Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 10 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University by operating on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students.

Portrait of Micheal D. Smith

Michael D. Smith and The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World.

The University Design Institute and Arizona State University welcomed Dr. Michael D. Smith on September 13 for the latest lecture in the Frank Rhodes Lecture Series to discuss higher education in the digital world and its implications on learners, institutions, and communities around the globe.



View of the ASU monument sign on its Tempe campus

University Design Institute™ launches the 12th cohort of the ASU Leadership Academy

As the Fall 2024 semester at Arizona State University (ASU) kicks off, so does a new cohort of the Leadership Academy, which seeks to nurture and empower 34 ASU leaders this year. This is the 12th cohort of the Leadership Academy at ASU. The Academy is one of three leadership development programs managed by the University Design Institute, including the Advanced Leadership Initiative and the Launching Leaders Program.



Introducing the Fall 2024 Frank Rhodes Lecture Series: Dr. Michael Smith of Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Michael D. Smith, J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Information Technology and Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College will join Arizona State University as the Fall 2024 Frank Rhodes Lecture Series speaker.



A portrait of Lisa Foss

Lisa Foss joins the University Design Institute as Senior Director of U.S. Practice

The University Design Institute (UDI) recently recruited Lisa Foss as the new Senior Director of U.S. Practice. Foss brings over two decades of experience advising senior university leadership on strategic planning and innovative approaches to structural challenges in higher education.



Maria Toshkova, Director of Global Partnerships for University Design Institute, wearing a white jacket with a brown background

Meet Maria Toshkova, the University Design Institute's new Director of Global Partnerships

The University Design Institute is excited to announce that Maria Toshkova has joined UDI as its new Director of Global Partnerships. Read more about Toshkova's career and goals for UDI here.



Leaders from the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education gather at Old Main.

U.S.-Philippines Delegation Visits ASU Tempe campus among UPSKILL Program Launch

The University Design Institute welcomed 12 higher education leaders from the Philippines on June 21 and 22 to connect with leaders from across Arizona State University. The trip was part of the United States Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation and Life-long Learning, or UPSKILL, which is a multiyear, multimillion-dollar effort to transform higher education on a nationwide scale in the Philippines.