Arizona State University has much to celebrate in our nation’s capital, especially since opening the Barbara Barrett and Sandra Day O’Connor Washington Center more than two years ago.
On Feb. 26, ASU hosted a celebratory reception at the Longworth House office building on Capitol Hill to mark the impact the university has made in Washington, D.C., while bringing together those who help constituents in Arizona.
Guests included U.S. House representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ). Members of ASU’s Office of Government and Community Engagement introduced the members and made remarks to welcome guests and acknowledge ASU’s growth and accomplishments in Washington.
ASU Vice President of Government Affairs Matt Salmon talks about the university's growth in the nation's capital on Feb. 26 at a celebratory event marking ASU's accomplishments in Washington, D.C. Photo by Hager Sharp
“Our D.C. presence is going to be growing in leaps in bounds, and a lot of great things are happening at the Barrett and O’Connor Center,” said Matt Salmon, ASU vice president of government affairs.
For ASU, being in Washington, D.C., means having a seat at the table.
“What better place to really be a part of it than Washington, D.C., where you’ve got the center of politics, the center of government?” said Adam Deguire, assistant vice president for federal and state affairs in ASU’s Office of Government and Community Engagement. “If we really want to make an impact at the biggest level, we should be here.”
One of the many benefits of the university's Washington presence is that it can anticipate important issues and how developments in Washington might affect the university and its mission.
Neal Woodbury, chief science and technology officer at ASU, agreed being in the capital is important both for the university and its students.
“We can’t just sit in Arizona and hope for the best. We need to be in multiple places,” Woodbury said. “If we see things coming down the pipeline that are important to the Southwest and to Arizona, we want to make sure those matters are put on the table.”
Rep. Schweikert, an ASU alumnus, is proud that his alma mater has a strong Washington presence and thinks ASU should continue to bring people together and form connections in the area.
“As a proud Sun Devil alumnus, it is always great to join ASU for events in Washington, D.C. ASU has helped my office bring Arizonans out to work in our D.C. office and has brought great talent from the Cronkite School of Journalism here to cover Congress,” Schweikert said. “I look forward to watching ASU continue to spread their positive presence in Washington, D.C., and joining them at future events!”
Top photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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