3 minute read
Futurecast: Today’s challenges, tomorrow’s achievements
Together we are on the cusp of discoveries that will drive technological advancements for a brighter future, improve health and well-being, enhance national security, sustain a thriving planet, and deepen our understanding of our universe.
- Sally C. Morton, executive vice president, ASU Knowledge Enterprise
Arizona State University pushes the boundaries of knowledge to unlock the mysteries of the universe, shape our understanding of the world and innovate solutions to pressing challenges. And Knowledge Enterprise is the engine that powers research and discovery at ASU.
Together we are on the cusp of discoveries that will drive technological advancements for a brighter future, improve health and well-being, enhance national security, sustain a thriving planet, and deepen our understanding of our universe. I am thrilled to share with you a glimpse of the exciting future ahead.
The speed of science and technology advancements is accelerating, and ASU has embraced the artificial intelligence revolution. The university is using AI to bring solutions and discoveries to the public faster, while expanding our reach to more learners in diverse ways. We are also committed to ensuring that the technology is developed ethically, in alignment with our newest university design aspiration of “principled innovation” – the advancement of innovation to create positive change for humanity.
Improving the health and well-being of all Arizonans is the core objective of ASU Health. ASU is poised to accomplish this goal via research and discovery and by providing a pipeline of health professionals empowered by data and the latest technology.
ASU leads one of eight Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons innovation hubs – dedicated to developing the next generation of semiconductors critical to keeping America safe as well as strengthening our nation’s economic competitiveness. As the nation seeks to rebuild our national semiconductor ecosystem, we envision Arizona leading the nation in microelectronics innovation, with ASU at the heart of a revitalized industry.
Powerful advances in genome sequencing technology and informatics make it possible to efficiently sequence the genomes of all known species for the first time in history. The Earth BioGenome Project is working to sequence all known eukaryotes — a group that includes all animals, plants and fungi — in just 10 years. This project will deepen our knowledge of how to protect biodiversity as well as provide new disease treatments and food sources.
In the coming years, our space exploration will fuel important scientific discoveries, technological innovations and economic development, creating jobs and business opportunities in Arizona’s robust and growing space industry. As one example, the Psyche mission will culminate in 2029, with the spacecraft’s arrival on Psyche, a metal-rich asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Because humans cannot drill to Earth’s core, visiting Psyche can provide us knowledge of the process that created planets like our own.
ASU is known for having bold, audacious goals — and succeeding at them. I’ve been thinking about moonshot ideas for Knowledge Enterprise, and my imagination shot a bit beyond the moon. I envision the day that ASU establishes its next economic development Innovation Zone on the surface of Mars. Can you imagine NASA’s surprise when they send their first astronauts to the Red Planet, only to discover ASU was there first?
Thank you for your dedication to changing the way the world solves problems to ensure a thriving people, a thriving society and a thriving planet.
