Arizona State University: a leader in national security
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ASU charter ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
National security and Arizona State University
ASU and the U.S. Department of Defense. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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ASU research excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Target: Emerging threats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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National security innovation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Revolutionizing wireless communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Taking technology to market.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Detecting weapons and exposures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Strategic decision-making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Security: A critical human issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Drones, robots and VR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Forging tomorrow’s leaders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Help for heroes.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 A commitment to serving veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Empowering veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 ASU and Starbucks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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ASU and the U.S. Department of Defense
Arizona State University’s charter and values are in step with the U.S. Department of Defense, the nation’s largest employer and oldest federal agency. With matching commitments to inclusivity, research focused on the public good and a shared fundamental responsibility for the overall health of our communities, ASU and the DOD have worked together to tackle a wide range of societal challenges. ASU proudly welcomes the opportunity to provide transformative, all-inclusive educational experiences, including research and training opportunities, for the nation’s 1.4 million men and women serving on active duty, 1.1 million in the National Guard or Reserves, and for millions of lifelong-learning veterans and their families. ASU’s faculty, students and staff significantly contribute to our country’s safety and security and protect our natural resources through a multitude of defense-related research and military initiatives. As a New American University reexamining and reshaping the very idea of what a university should be, ASU acts as a positive force to better our communities, state and nation.
National security and Arizona State University
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ASU research excellence
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in the nation for research expenditures among institutions without a medical school, ahead of Princeton, Carnegie Mellon and Virginia Tech.
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for NASA-funded research expenditures, ahead of Stanford, Georgia Tech and UCLA.
National Science Foundation HERD Survey, 2019
ASU is one of the fastest-growing research enterprises in the U.S. $673M
ASU’s annual research growth 1997-2020
$600M
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National security and Arizona State University
National ranking in DOD-funded research expenditures Data from FY 2019 National Science Foundation HERD Survey
Institution
2019 rank
DOD expenditures
Johns Hopkins University
1
$1,262,988,000
Georgia Institute of Technology
2
$ 523,399,000
Pennsylvania State University, University Park and Hershey Medical Center
3
$ 300,261,000
Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center
36
$
35,452,000
University of Central Florida
37
$
35,072,000
Arizona State University
38
$
34,800,000
California Institute of Technology
39
$
34,316,000
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
40
$
34,119,000
University of California, Santa Barbara
41
$
34,067,000
North Carolina State University
42
$
34,051,000
U.S. Air Force Academy
43
$
33,955,000
University of Hawaii, Manoa
44
$
33,197,000
In fiscal year 2020, ASU researchers submitted $203 million in proposals to the DOD, received more than $44 million in award obligations and reached more than $45 million in DOD-funded research expenditures. According to the 2019 NSF HERD Survey, ASU ranks No. 38 out of 467 institutions nationwide for DOD-funded university research expenditures.
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Target: Emerging threats
ASU’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) serves as a universitywide hub for addressing current and emerging security challenges, including how to leverage advances in data analytics, artificial intelligence and other technologies to improve national security, and how to combat borderless threats such as cyberattacks and disinformation.
GSI also serves as the university’s primary interface with the defense, intelligence and homeland security communities. More than 150 affiliated faculty members collaborate across disciplines to produce tools, technologies and systems that are impactful, timely and useful to policymakers and implementers.
Comprehensive cybersecurity
Through GSI’s DARPA Working Group, ASU supports junior faculty in securing highly prestigious DARPA Young Faculty Awards (YFAs). ASU has received the most YFAs in the nation since 2014, and the third most since the program began in 2006, behind only MIT and the University of Michigan.
GSI’s Center for Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics (CDF) is forging powerful new capabilities by developing the next generation of cyber reasoning systems, which can automatically find vulnerabilities, synthesize exploits and create patches for real-world software. CDF is also taking a hands-on approach to building a new generation of talent — from deep technical experts to savvy organizational thinkers and cyber-intelligent policy architects. CDF faculty members are leaders in the competitive hacking space. Exposure to such events helps students develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to identify vulnerabilities and find solutions.
