ASU/Mesa Airlines Hangar opens for business

September 25, 2007

MESA , Ariz. – What started last year as a blank slate of open land on the north side of Williams Gateway Airport has now been transformed into the new Arizona State University/Mesa Airlines Hangar. A dedication with elected officials from surrounding municipalities, as well as airport, university and Arizona Department of Transportation representatives is planned for 9 a.m., Oct. 3, at the facility located on Sossaman Road.

The new facility, which is a joint project among ASU, Mesa Airlines, Williams Gateway Airport Authority and ADOT, will be used for conducting general aircraft maintenance, for sheltering many of the 17 aircraft and for preparing future pilots before they actually take a plane up. Download Full Image

The Department of Aeronautical Technology Management has been working on the development of a hangar since it moved to the Polytechnic campus in 1996.

“The reality of this facility is exciting to our administration, faculty, and students,” said Rick Charles, chair of the department. “We are now a part of airport operations, not just a user. Our students will have direct access to aircraft dispatch, and a chance to observe directly the maintenance activity on the airplanes they fly.”

The 21,000-square-foot facility sits on three acres of airport land. The construction of the facility, which was started in August 2006, was funded by ADOT with a $3 million loan through the Williams Gateway Airport Authority. Arizona State University will lease the facility from the airport.

“ASU’s presence at Williams Gateway Airport is an invaluable tool for recruiting new businesses to the airport,” said Lynn Kusy, executive director for WGAA. “This new facility will further increase awareness of the ASU aviation program and the cooperative opportunities that exist at Gateway.”

Elected officials from Florence, Gilbert, Gila River Indian Community and Mesa, as well as university administrators, and ADOT, Mesa Airlines and Williams Gateway Airport executives will be present for the dedication.

ASU boasts record-breaking enrollment

September 25, 2007

Enrollment at ASU this fall has reached a record 64,394 students, growing by nearly 9,000 students since 2002. All four ASU locations experienced increases, with the greatest gains at the Polytechnic and Downtown Phoenix campuses.

“The growth in our enrollment and the quality of our incoming class speak to the university’s commitment to access and excellence,” says Jim Rund, vice president for university student initiatives. Download Full Image

The most notable growth is in the freshman class, with a record 9,274 students and more national scholars than ever before. ASU enrolled 265 freshman national scholars, including National Merit, National Hispanic and National Achievement scholars. National Hispanic Scholars total 111 and have increased by 164 percent since 2002.

The freshman minority student enrollment continues to rise, with a 9 percent increase over last year. Latinos experienced the largest gain among ethnic minorities, increasing by 15 percent over last year.

Thirty-three percent of the resident freshman class is made up of students of color, an increase of 121 percent in the past decade. ASU students come from all 50 states and more than 150 foreign countries.

The number of top scholars from Arizona enrolling at ASU also continues to increase at a record pace. ASU welcomed its highest number of Flinn Scholars ever, with 10 of the state’s 20 Flinn Scholars choosing ASU. More than 1,800 President and Provost Scholars, including 30 percent of the freshmen from Arizona, are part of this year’s class. These are students who perform at the very top of their high school graduating class.

The average GPA for incoming freshmen was 3.34, and the average test scores remain constant, with the SAT score at 1,077 and the ACT at 23.0.