Here, we caught up with the four executive vice presidents at Arizona State University, who shared what they do and a little about themselves. Meet the women helping shape the future.
Sherine Emily Gabriel
Executive Vice President, ASU Health
Your job is …
I am EVP for ASU Health, responsible for designing, planning, and implementing ASU’s Health strategy. That includes the creation of two new health schools, the School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering and the School of Technology for Public Health. It also includes massive growth in nursing and other health programs, as well as accelerating health research, health research infrastructure; advancing community health literacy; and launching ASU Clinics, a network of clinics focused on providing care in underserved communities.
How did you know you wanted to go into this field?
I always knew I wanted to become a doctor. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to care for patients, conduct health research, and teach medicine. Now I am helping to design and launch programs to enable the next generation to do all of that more effectively and efficiently than ever before by leveraging technology, AI, and all the state-of-the-art tools available today.
The most rewarding part of your job is …
To help advance the next generation.
The best thing about ASU is …
The freedom to innovate.
Three words that describe you:
Kind. Passionate. Humanistic.
Favorite book?
The Worlds I See by Fei-Fei Li
On your bucket list?
Driving around the entire island of Iceland.
Maria Anguiano
Executive Vice President, ASU’s Learning Enterprise
Your job is …
I have the privilege of helping to bring ASU’s charter of inclusion to life every day. Alongside hundreds of talented people across the campus, ASU’s Learning Enterprise works to advance universal access to learning for all—at every stage of life. This means learners are supported throughout their lifetimes, their growth enabled by a continual blend of professional, personal, and technical skills.
How did you know you wanted to go into this field?
As a first-generation college student myself, I am all too familiar with the barriers aspiring college students face. My mother wasn’t able to attend school past the sixth grade, but recognized the value of higher education and had the drive to ensure my siblings and I went to college. It became important for me to pay it forward and to put underserved learners at the center of higher education design. College should be within reach for everyone.
Three words that describe you:
Authentic, strategic, and a futurist (I believe in creating the world you want to exist).
One thing people would be surprised to learn about you:
My favorite day of the week is Monday. Sorry, Garfield. There’s something about the energy of the new possibilities each new week brings that excites me. Every week presents new opportunities to do the work that really matters—new partnerships, new programs, new learners. To me, Monday represents a boundless, shining future.
Sally Morton
Executive Vice President, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University
Your job is …
Knowledge Enterprise supports faculty and students to conduct research and discovery of public value accountable to the communities we serve. Our goal is to change the way the world solves problems. My job is to provide vision, strategy, and tactics for the university’s research and economic development ecosystem.
How did you know you wanted to go into this field?
I always enjoyed applied mathematics and trained as a statistician. I spent the first half of my career as a researcher with a focus on providing information that allows patients and their families to make the best decisions about their healthcare. Over time, I developed a talent for, and realized I could be more effective by, leading groups of researchers rather than as an individual scientist.
The most rewarding part of your job is …
Seeing the impact of ASU’s research, discovery, and innovation on supporting thriving people, a thriving planet, and a thriving society.
The best thing about ASU is …
The people and their ideas, energy, and commitment.
Three words that describe you:
Energetic, determined, and focused.
Favorite book?
Since this is your Women’s Issue, may I recommend a book by ASU Professor Lindy Elkins-Tanton—A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman.
Nancy A. Gonzales
University Provost and Executive Vice Provost of the Academic Enterprise
Your job is …
As provost and EVP of the Academic Enterprise, I oversee everything that is “academic” at ASU. This includes all undergraduate and graduate degree programs and everything it takes to enroll and support the success of our students, now numbering over 177,000; 17 colleges operating on four metro Phoenix campuses and in other locations, such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Hawaii, and in partnership with universities all over the world; as well as more than 5,000 faculty. The academic enterprise includes a stellar team of deans, vice provosts, and vice presidents who each lead their own innovative teams and academic units that keep ASU at the forefront of education, research, and service to Arizona, nationally and globally.
How did you know you wanted to go into this field?
I am a psychologist by training, and I have always been fascinated by human potential and the opportunities and conditions we all need to thrive. Although I did not set out to become a higher education administrator, higher education and the role of provost is one of the best ways I know to support human development and talent on a daily basis.
On your bucket list?
Some day in the future I will start in a place I haven’t been yet, maybe Machu Picchu, and continue traveling with my husband for a year without any idea where we might go next.