National security and Arizona State University
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Narrative, disinformation and strategic influence Is it possible to know whether areas are prone to conflict before violence starts? In today’s ambiguous environment of geopolitical tension, is it possible to perceive changes in adversary information tactics that might warn of an elevation from competition to conflict? This is at the heart of the “gray zone” problem. ASU researchers in the Global Security Initiative and Center for Strategic Communication are looking for ways to see “the bubble before the boil.” They’re collaborating with Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Lab to identify emerging themes in media that could signal impending instability and conflict.
Improving homeland security operations The Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE) develops and applies advanced analytical tools and technologies to enhance planning, information sharing and real-time decision-making in homeland security operations. Led by ASU, CAOE was established as a Center of Excellence by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. Research at CAOE helps the DHS improve efficiency and security at our national borders, ports and airports through better prediction and response to emergencies.
Human-AI-robot teaming No longer limited to science fiction, robots and autonomous agents now play a critical role in military operations, working physically and cognitively with humans. ASU stands at the forefront of research in this burgeoning field, gleaning lessons from teaming science to develop synthetic agents that enhance and complement human skill sets. GSI’s Center for Human, Artificial Intelligence and Robot Teaming is developing and deploying tools and technologies on the composition, management, training and evaluation of heterogenous teams of humans, AI and robots. Application areas include search and rescue missions, explosive ordnance detection and disposal, disaster response and other uses.
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National security innovation
The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) is an unrivaled problem-solving network in the DOD that adapts to the emerging needs of those who serve in the defense of our national security. NSIN partners with ASU and more than 30 other top research universities to bring together defense and the venture community to build solutions for the military. NSIN delivers over 10 programs through three portfolios: N ational service. Creates new models and pathways to service for those wishing to serve without having to put on a uniform, ensuring that generational and cultural differences are not barriers. Collaboration. Facilitates collision events that connect service members with academic and venture partners to develop and prototype new service member–driven solutions. Acceleration. Offers programs that promote the development and growth of dual-use ventures that respond to service members’ needs.
Applying the Lean Startup methodology to defense problems Hacking for Defense (H4D) is a project-driven course that teaches problem-solving, creative thinking and solution development. ASU student teams from engineering, business, design and other disciplines apply innovative approaches to national security problems sourced from the DOD. Trained in Lean Startup principles, student teams conduct at least 100 stakeholder interviews to develop and test potential solutions. For sponsors, the end result is a viable product that addresses problems while providing new, creative analysis and thinking on the topic.
Bringing novel approaches to the military’s toughest challenges Students from the nation’s most innovative university bring unconventional thinking and novel approaches to build solutions as embedded fellows or interns in military commands as part of the summer X-Force Fellowship program. When the Army Research Laboratory was developing training for quickly identifying armored vehicles, an ASU student team developed an app that fit the bill using an individualized, gamified approach. The fellowship has two pathways to service: a full-time paid opportunity and a part-time unpaid opportunity.
National security and Arizona State University
Creating a national security innovation ecosystem NSIN is helping to create a national security innovation ecosystem in Arizona with ASU as the catalyst. ASU continues to build partnerships with local installations such as Luke Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca as a result of NSIN programming. In addition, NSIN: D irectly connects students to job opportunities with sought after DOD organizations (Hirethon). Supports capstone projects. Hosts hackathons nationwide (Hacks). O ffers Washington, D.C., fellowships on Capitol Hill and in the Pentagon (TNSF). C onnects entrepreneurs with DOD lab technologies to potentially commercialize (DIA). A ccelerates early stage startups to compete for follow-on contracts (Vector).
Samantha Hiller NSIN university program director for ASU Samantha Hiller joined NSIN, a DOD program office, as the university program director for ASU in 2019. She joined NSIN after serving as press secretary for the late Sen. John McCain in his Washington, D.C. office. She is placed at ASU to build out Arizona’s defense ecosystem while elevating ASU’s footprint by running NSIN programs.
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One of the ASU teams participating in Maker built an AR/VR software, Next Gen Debrief, for Luke Air Force Base and came in second in the national Air Force Spark Tank competition in 2020.
Leveraging student and faculty design expertise NSIN’s Maker program offers prototyping solutions that tap into ASU student and faculty design expertise and university prototyping labs, transforming military partners’ concepts and ideas into reality. Maker provides required funding or the technical expertise necessary to construct prototypes. Maker prototypes must originate from previous NSIN programs. The purpose of Maker is to increase the technology readiness levels of an already existing NSIN solution so that a customer can decide on solution adoption.
