The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

From the global response to terrorism and the subversive weaponization of narratives, to the evolution of crisis management and guardians of civil liberties — 9/11 forced us to think differently; to rise to new challenges; and to confront the vulnerabilities of our democracy.

Twenty years after the attacks and in observance of the anniversary, ASU News reached out to faculty experts across Arizona State University to share their observations, research and reflections on 9/11’s cultural and global impact on our world — and on their work.

• Read more about How 9/11 changed the ways these faculty teach and research

The Graduate College has announced the recipients of its inaugural Graduate College Staff Awards for Excellence. Established to recognize the prodigious role Arizona State University staff members play in the success of graduate students at ASU, the awards are one way the Graduate College can shine a spotlight on the tireless work of ASU staff members who play a critical role in the college's mission.  

• Read more about ASU Graduate College announces first-ever Staff Awards for Excellence winners

George Floyd, the man whose death in police custody launched a thousand protests in 2020, has reignited a critical conversation about systemic racism and social injustice around the world. In 2021, almost one year after Floyd’s death, change is starting to happen.

• Read more about Students elevating Black cultural awareness through LIFT initiative at ASU

Last Saturday, about halfway through Part 1 of the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy’s two-part Impact Arizona lecture series titled “Race, Crisis and the Future of Democracy,” which was organized in the aftermath of the May 25 police-involved killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, the New York Times sent its subscribers a news alert that yet another black man, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks of Atlanta, had died at the hands of law enforcement.

• Read more about ASU center hosts two-part lecture series on 'Race, Crisis and the Future of Democracy'

Editor's note: This story is being highlighted in ASU Now's year in review. Read more top stories from 2019.

Five Arizona State University professors are being honored with the highest faculty award possible: Regents Professor.

• Read more about 5 top ASU researchers earn prestigious Regents Professor title

Nearly 1 in 4 Arizona teens have used a highly potent form of marijuana known as marijuana concentrate, according to a new study by Arizona State University researchers.

Among nearly 50,000 eighth, 10th and 12th graders from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, a biennial survey of Arizona secondary school students, one-third (33%) had tried some form of marijuana, and nearly a quarter (24%) had tried marijuana concentrate.  

• Read more about ASU study finds that teens are using a highly potent form of marijuana

Guns — few issues evoke as much passion and raw emotion from almost all corners of society. No matter what your opinion of them is, they are a defining part of what it means to be an American. Whether you view guns as a public-safety issue, a constitutionally protected right or both, their place in our society provokes strong reaction and heated debate.

• Read more about Investigating gun violence from many angles

The sixth annual ASU Prison Education Conference will bring together a broad coalition of experts and community members to discuss criminal justice and the transformative power of education. Organized by Arizona State University's Prison Education Awareness Club and sponsored by the Department of English and the School of Social Transformation, the conference is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, in the Turquoise Room of the Memorial Union on ASU’s Tempe campus.

• Read more about Getting to the heart of justice and transformation

Sometimes during a trial a lawyer will get angry, a witness will speak out of turn or a defendant will have an outburst. The judge will then calmly instruct the jury to disregard what just happened.

In theory, it’s supposed to keep emotion and bias out of the legal system. In reality, ASU assistant professor Jessica Salerno said, it’s hard for humans to separate thoughts and emotions so neatly.

• Read more about New ASU program combines law, psychology