Science Outside the Lab explores the relationships among science, policy, and societal outcomes in a place where many important decisions about these things are made—Washington, DC. During the one-week workshop, participants will encounter and interact with the people who fund, regulate, shape, critique, publicize, and study science, including congressional staffers, funding agency officers, lobbyists, regulators, journalists, academics, museum curators, and others.
Why?
With the intersections between science, politics, and world making headlines every day, it is more important than ever for scientists and engineers to know how the decisions that affect them are made. Washington, DC, where $150 billion of federal R&D funding and countless policy decisions originate, is the perfect setting to delve into the complicated world of science policy. Scholars who understand the goals and implications of publicly funded science will likely possess an advantage when seeking jobs and funding. This program also will explore numerous careers in the science policy realm.
Who should attend?
Over the years we possess run different programs for people of different backg
THE LUMINOSITY LAB
Our Vision
To be a leading global force in interdisciplinary innovation, powered by an exceptional community of thinkers and doers who blend youthful creativity with advanced expertise. With our roots within academia, we boldly expand our impact, venturing into society and industry, fearlessly tackling complex challenges and creating transformative solutions.
Our History
The Luminosity Lab was founded in 2017 at the request of Arizona State University President, Dr. Michael Crow, and Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, then ASU's Executive Vice President of Research and currently the Director of the National Science Foundation. They envisioned an interdisciplinary 'skunkworks' lab, powered by student-led innovation, embodying a new paradigm of college-based R&D dedicated to producing cutting-edge solutions for some of the world's most intricate challenges.
Dr. Mark Naufel was entrusted with founding this initiative and under his guidance, what began as a small assembly of 15 students quickly flourished into a dynamic community of over 100 contributors, spanning numerous academic backgrounds. Engaged in tackling large-scale projects across sectors like h
The team explores emerging technologies, cultivates future-ready skills, and activates interdisciplinary collaboration to shape interactions and insights that positively impact society.
When Jesus Franco Yescas started his undergraduate classes at Arizona State University (ASU) in informatics, he dreamt of taking that degree even further. He wanted a program where he could not only use technology to conceptualize a better future for himself and others but one where he could create it.
Now, Franco Yescas is among the first cohort within the Media Arts and Sciences (Extended Reality Technologies) master’s program, where he is learning to develop the technologies and software used to create virtual worlds and immersive experiences.
In addition to his studies, he also puts his passion for computer science and creativity to work at ASU’s Next Lab — joining a team of studio associates who chart the future of skills and technology.
“The growth I’ve had while working at Next Lab isn’t only technical skills like programming and coding,” he said. “I’ve also gotten to do public speaking and learned to work with teams.”
Formerly known as Learning Futur
ASU SolarSPELL & Next Lab pioneer offline AI
Generative AI is already reshaping our collective future — transforming the nature of work, education, healthcare and more. And as the companies leading the charge continue to focus on online users, 50% of the world’s population is again being left out of the equation. Without meaningful access to the internet or strong digital literacy skills, 4.5 billion people are unable to take advantage of this world-altering tool to solve challenges in their communities and improve their quality of life.
The SolarSPELL Initiative is working to change this. Partnering with ASU Next Lab, we are pioneering the creation of offline AI tools for users in remote, off-grid communities.
Starting last fall, ASU students at Next Lab began tackling the challenge of creating an intelligent, conversational learning companion that could function entirely offline and on low-powered hardware (such as the Raspberry Pi microcomputers that power SolarSPELL libraries). The team, composed of student workers Ananya Bhargavi Kodali, Hrushikesh Pandit, Hithesh Rai Purushothama, Sahil Garg, along with executive director Dan Munnerley, has been using Lla
Next Lab
Enterprise Technology’s
We are a community offuture-focused thinkers and creators who innovate to solve some of the world’s most complex problems with future tools, skills and mindsets.
Charged with creating what’s next, we bridge the gap between imagination and reality by exploring emerging technologies, identifying future-ready skills, and activating interdisciplinary collaboration.
Dan MunnerleyExecutive Director and Lead Design Architect
Next Lab is part of Enterprise Technology at ASU, which provides scalable, sustainable support for the ASU community. Our work is firmly rooted in core values; we welcome students of all backgrounds and pride ourselves on being an interdisciplinary environment. Envisioning and building tech-driven futures with learners, educators, industry and global society.