Accelerating technology and solutions for national security The National Security Academic Accelerator (NSA2) pilot program at ASU ran for the first time in fall 2020 through spring 2021. In partnership with NSIN, NSA2 was created as a means for working with top research institutions to support and advance development of dual-use ventures capable of serving both commercial and defense markets. The program provides unprecedented levels of access to defense industry customers and end users, as well as training and funding support, with the recognition that universitygenerated dual-use startups have the potential to address critical national security challenges with innovative solutions. Over 27 ASU teams or individuals applied for NSA2, and 10 participated in the final showcase. They also were connected to numerous DOD end users and received funding for their work.
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Revolutionizing wireless communications
Advancing wireless communications and sensing systems ASU’s Center for Wireless Information Systems and Computation Architectures (WISCA) places the university at the research and development nexus of the next revolution in wireless communications and sensing systems. DUMTE, the Dynamic Unmanned Threat Emitter, will be used to train pilots to identify and respond to threats, such as surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery. WISCA works across the research space: basic theory, novel system concepts, advanced algorithms, new advanced computing architectures, implementations and experimental validation. It provides the underlying technology for a wide range of applications, such as autonomous air and ground vehicles, multifunction low-cost satellites, next generation communications systems and many more. WISCA develops: novel framework and hardware design for radio frequency A (RF) systems that are as easy to program as a field programmable gate array and as efficient in performance as an application specific integrated circuit. M ixed radar position-navigation-and-timing (PNT) systems. Prior development led to a PNT system that achieves phase-accurate timing and relative positioning accurate to a centimeter. This is critical research for the development of flying cars. Advanced distributed coherent technologies to enable groups of radios or phones to work as a single high-performance antenna system, dramatically improving robustness and range. T he next generation concept for spectral employment called RF convergence that enables multiple-function (communications, radar, PNT, etc.) systems that provide much more efficient use of the limited spectrum. A self-interference mitigation system that enables the simultaneous transmit-receive of RF signals, a feat traditionally considered to be technologically impossible. S mall-scale radar use in vital signs monitoring, including respiration and heart rate.
A collaboration between Luke Air Force Base airmen and ASU researchers resulted in DUMTE, which tied for first place at Spark Tank, a national Air Force innovation competition.
National security and Arizona State University
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Taking technology to market
ASU is ranked No. 11 among universities worldwide for U.S. patents issued. (National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association)
Accelerating tech transfer
Empowering entrepreneurs
Skysong Innovations is the exclusive intellectual property management and technology transfer organization for ASU. Skysong Innovations works with faculty, investors and industry partners to translate ASU innovation into broad societal impact.
ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute is a connecting and collaborating resource for entrepreneurs at all stages across ASU and the local community. The Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute connects ventures with funding opportunities, mentoring, training and spaces to help turn ideas into reality. The Venture Vets program invites members of the military community and active duty military spouses to launch their ideas through Edson E+I Institute’s Venture Devils program.
In fiscal year 2020, ASU faculty worked with Skysong Innovations to submit 306 invention disclosures, launch 19 startup companies and secure 135 U.S. patents. Since its formation in 2003, Skysong Innovations has received more than 4,100 invention disclosures from ASU researchers, culminating in more than 980 U.S. patents. To date, more than 160 startups have launched based on ASU innovations. These companies have attracted more than $833 million in funding from venture capital firms and other investors.
Applied R&D for defense industry The ASU Research Enterprise (ASURE) is a nonprofit affiliate of ASU with the mission of driving academic innovations into both government missions and commercial markets. ASURE spans the boundaries of academic, public and private sectors and provides stakeholders with access to ASU’s vast intellectual resources. ASURE supports the national security sector with innovation challenges, dual-use startup acceleration, contract services, workforce development and secure infrastructure. It has clearance to conduct secret and top-secret research activities.
Startup success: CYR3CON ASU research through the NEPTUNE initiative led to the launch of CYR3CON, a cybersecurity spinout company. While most cybersecurity technology focuses on stopping attacks that are already in progress, CYR3CON uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and data mining — along with understanding of online hacker communities on the dark web — to predict where hackers are likely to strike next. The Tempe, Arizona–based, AI-driven cybersecurity prediction platform recently raised $8.2 million in venture capital funding it intends to use to accelerate growth of its platform, expanding use cases beyond vulnerability management.
