Downtown Phoenix campus

A new study done at Arizona State University has, for the first time, quantified the health-care cost of women in Arizona who experienced trauma as children, pegging the amount at $260 million for 2019.

The research, done by the Morrison Institute for Public Policy, showed that exposure to three or more “adverse childhood experiences,” or ACEs, such as drug abuse or violence in their homes, was associated with $260 million in Medicaid spending – about 16% of the total for 2019.

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2021 graduates.

Stephanie Pham says she never doubted her decision to take six years off from school and work to be a full-time caregiver to her parents, each of whom had been diagnosed with different forms of cancer. When she enrolled at ASU as an undergraduate, at first the student from Temecula, California, felt alone.

James Herbert Williams plans to keep a full schedule that includes editing two books and traveling to Africa once he concludes his four years as director of the Arizona State University School of Social Work this summer.

“Prior to coming to ASU I had several collaborations in eastern and southern Africa, and I would like to reconnect with my African colleagues. I spent the last decade working with tribes in Africa on conflict mediation and sustainable development,” Williams said.

As everyone has focused on longer and more frequent hand-washing during the pandemic, the availability of safe, clean water has never been more important.

That necessity, coupled with the increasing awareness of social justice issues, has highlighted the topic of water equity, which was addressed in a new report by experts at Arizona State University.

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