Chris Herbst says that running 55 miles at a time can be so brutal that he enters a state he calls “the pain cave.”

Herbst, a faculty member at Arizona State University, is an ultramarathon runner, competing in races that are twice as long as a typical marathon.

But beyond the discomfort, he finds incredible beauty and peace of mind while pounding the trails for hours at a time.

• Read more about Running toward the 'pain cave'

A civics education program engaging K–12 students as key decision-makers in the Arizona K–12 schools’ budgeting processes will be honored in October with the Arizona State University President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness.

• Read more about Innovative civics program to be honored with President's Medal for Social Embeddedness

Two Arizona State University School of Public Affairs professors began work this fall in national leadership positions in prestigious research and education organizations.

Mary Feeney, a full professor and Lincoln Professor of Ethics in Public Affairs, is the new program director of the Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• Read more about Public affairs professors named to leadership of national science, education organizations

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

Families providing round-the-clock care to infirm veterans or military members will have volunteer respite caregivers to help them for another three years, as a federal agency renewed funding for a 20-year-old ASU program that administers the assistance.

• Read more about ASU-based Legacy Corps receives 3-year funding renewal to provide volunteer respite care to veteran and military families

More than 220 students will receive bachelor’s degrees this month from Hainan University-Arizona State University International Tourism College (HAITC) in the southern Chinese city of Haikou.

• Read more about ASU, Hainan University's joint tourism college graduates 1st class of students

Amid the many challenges of the pandemic, student workers at ASU’s Knowledge Exchange for Resilience (KER) collaborated to drive use-inspired research and develop innovative solutions to make our community more resilient. 

Alexandria Drake
Global health, PhD, School of Human Evolution and Social Change

• Read more about Knowledge Exchange for Resilience gives ASU students invaluable experience

President Joe Biden’s proposed American Families Plan would spend $1.8 trillion on several programs, including universal preschool education and funding for child care.

• Read more about Healthy child care system vital for economic recovery, ASU expert says

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

Tiffany Thornhill remembers deciding to pursue degrees in the fields that she did — social work as an undergraduate and social work and public administration as a concurrent graduate student — at two key moments in her life.

• Read more about First in social work, then in public administration, ASU grad was struck by desire to serve those who struggle

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

Cyrus Commissariat grew up in Los Angeles but moved to Arizona when he was in middle school and has called it home ever since. He is the grandchild and child of immigrants and his family taught him that the value of a good education was critical for succeeding. 

• Read more about Triple major graduates, looks forward to law school