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Detecting weapons and exposures
ASU researchers leverage biological systems, structures and signatures to detect and track threats and support security-related efforts.
Tracking weapons with pollen Pollen is literally everywhere and sticks to everything, making it an invaluable tool to use for tracking movement. With support from a DOD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grant, ASU researchers are using forensic palynology to improve the U.S. government’s ability to identify where and when weapons of mass destruction are moving. Led by ASU’s Center for Spatial Reasoning and Policy Analytics, the project cross-pollinates ideas and methods from the social, spatial, ecological and biological sciences to improve models of pollen diffusion and enhance accuracy in tracking objects of interest for the military and law enforcement.
National security and Arizona State University
No exposure
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Exposure
Testing exposure through epigenetics People’s environments can leave marks on their DNA that modify how genes are expressed. This is a process known as epigenetics. The changes can provide a record of what an individual has been exposed to, including biological agents, radiation, chemicals and explosives. Scientists at ASU’s Biodesign Institute are harnessing the power of epigenetics to develop a field-deployable, diagnostic device that will determine in 30 minutes or less if a person has been exposed to weapons of mass destruction or their precursors. Their work is supported by a DARPA grant.
Rapid radiation assessment
Immunosignatures help pinpoint disease
Biomarkers that can provide an early warning for cancer, diabetes and other conditions are a core ASU technology. In partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Life Sciences Solutions Group, a five-year, $33 million BARDA-funded project commercialized technologies to rapidly assess radiation absorption in the event of a nuclear incident.
Biodesign Institute researchers led a multiyear $9 million contract from the DOD to develop a novel diagnostic technology called immunosignaturing for rapid detection of exposure to infectious disease agents, even before symptoms occur. This technology is able to monitor personal health status and provide early detection of more than 50 diseases.
Bio-inspired security solutions In collaboration with the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command and Travis Air Force Base in California, ASU researchers designed the Aerial Port Exoskeleton (APEx). The APEx provides increased lifting and pushing support to aerial porters who load heavy cargo onto transport aircraft. The APEx was developed in response to a 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation study that revealed more than $31 million is spent annually in disability benefits for retired aerial porters with a high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries.
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Strategic decision-making
ASU offers technology and expertise to help guide policymakers and others toward informed, evidence-based decisions in key areas that impact security and human well-being.
Decision Theater Decision Theater (DT) is an enabling research tool for informed, data-driven decision-making. DT models, visualizes and simulates complex local, national and international issues and systems to provide decision-makers greater understanding and opportunities to forecast consequences before decisions are made. DT’s expert staff combines team science and decision science with capabilities such as high-performance computing, data analytics, software development, real-time modeling, gaming and data visualization. Subject matter experts from the university and around the globe collaborate to address and convene influencers and decision-makers in an immersive, visualized environment. Remote sites, including ASU’s Decision Theater in Washington, D.C., foster expertise sharing.
Benjamin C. Freakley, executive director, Decision Theater Retired Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley serves as the professor of practice of leadership for ASU and a special adviser to ASU President Michael M. Crow for leadership initiatives. Additionally, he serves as the executive director of the ASU Decision Theater Network and is a co-founder of the ASU Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab. He retired from the U.S. Army after more than 36 years of active military service, and was serving as commanding general, U.S. Army Accessions Command, at the time of his retirement.
National security and Arizona State University
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Flag Officer Advisory Council Created in 2014, the council provides advice and perspective to ASU President Michael M. Crow, faculty, staff and students on matters of national significance. Council members include retired military generals and admirals from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. These distinguished leaders have served at the highest levels of government, both at home and abroad, to combat terrorism, respond to national disasters and defend the homeland. They have developed strategy, led diverse organizations and worked with national and international counterparts to address the nation’s most complex and critical problems. Their vast areas of expertise include complex decision-making, strategic planning, business development, operational management, communications, health policy, disaster and crisis management, supply chain, leadership and character development, ROTC and student mentorship, veteran legal advice, and serving as subject matter expert lecturers.
