ASU Day at the Capitol Puts UTO in Front of Lawmakers

As a major institution in Arizona, ASU works closely with the state’s lawmakers. On February 11, those partnerships were exemplified by ASU Day at the Capitol. More than 40 schools, departments and teams gathered on the lawn to present new and exciting developments at the University to those guiding policy on education in Arizona. UTO had a presence for the first time at the event, bringing two different but wholly important areas of focus to educate representatives, senators and their staff.

A UTO team developed a tool breaking down ASU “constituents” in every legislative district in the state. That includes students, faculty, staff, alumni and degree recipients, as well as number of scholarships awarded and the total dollar amount of those scholarships. But it wasn’t simply a list. This ASU/AZ Constituent Data Mapping team presented an interactive map to attendees of the event, showcasing the information visually to provide context of just how many people are impacted by ASU, and by extension, higher education in the state of Arizona at large.

Sharing the UTO booth was the Cloud Innovation Center, a collaboration with Amazon Web Services that aims to improve digital experiences for smart city designers, expand technology alternatives while minimizing costs, spur economic and workforce development and facilitate sharing public sector solutions within the region. To that end, engaging lawmakers is extremely important, and CIC representatives did that by soliciting “today statements” from participants, identifying the processes of today and how problems and opportunities can be capitalized on with “smart” solutions.

Collectively, UTO made an impression at ASU Day at the Capitol; Sparky even stopped by! UTO’s innovative approach to technology was recognized, as was ASU’s commitment to spreading real, positive change throughout Arizona.