ASU grad working in property development, keeping busy with community service


September 6, 2022

Arizona State University alumna Patrice Marcolla believes in the power of positive thinking. It’s what she credits with helping her get through college, pass challenging licensure exams and get into a profession in which she’s thriving.

And it’s the basis of advice she gives to others. Portrait of ASU alum Patrice Marcolla. Patrice Marcolla graduated magna cum laude in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, a minor in business from the W. P. Carey School of Business and honors from Barrett, The Honors College. Download Full Image

“Believe in the power of a positive mindset, which seems like a simple concept but is a challenging practice to adopt,” she said.

Marcolla graduated from ASU magna cum laude in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, a minor in business from the W. P. Carey School of Business and honors from Barrett, The Honors College.

“I put my energy into believing in myself, and it has changed the way I approach challenges. When I act with confidence, it results in a stronger performance. I credit this approach to helping me pass my three national interior design licensure exams (NCIDQ) shortly after I graduated," Marcolla said. "There is a high exam-failure rate on the first attempt, but I made up my mind to pass and I succeeded on my first try. Speak your goals into existence!”

After receiving her licensure, she worked as an interior designer for master-planned and multifamily communities across the United States for several years, taking on account executive, sales and marketing roles to expand business into new markets with development groups.

She transitioned into development and construction with IDM Companies in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she works in the pre-construction department, strengthening connections among ownership, development, construction and property management teams. 

She is active in the Urban Land Institute’s Young Leaders Group and Partnership Forum as a mentee group leader and serves as the committee chair for the local ULI2D council. She also is a member of the Multifamily/Affordable/Senior Housing (MASH) Local Product Council.

Working with Artlink, a Phoenix-based arts and culture organization, she represented the ULI2D program as a project manager for a mural installation at Arizona Public Service’s Evans Churchill Substation in downtown Phoenix.

She also designed and managed the Mahurin Room bar renovation for the 63rd Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, near Glendale, Arizona, in cooperation with Fighter Country Foundation's Luke Forward campaign. She volunteers with Barrett Honors College’s alumni group and the Sharp Construction and Girl Scouts of America's Girls Can Build initiative.

We caught up with Marcolla to get her thoughts on her experience at ASU and where she is now. Here’s what she had to say:

Question: Where did you grow up, and what brought you to ASU and Barrett, The Honors College?

Answer: I grew up in New Jersey and was looking for a new adventure for college. I applied to ASU for its renowned interior design program, within the context of a much bigger school and the opportunity for a well-rounded college experience (and escape from the cold winters back East). I was invited to apply to Barrett after applying to ASU and being the self-improvement junkie I am, loved the idea of getting a more robust education within the honors program.

Q: What are some of your favorite Barrett memories?

A: Naturally, the dining hallThe dining hall within the Barrett Honors College Tempe complex has a refectory that is referred to as the Harry Potter Room. was definitely a favorite part of my Barrett experience. I’m a Harry Potter nerd, too, so that space was a fun inspirational retreat from the classroom settings. I also just love how the honors campus feels like its own little world.

Q: Tell us about your career path. Did Barrett play a role in your development?

A: After working over five years as an interior designer, I transitioned into a career in commercial real estate development and construction. I credit Barrett for keeping me on an upward trajectory by maintaining a strong work ethic, pushing myself and provoking my competitive nature, and shaping me into a lifelong learner. The added responsibility of Barrett Honors, and the desire to prove to myself that I deserved the honors distinction, was a huge motivator in keeping me focused during college.

Q: What is on the horizon for you now?

A: I’m focused on my personal and professional growth. I’m learning as much as I can from my mentors and peers, and getting involved and taking on responsibilities to build my experience and grow my network. This means pushing the boundaries of my current role and gaining a greater perspective of the entire development process. Outside of my company, I’m involved in a number of professional organizations at different levels — leading community-oriented programs and participating in others. My long-term focus is on becoming an effective and influential leader.

Q: What advice do you have for ASU and Barrett alumni?