The McCain Institute for International Leadership Inspired by the leadership of Sen. John McCain and his family’s legacy of public service, the McCain Institute implements programs and initiatives aimed at making a difference in people’s lives across a range of critical areas: leadership development, human rights, rule of law, national security, counterterrorism and combating human trafficking.
Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab This lab advances character-driven leadership, diplomacy and national security education and training in support of the full range of university enterprises. Led by diplomatic and national security professionals, it’s committed to learner-centered solutions and thought leadership through a global network of partners employing state of the art learning tools.
Center on the Future of War An ASU and New America collaboration, the center explores the social, political, economic and cultural implications of the changing nature of war and conflict. The center convenes more than a dozen faculty, 15 research fellows, 140 affiliated ASU faculty and more than 30 affiliated New America experts. It connects ASU with policymakers and national media, organizes collaborative research projects, produces reports and publications, and designs and implements innovative educational programming, including the online Master of Arts in global security in the School of Politics and Global Studies. These activities are designed to describe the future of warfare as it evolves, predict its likely impact on society and develop new paradigms for understanding and addressing conflict and systematic violence. The work seeks to help the U.S. move beyond the post-9/11 state of perpetual war through innovative research and analysis as well as creative and context-appropriate policy frameworks.
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Security: A critical human issue
ASU is a national leader in bringing expertise from the humanities, arts and social sciences to bear on a variety of societal challenges, including national security.
Religion and conflict
Mastering languages for global leadership
Religion wields extraordinary influence in public affairs. This rich reservoir of values, principles and ideals is also a powerful source of conflict and violence as diverse traditions collide. The ASU Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict promotes transdisciplinary research and education on the dynamics of religion, conflict and peace with an aim of advancing knowledge, seeking solutions and informing policy.
ASU’s DOD-funded Chinese Language Flagship Center incorporates the university’s language courses with specialized courses from other disciplines to educate undergraduates in a wide variety of topics such as history, politics, literature, religion, economics and culture. The program includes intensive summer study in the U.S., China and Taiwan, and a capstone year with enrollment in Nanjing University or National Taiwan University and an internship in China or Taiwan.
Center researchers specialize in the study of culture and counterextremism. With funding from the DOD, researchers developed a patented tool for tracking the influence and diffusion of online social movements. The center maintains an extensive network of international partners and field researchers to advance this work.
With support from DOD initiatives, ASU’s Melikian Center offers two distinctive summer programs in critical languages. Project Global Officer (Project GO) trains motivated ROTC cadets in Indonesian and Russian, including immersive overseas programs in Bali and the Kyrgyz Republic. The Startalk program introduces high school students to Russian. The center also supports Arizona National Guard’s State Partnership Program with Kazakhstan, providing cultural orientation for units participating in the annual Steppe Eagle exercise.
National security and Arizona State University
Drones, robots and VR
ASU Drone Studio The 10,000-square-foot ASU Drone Studio is academia’s largest indoor space for drone, robot and other large-scale research of swarming, cyber-physical systems and human-robot interactions. The space is now open to additional members of the ASU community and government and industry partners as a recharge center. New ASU and external partners can now make paid reservations at hourly rates. ASU Drone Studio users can take advantage of 105 high-precision Optitrack infrared cameras, 3D tracking system and other capabilities and software. The systems can capture 360 measurements per second for up to 150 robots simultaneously and with 0.5-millimeter accuracy. The studio can support both ground and airborne robots and drones.
Dreamscape Dreamscape Learn is a VR education platform developed in conjunction with ASU that serves as a virtual laboratory for students. The platform allows users to develop complex learning and problem-solving skills. Dreamscape recently secured a multimillion government training contract within the defense and intelligence arenas, brokered by In-Q-Tel. In-Q-Tel invests in organizations and companies that have advanced technical capabilities that benefit national security.
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Forging tomorrow’s leaders
ASU develops military and civilian national service leaders armed with the skills, networks and experience to work side-by-side in taking on our most complex challenges.
Defense and homeland security careers In addition to ASU graduates who joined the various branches of the U.S. armed forces last year, Sun Devils received job offers from a wide variety of defense- and security-related government agencies and companies, including:
Nova Technologies. Pacific Architects and Engineers. PeopleTec Inc.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
AM Pierce & Associates.
Rayn Innovations.
Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
Raytheon, Space and Airborne Systems.
BAE Systems Inc.
Raytheon.
Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation.
Sierra Nevada Corporation.
Boeing. Defense Contract Management Agency.
U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center.
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
General Dynamics Mission Systems.
U.S. Department of Defense.
Institute for Defense Analyses.
U.S. Department of Energy Naval Nuclear Laboratory.
Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory LLC.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
L-3 Technologies.
U.S. Department of State.
Lockheed Martin Corporation.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Naval Nuclear Laboratory.
U.S. Secret Service.
Naval Submarine League.
Veterans Health Administration.
Northrop Grumman Corporation.
Virginia Systems and Technology Inc.
U.S. Department of Justice.
National security and Arizona State University
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Degree programs
Public Service Academy
ASU has earned the distinction of being an Academic Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Education, a designation bestowed by the National Security Agency/ Central Security Service. The university’s programs in areas such as aerospace, robotics and international studies have launched graduates into military and homeland security careers. Several degree programs focus specifically on fields that prepare graduates to help maintain national security:
Established in 2015, the ASU Public Service Academy advances civilian-military collaboration while promoting public service and developing cross-sector leadership skills. The academy brings together Next Generation Service Corps students to learn and train alongside their Reserve Officer Training Corps counterparts to promote early, mutual understanding. The academy answers our nation’s call for a new type of leader — a character-driven leader armed with the courage to cross sectors, connect networks and ignite action for the greater good.
M aster of Arts, emergency management and homeland security. M aster of Public Administration, emergency management concentration. B achelor of Science, public service and public policy (emergency management and homeland security). U ndergraduate certificate, homeland security.
ROTC ASU hosts ROTC programs representing the four branches of U.S. military service, including the nationally ranked Army ROTC, which has been a campus mainstay for more than 80 years. ROTC students have the same college experience as their peers with one significant difference — upon graduation, they will be commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. Qualified students participate in a combination of academics, military-specific courses, physical fitness and summer training. Through a common ASU and DOD goal of developing success-driven leaders, there are multiple opportunities to earn a commission and may include full-tuition benefits, payment for fees and books, and a monthly stipend.
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Help for heroes
ASU offers numerous support services to more than 10,500 active duty service members, veterans and their family members enrolled at the university.
Serving veterans, service members and their families When our nation’s men and women in uniform return to civilian life, they face brand-new battlefields. The transition can feel like culture shock, with civilian values and norms so different from those in the military. It’s a time of countless life-changing decisions, from reassessing goals and ambitions to choosing a career path to pursuing higher education. It may also be a pivotal time for recovery — from the psychological effects of traumatic experiences or injuries suffered in combat. Arizona State University empowers veterans, service members and their families — at ASU and around the world — to succeed and thrive in this time of transition in their academic, professional and personal lives. The university is a global leader in providing educational excellence at scale, both in person and online. ASU offers transformative educational experiences, including research and training opportunities, for the nation’s 1.3 million men and women serving on active duty, 826,000 in the National Guard or Reserves, millions of lifelong-learning veterans and their families. Services tailored to the needs of military and veteran students ensure a successful transition to academic life among a community of like-minded learners. Through its charter, ASU takes responsibility not only for the well-being of its own students, but also the broader community of which it is a part. Through community partnerships and solutions-focused research, the university plays an active role in veteran suicide prevention and advances human performance science, a field that aids veterans recovering from injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. As a New American University reexamining and reshaping the very idea of what a university should be, ASU acts as a positive force to better our communities, state and nation.
National security and Arizona State University
A commitment to serving veterans
Pat Tillman Veterans Center The Pat Tillman Veterans Center provides comprehensive transition services, connections and academic resources to help veterans navigate and succeed at ASU and beyond. Pat Tillman’s legacy was shaped at ASU, where he was an All-Pac-12 and All-Academic student-athlete. After graduating with honors, he was drafted by the NFL Arizona Cardinals. Tillman gave up his football career after four seasons to serve in the U.S. Army following the 9/11 attacks on the nation. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004. In the spirit of service and dedication that is the Tillman legacy, the center empowers veterans to follow their honorable service with exemplary academic performance and connect with meaningful employment for their postmilitary careers. The center ensures that ASU student veterans receive U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits in a timely and professional manner. It also offers a place for student veterans and military-connected students to congregate, study and engage in the student community, as well as receive help and advocacy to drive successful outcomes while in pursuit of their degrees and beyond. In 2008, the Pat Tillman Foundation established the Tillman Scholars program to support educational opportunities for service members and military families by bridging the financial gap left by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. ASU has been a Tillman Partner University since 2011.
