Cox and ASU to launch Connected Environments Collaboratory, create smarter region


November 15, 2019

Cox Communications and Arizona State University announced at the 2019 ASU Smart Region Summit flagship event their partnership to create the Arizona State University Connected Environments Collaboratory, powered by Cox. This collaboration will drive the development of Arizona’s smart region infrastructure, delivering on the promise of ASU’s Smart City Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) to build smarter communities in the greater Phoenix metropolitan region by solving pressing community challenges.

The Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory at ASU will aim to solve real challenges within the Greater Phoenix community and beyond in ways that are innovative and not readily available in the marketplace today. As an incubation center and convening space, the collaboratory aims to engage ASU students, staff, and faculty to design the next wave of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that could, for example, optimize buildings for sustainability, provide new learning experiences in virtual and augmented reality, overhaul transportation infrastructure and more. Download Full Image

To power the collaboratory, Cox will deploy a comprehensive wired and wireless network on campus as part of ASU’s NextGen Network. The collaboratory is another step forward for these efforts, engaging city leaders and citizenry, nonprofits, faculty, student researchers, industry experts and visiting scholars to build the metropolis and regional infrastructure of the future.

“Cox is a trusted partner, and we are eager to see the Connected Environments Collaboratory drive smart region applications that combine people, connected devices, data and processes to improve community operations and the citizen experience,” said Lev Gonick, chief information officer at Arizona State University.

“Cox currently powers several smart city initiatives and communities today as the preferred data network of residents and business owners,” said Steve Rowley, executive vice president for Cox Business. “Cox Business, combined with Cox2M, will bring new experiential capabilities to the campus and provide a space for all to innovate.”

"Through our Cox2M business line, we will bring ASU students, staff and faculty the tools and capabilities to develop end-to-end solutions that can really make a difference," said Sujata Gosalia, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Cox Communications. "We are excited to build the future together in this new collaborative environment."

As a founding partner of The Connective – Greater Phoenix Smart Region Consortium, Cox will also work with ASU to utilize the power of Cox's existing gigabit network and continue to extend its fiber infrastructure through aggressive investment to create a more connected region.

The Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory will reside in an Innovation Zone at ASU, spaces located across the Valley and ASU campuses that are dedicated to creating innovative solutions to global challenges. These zones include SkySong, ASU Research Park, Novus Innovation Corridor and more, actively engaging schools, faculty, students, programs and initiatives.

"The spirit of innovation permeates everything we do here at ASU, and that philosophy extends to the ecosystems and resources we make available to our collaborators," said Sethuraman "Panch" Panchanathan, executive vice president of Knowledge Enterprise and chief research and innovation officer at ASU. "New ideas and solutions to grand challenges are discovered when we partner at this level. Our Innovation Centers and Innovation Zones are prime examples of how these relationships are cultivated, and how the resulting benefits are realized by our communities."

"On behalf of the executive team of the Greater Phoenix Connective, we are grateful to have Cox Communications as a founding partner. The new Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory at ASU will allow us to experiment with new applications and technologies that will enable the development of a smart and connected region enhancing the quality of life for the citizens and businesses of the Greater Phoenix region," said John Graham, chairman of Partnership for Economic Innovation.

Mike and Cindy Watts receive WESTMARC Regional Advancement Award


November 15, 2019

Mike and Cindy Watts, for whom the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions is named, received the Regional Advancement Award from WESTMARC on Nov. 7 during its annual Best of the West Awards show and dinner.

The Wattses are co-founders of Sunstate Equipment, a highly successful equipment and rental company that began in Arizona in 1977 and has expanded to 10 other states. Both grew up in the west Phoenix neighborhood of Maryvale when it was a newly developed community. Concerned by the urban decline Maryvale began experiencing in the 1980s and 1990s, the couple made leadership gifts to the Maryvale YMCA and endowed the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, an initiative of the Watts College. award sculpture Mike and Cindy Watts were honored by WESTMARC Nov. 7 with this Regional Advancement Award for their contributions to ASU and to the West Valley. Download Full Image

In 2018, the couple made a $30 million donation to ASU’s then-College of Public Service and Community Solutions, prompting the renaming and spurring expansion of the college’s work in community development, public policy, criminal justice and child well-being, including the funding of five endowed professorships. The gift also is contributing to a revitalization effort in Maryvale, with ASU collaborating directly with local leaders to bolster their efforts and increase community engagement.

Watts College Dean Jonathan Koppell spoke about the couple’s dedication to their community and region in a video introduction shown at the awards dinner.

“I can’t think of a couple that is more devoted to the West Valley than Mike and Cindy,” said Koppell, who said he was delighted to be speaking on behalf of the college bearing the couple’s name.

“It’s important to understand, however, that the gift to ASU, while being focused on our students and on great research, was primarily because they cared passionately about advancing the communities of the West Valley and saw the investment in the Watts College as being a vehicle for making a difference in people’s lives.”

Founded in 1990, WESTMARC — which stands for Western Maricopa Coalition — consists of 15 West Valley communities, including Phoenix, in partnership with area businesses and educational institutions including ASU. Its mission, according to its website, is “to address important issues facing the West Valley’s economic prosperity.”