2026 SAG Award Winners

Arizona State University

Project Goal

THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY MODEL
Arizona State University is the New American University, a comprehensive knowledge enterprise dedicated to the simultaneous pursuit of excellence, broad access to quality education, and meaningful societal impact. To meet the ambitions defined in its charter, ASU has advanced GIS as enterprise-scale, connective infrastructure that leverages spatial thinking both within the university and beyond—creating change through campus systems, digital twins, regional policy, teaching, resilience planning, broadband equity and more. The integration of geospatial intelligence and the accessibility of tools and resources for academics, research and operations within ASU’s GIS ecosystem unites work across disciplines and scales, supporting the transformation of how knowledge is created and applied to solve complex challenges.
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Business Problem Solved

EXPANDING RESEARCH, ACADEMIC AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ASU has ranked as the #1 most innovative university in the U.S. for 11 consecutive years, and is first in the U.S. for advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Designed to operate as “one university in many places”, ASU embraces its cultural, socioeconomic, and physical settings, removing geographic barriers to education and research. More than 13,000 users throughout university academics and administration have comprehensive access to ArcGIS software, advancing a unifying framework that connects data, people and place, allowing for shared spatial context that enables real-time operational insight, strong cross-disciplinary collaboration and partnerships at every scale. This inclusive approach to GIS and spatial thinking amplifies ASU’s institutional impact, shaping the outcomes of work ranging from campus planning to public health, and supporting ASU’s recent growth beyond $1 billion in annual funded research.

Technology Implemented

DEMONSTRATIONS AT ALL SCALES
Arizona State University leverages the full ArcGIS ecosystem to power its most innovative institutional objectives. ArcGIS Enterprise provides centralized data management, security, and scalable deployment, while ArcGIS Online expands access through cloud-based mapping and applications. ArcGIS Pro supports advanced analysis and data development. 3D capabilities via Scene Viewer and ArcGIS Urban enable digital twins and scenario planning. Real-time tools such as GeoEvent Server and ArcGIS Velocity integrate live data for operational awareness. ArcGIS Hub supports collaboration and public engagement, while StoryMaps communicates insights and teaches through narrative. APIs, automation, and GeoAI extend functionality. Together, these technologies create a flexible, accessible, integrated platform that supports applications in campus operations, education, research and community engagement, changing futures at every level, from the individual to the global.

Development Team Biography

ASU teams featuring outstanding uses of GIS technologies include:
AZ-1 Maricopa County Broadband Initiative, ASU Enterprise Technology
Business and Finance Information Technology
Central Arizona-Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research
Decision Theater
Facilities Management Services, Utilities & Operations
Geospatial Research & Solutions
Knowledge Exchange for Resilience, Knowledge Enterprise
ASU Library Map and Geospatial Hub
ASU Library Naturespace
ASU Next Lab
Rob Walton College of Global Futures School of Complex Adaptive Systems
School of Conservation Futures
School of Earth and Space Exploration, Ronald Greeley Center for Planetary Studies
School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning
School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, MASGIS Program
Spatial Analysis Research Center
Ten Across Initiative
Urban Climate Research Center
W.P. Carey School of Business Master of Real Estate Development
W.P. Carey School of Business Department of Information Sys