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Creating success through academics and workforce training ASU values the veteran and military-connected learner as an integral component of the diverse university community, both online and on campus. The work done across all ASU campuses continues to build a strong success culture that has received high praise and acknowledgement by MilitaryTimes.com (top 10% of public universities “Best for Vets”) and G.I. Jobs as a “military friendly school.” The university is one of the nation’s first higher education institutions to embrace “8 Keys to Success” and serve as a role model for implementation of the Executive Order of Principles of Excellence related to veterans’ services in higher education.
Jeff Guimarin, executive director, Pat Tillman Veterans Center Retired Colonel Jeff Guimarin has a proven track record of successful leadership over a 25-year Air Force career. In his most recent experience, he served as chief, partnership development, U.S. Cyber Command, directing a 32-member team in international/interagency efforts to enhance collaboration in support of global cyberspace operations. Previously, Guimarin worked closely with ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center as chair and professor of aerospace studies at ASU. Within this position, he recruited, evaluated, mentored and educated 140+ students/cadets for commissioning in the U.S. Air Force, and established curriculum and enforced standards for the department.
National security and Arizona State University
ASU programs for veterans The Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement integrates veterans into scholastic life, assists staff and faculty in understanding the veteran mindset and helps create research opportunities that benefit veterans by providing valuable hands-on experience. Salute to Service, ASU’s annual weeklong series of events honoring military service, features staff-, faculty- and student-organized events across all Phoenix metropolitan campuses. VetSuccess on Campus, a joint program with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, provides on-site counselors for veterans and family members using GI Bill benefits. The Yellow Ribbon Program helps Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients and their families cover the cost difference between resident and nonresident tuition. Available scholarships include the Veterans Education Fund, Arizona Purple Heart Tuition Waiver, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, online military scholarships for individuals using tuition assistance and the Tillman Military Scholars program. In-state tuition has been offered to all honorably discharged veterans since 2011. Priority registration is available for veterans using benefits after their first semester. Credit is available for successfully completed military courses or training, and for DANTES and CLEP testing. The Veterans Upward Bound program helps low-income or first-generation student veterans improve their academic skills through free federally funded college preparation courses.
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Veterans Scholars The Veterans Scholars Program is a joint initiative between the Pat Tillman Veterans Center and ASU’s Public Service Academy, with the goal of providing veterans an empowering environment for academic success. Veterans may apply to earn a scholarship, while enhancing their academic, professional and civic impact.
Proving Grounds community training Proving Grounds, a specially designed training program for faculty and staff, is an innovative approach to training university employees on the cultural landscape of ASU’s military and veteran student community, and what to expect when supporting it. Developed by the Pat Tillman Veterans Center staff who have over 65 years of military experience, this is a tool to assist faculty and staff in providing a transformative experience for military-affiliated students.
Supporting career transitions ASU continually seeks opportunities with external partners to find pathways for student veteran success. One of the newest initiatives is the energetic, hands-on CORE (Career Opportunity Redefinition and Exploration) Fundamentals workshop. Led by professional services company Deloitte, the workshop teaches student veterans, as well as veterans and service members in the community, how to find the right career fit by translating their leadership skills into a business context. Veterans learn to understand their individual strengths, target career opportunities based on their personal brand, network and succinctly communicate their story to potential employers.
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Military families ASU understands the important complexities surrounding military families. It is with this understanding that the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics created the Working with Military Families Certificate. Students who complete the certificate program gain valuable insight into human development, marital and familial relationships, and family dynamics in the context of military culture.
Veterans, society and service Created by ASU’s Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement, the Veterans, Society and Service Certificate draws from history, politics, psychology, sociology, social justice and the arts to prepare students to understand, address and reduce the military-civilian divide. The certificate program, from ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, prepares students to pursue research and transform society for and with veterans.
