filled with school supplies to the girls at A&A Cottages to outfit them for their first day of school. Jane Albin, Management Assistant in the Community Revitalization Division, who spearheaded the effort, said, “We were just as excited to buy these supplies as the girls were to receive them. The staff of A&A Cottages assured us that with 18 girls in the houses everything would be used, right down to the last piece of paper.”
The girls are between the ages of 12 and 18 years old and live in one of several group homes in Mesa. Kee Hudgens, staff member at A&A Cottages told Jane Albin when the backpacks were delivered, “The girls of A&A Cottages will go back to school with their heads held high, thanks to City of Mesa Neighborhood Services and Community Revitalization. …this generous group at the city gave the girls all the tools they needed for a great start to the school year.”
A&A Cottages provides homes for teenage girls who have been abused, neglected or who come from troubled backgrounds. A&A Cottages was formed in 1996 to address the increasing need for foster care group homes for teenage youth in Arizona. Its mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of at-risk youth through quality residential and support services that promote dignity, integrity and responsibility.
For accompanying photos of city staff and A&A staff with the backpacks, please call Katie Brown at 480.644.3705.
Filed under: Arizona Department of Transportation, City of Mesa, City of Phoenix News, Mesa, Parks, Parks and Recreation | Tags: Donations
Mesa parks improvements — courtesy of Hollywood
Additional playground equipment and some renovations are in the plans for City of Mesa parks as a result of a donation from NBC Universal, which is shooting a movie in the City.
The motion picture firm, which has been filming “The Kingdom” throughout the Valley this summer, has donated $40,000 to Parks and Recreation for the inconvenience of closing down two miles of the Red Mountain (Loop 202) freeway in northeast Mesa. The Arizona Department of Transportation allowed the closure, which falls within the Mesa city limits.
Part of the donation will be used on the installation of new playground equipment at a parks basin at 64th Street and Brown Road. Additional funds will be used on the expansion and renovation of multi-purpose fields at Red Mountain Park, adjacent to Red Mountain High School, off Brown Road, east of Power Road.
The freeway between Higley and Power Roads is scheduled for two additional weekend closures — from 10:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4, to 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 7, and then from 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10, to 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14.
Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Homeless, Human Services, Phoenix, Services, Summer | Tags: Donations, Health and Safety, Homeless Shelters, Weather
Homeless Need Help Staying Cool in the Summer
Homeless Hotline (602) 263-8845
When the temperatures soar and the hot summer days are upon us, many homeless people who live on the streets do not have their basic needs met.
The city of Phoenix is asking people to donate only the following items – unopened water bottles, sunscreen, new underwear, white socks, white T-shirts and prepackaged snack items such as individually wrapped cookies and crackers – that will be distributed to the homeless. Cash or check donations to supplement the donated items also are welcomed. The program runs until Aug. 31.
Tax-deductible donations may be delivered to the city’s four Family Services Centers: Travis L. Williams, 4732 S. Central Ave., 602-534-4732; John F. Long, 3454 N. 51st Ave., 602-262-6510; Central Phoenix, 1250 S. Seventh Ave., 602-534-1250; and Sunnyslope, 914 W. Hatcher Road, 602-495-5229. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
The donated items are distributed by local homeless outreach teams from Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development, HomeBase Youth Services, The Salvation Army Project HOPE, Health Care for the Homeless, Terros and Southwest Behavioral Health Service PATH Outreach.
Phoenix Arizona 