Four service members standing at salute with flag

Enterprise Technology recognizes teams during Salute to Service

Arizona State University honors the diligence, philanthropy and spirit of our community members who have served in the military and in other vocations – such as educators, health care workers and more – dedicated to giving back to the community.

Starting on November 1 through November 11 – Veterans Day – ASU celebrates and highlights individuals who put service above self in both their professional and personal lives: this is what our “Salute to Service” is all about.

Briefs

The ET News Room

Todd Lunn (pictured left), part of the Technical Upskilling Program at ASU’s Enterprise Technology, is one such individual. Lunn is an Army veteran from the 10th Mountain division, as well as a retiree of the Tempe Fire Department, where he spent 28 years as a rescue diver, as well as a hazmat truck engineer and paramedic.

Today, Lunn lends his expertise across a diversity of IT occupations through the Enterprise Technology Technical Upskilling program, where rotational placements empower participants to explore new career paths with which to advance the dynamic digital ecosystem.

If you run into Lunn around campus, you will also meet his service dog, Ivy, a rescue who was discovered at the age of 9 months. “Ivy and I trained for 48 weeks in California, where I lived in a tiny house that was off-grid at the facility where they trained me to train Ivy,” explained Lunn.

The clever Great Pyrenees, now 2 years old and thriving, has not only gone on to grow a full coat of shiny hair – she recently won Purina's 2022 Dog Chow Service Dog Salute Program. The yearly competition spotlights service dogs who have impacted the lives of their veteran owners.

As such, the $25,000 award will go to Ivy’s training organization, Operation Freedom Paws, whose motto – "Four paws, two feet, one team" – encapsulates the bond between Lunn and Ivy.

Lunn is just one of the many individuals at ASU who put “service above self” every day; an act of virtue we spotlight and honor during Salute to Service Week. All Sun Devils are encouraged to participate in the many events that will be taking place today and tomorrow, Veteran’s day, as part of a larger celebration of individuals in Arizona and beyond who have dutifully served their communities. Enterprise Technology thanks all team members who have served, and extends its gratitude for their diligence and bravery.

Written by Sophie Jones; photo by Mike Sanchez.