The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 2020–2021 highlights For those of you who have received this annual report in years’ past, a thank you card for a prior donation, or attended one of our many events, you have likely read or heard me express my gratitude for friends of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, saying that without your support, our achievements would not be possible. Last year showed us just how true that sentiment is. The COVID-19 pandemic created situations that many of us had not planned for and our students and faculty were in need of extra support to continue their studies and research. In a moment where much of the world was facing unknown circumstances, you stepped in and reinforced your commitment to building and supporting our community. The number of donors who made generous gifts during this difficult year increased by 40%. More than 2,800 individuals — including faculty members, staff, alumni and community members — donated to The College, helping our students, staff and faculty continue research efforts and continue to support the broader community. Donations helped students and faculty directly, funded scholarships and created programs that will help foster an inclusive community well into the future. One example of the latter: The College established Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) seed grants. The School of Life Science’s Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center is using a JEDI seed grant to launch a summer scholars program for underrepresented students, while the School of Earth and Space Exploration is using four seed grants to set and run yearly workplace climate and bystander intervention trainings for their academic units; document current and former graduate students’ perceptions of departmental culture; create educational materials for Title 1 schools; and educate the graduate student community on sexual harassment and microaggressions to help erase these behaviors within the STEM community. In a year with many challenges, our students and faculty continued to achieve great things in pursuit of their goals. As you review some of our top highlights from last year, please take a moment to recognize the role you play in helping us educate the world’s next generation of leaders. I remain incredibly grateful for the community of support you are a part of here at ASU. On behalf of all those who have benefited from your contribution, thank you.
Patrick J. Kenney Dean, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Foundation Professor, School of Politics and Global Studies Arizona State University