Best for Vets Colleges 2020 Military Times Group
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Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans U.S. News & World Report
Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans
Military Friendly
U.S. News & World Report
Victory Media
Silver Award 2019–20
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Empowering veterans
Preventing suicide through resources and research About 20 veterans and active military personnel die from suicide per day, according to the latest figures from VA researchers. It’s a mental health crisis that cannot be solved by the federal government alone. Nearly 70% of veterans who end their lives by suicide have not recently received VA health care services, revealing the need for community resources available at ASU and elsewhere to fill the gap. ASU has forged a joint venture with the Arizona Coalition for Military Families to engage and align public and private sector efforts and stakeholders on the national, state and local level for veteran suicide prevention. As an upstream model, Arizona’s Be Connected program helps clients navigate the complex health and social services systems to connect to resources they need before they reach a crisis point. Service members, veterans and their families can access the program by meeting with a resource navigator in person, calling a support line, matching to resources on the web platform beconnectedaz.org or participating in resource navigation and suicide prevention training. The program has partnered with hundreds of organizations statewide to vet more than 1,400 resources and provide a wide range of services through a single, centralized platform. ASU’s College of Health Solutions plays a key role in this program by collecting and evaluating data, including daily metrics, support line and navigator encounter data, and conducting the Arizona Veteran Survey, a biennial statewide survey of the military and veteran community. Synthesizing this data helps the program tailor its interventions and services to better meet community needs. The Be Connected model is an exemplar for working toward health equity for the U.S. military and veteran community. The program has earned national recognition through the Mayor’s and Governor’s Challenges to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Their Families, organized by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and VA. It was singled out by the White House as a program of distinction.
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Enhancing human performance The science of human performance is rapidly evolving as major advances in research, innovation and technology contribute to a greater understanding of the intersections between physical and behavioral health. These advances hold great promise for the more than 17% of veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injury after serving in Afghanistan or Iraq, a condition that places them at higher risk for depression or suicide. Research in this field also benefits military veterans recovering from other injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder, which afflicts up to 20% of those who served in combat, depending on the era of service. Discoveries also provide new solutions to a broad spectrum of individuals wishing to recover or enhance mental and physical performance. ASU will leverage a global network of experts in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, biomechanics, endocrinology, psychology, behavior, nutrition, pharmacy, policy, education and communications. Researchers will study military veterans and professional athletes to improve prevention, recovery, resilience and longevity through a deeper understanding of the causal factors of injury. The research will translate into: State-of-the-art technologies and products. New training, coaching and consultancy approaches. Nutritional and pharmaceutical solutions. Discoveries that will inform advocacy in shaping public policy.
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ASU leads in enrollment among military-friendly schools
Military-affiliated students per 1,000 campus population
With more than 10,500 veterans, active duty and military family members served by the Pat Tillman Veterans Center, ASU is a top choice and leader in enrollment among the nation’s schools recognized as the most military-friendly.
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46
20
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ASU
Penn State
University of Texas Arlington
University of NebraskaOmaha
Michigan State
Texas A&M
Rutgers
Ohio State
Florida State
Stanford
Air University partnership The Air Force’s intellectual and leadership development center partnered with ASU to transform the distance learning experience for Air Force officers and civilians. Through its online learning enterprise EdPlus, ASU established an innovative digital platform for Air University’s Squadron Officer School. The platform provides an enriched digital environment with superior accessibility, reliability and around-the-clock support. The partnership marks the first time the U.S. military partnered with a civilian university to help deliver professional military education for commissioned officers.
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ASU and Starbucks
The Starbucks College Achievement Plan, launched in 2014, is a first of its kind partnership between Arizona State University and Starbucks to expand access to a high-quality education. It creates an opportunity for employees to earn their first-time bachelor’s degree with 100% tuition coverage, choosing from more than 100 undergraduate programs offered through ASU Online. In November 2015, ASU and Starbucks expanded the innovative education partnership that allowed partners who are serving or have served in the U.S. military to designate an additional family member to receive the benefits of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. Partners enrolled in the program have access to a dedicated enrollment coach, success coach, academic adviser and team of financial aid counselors to support them through graduation. More than 18,000 Starbucks partners are currently participating in the Starbucks College Achievement Plan and more than 6,000 have graduated from ASU, toward the goal to graduate 25,000 partners by 2025.
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military.asu.edu access
excellence impact
Produced by ASU Knowledge Enterprise. © 2021 Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved. Military Brochure - 09/2021