A: There’s nothing more valuable than human connection. I use the word “network” loosely because it was a daunting concept to me a few years back. But building relationships, creating space for vulnerability and belonging among people of different backgrounds, disciplines, career paths, etc. is the key to finding success and happiness.

Written by Alexandra Aragon, director of academic planning and retention at Barrett, The Honors College at ASU

College of Global Futures welcomes new leaders, faculty


September 6, 2022

Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures has added to its ranks with a variety of experts who will help drive its vision for a vibrant future on a thriving, healthy planet.

The new leaders and faculty are bringing an array of experience in areas such as digital technologies, entrepreneurship, human-environment interaction and equity. Together, they will broaden the college’s ability to prepare students and faculty with a holistic understanding of their relationship with the planet and build a better future for all of its inhabitants. Person looking at a globe. Download Full Image

“The new leaders and faculty in the College of Global Futures add expertise in a variety of fields that, taken together, enhance the college’s ability to uncover mechanisms that will improve the world today and especially the world tomorrow,” says Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and dean of the College of Global Futures.

“Collectively, their expertise will further the development of pathways toward a world with opportunities for coming generations. Immediately, these appointments will add new knowledge areas where the burgeoning generation — our students — will gain access to views and concepts that inform a more comprehensive education,” he says.

Portrait of Miki Kittilson, ASU professor.

Miki Caul Kittilson 

Kittilson is the college’s newly appointed vice dean and brings her experiences in leadership and in equity and inclusion to the role.

She is the principal investigator of the ASU ADVANCE Institutional Transformation project, which works to support inclusion and success for the university’s faculty in accordance with the ASU Charter.

The program’s goal is to increase the number, visibility and success of women and faculty of color in STEM fields at all levels of the university.

Kittilson’s research centers on inclusion in democracy, with an emphasis on gender justice and women’s representation in governments worldwide.

Sharon Hall

Hall will serve as the associate dean of student success for the college. An ecosystem scientist, she researches the ways that humans and the environment affect each other, from the biodiversity of cities and wildlife at home to urban air pollution and communities’ ability to adapt to rapid environmental change.

Susanne Neuer

Neuer is the first director of the newly established School of Ocean Futures. She is a biological oceanographer and marine ecologist who studies the role of ocean life in the carbon cycle and in sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Her group has also studied sea ice organisms in the Arctic, the role of microorganisms in colonizing microplastic pollution in the ocean, and harmful algal blooms in our local reservoirs.

Neuer has been active in advancing women in science and academia; she has served on the national board of the Association for Women in Science and as president of ASU’s Faculty Women’s Association, where she is still active on the executive board.

Eusebio Scornavacca

Scornavacca begins his role as the interim director of the college’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society this fall. He is concurrently a professor in the school and in the Thunderbird School of Global Management. His research — spanning multiple industries and drawing from collaborators worldwide — focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship and ecosystems in the digital space, as well as information and communications technology for development and innovation policy.

Portrait of Michael Dorsey, ASU professor.

Michael Dorsey 

Dorsey has been named the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service Chair and is a professor of practice in the College of Global Futures.

He is a globally recognized expert on sustainable finance, renewable energy and the environment. He has collaborated with the United Nations for over two decades and was a previous appointee on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Advisory Committee. 

Dorsey is a member of the Club of Rome, a nonprofit that brings thought and business leaders together to discuss global issues, and sits on the board of the Sierra Club, an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 states.

 Six additional faculty members join the college this fall. The School for the Future of Innovation in Society welcomes Professor Itty Abraham, Associate Professor Annette Lee, Assistant Professor Faheem Hussain and Associate Professor Lauren Ruffin (who is also part of the School of Arts, Media and Engineering). The School of Complex Adaptive Systems welcomes Associate Research Professor Michael Simeone. The School of Sustainability welcomes Assistant Professor Andrea Rissing.

Mikala Kass

Communications Specialist, ASU Knowledge Enterprise

480-727-5616