More than a quarter century ago, a social worker helped a teenage mother cope with some of the struggles that come from being a parent at an early age. That teenager was Michelle Shangin, who today says the experience motivated her to enter the field herself many years later.

• Read more about Student following in footsteps of social worker who once helped her

Researchers and staff at Arizona State University’s Family Violence Center confront domestic violence through aid to families and a wide variety of public information, but as they do they frequently address a particularly unnerving victim experience.

• Read more about ASU center reaches out to children traumatized by witnessing domestic violence

New graduates often wonder how much of what they learned while in school will translate into their careers. Ricky Duran didn’t have to ponder that question; he devoted his capstone project to examining and supporting equity efforts in his community, and immediately began applying the concepts from that effort before he even left grad school.

• Read more about Public policy grad adapts capstone project to create inclusion plan, new position in his job developing local workforce

Frank Dillon is the new director of the Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy in the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center.

• Read more about New director to hold joint appointments in social work, counseling and counseling psychology

Melissa Abramowicz’s career had literally already taken off by the time she enrolled in the Master of Arts degree program in emergency management and homeland security (EMHS) at ASU. She had been in a successful career as an emergency/trauma and critical care flight registered nurse.

• Read more about Alumni spotlight: Flight nurse saw value of learning emergency preparedness, today is disaster program manager

An academic leadership role hadn’t really crossed Megha Budruk’s mind before the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions' then-Dean Jonathan Koppell nominated her several years ago to attend the ASU Leadership Academy.

• Read more about Watts College interim associate dean eager for new role she first trained for years ago

As school districts around the country ramp up to welcoming students back in person full time, the National Institutes of Health put out a call to fund additional research projects to identify ways of safely returning students and staff to in-person school in areas with vulnerable and underserved populations. 

• Read more about ASU researcher awarded NIH grant to help safely return children to in-person school

Like everything else, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused upheaval in the criminal justice system, with disruptions in trials and outbreaks among incarcerated people.

A new research paper by an Arizona State University professor uses a new computer simulation software to quantify one of the pandemic’s effects: a greater likelihood that people who are detained before trial will plead guilty in order get out of jail and avoid exposure to COVID-19 — even if they are innocent.

• Read more about ASU research finds greater likelihood of false guilty pleas during pandemic

Felicia Ganther’s higher education career spans more than a quarter century and includes a PhD degree from Arizona State University. On July 1, that career took a major step forward as Ganther became a college president.

Ganther built strong local roots and gained many memorable experiences before taking over as head of Bucks County Community College, which enrolls 7,100 students at three campuses in and near Newtown, Pennsylvania, and online.

• Read more about ASU PhD grad will use new skills as president of Pennsylvania community college

Likening her situation to a new coach taking over an already winning sports team, Kelly Bricker is becoming director of the highly successful Hainan University-Arizona State University International Tourism College (HAITC).

• Read more about New tourism college director looks forward to building on ASU’s successful partnership with China’s Hainan University