Summer Camp

Description
Students are at the center of everything we do — and understanding what they and their families need has never been more important.

In this keynote, New York Times bestselling author and speaker Harlan Cohen draws on his work with students and families navigating the college journey to share what they’re really looking for — from choosing a university to building confidence and resilience along the way.

At ASU, we live a “win or learn” mindset every day. Cohen will explore how that perspective shapes the student experience — and how it extends to the many audiences we serve, from prospective students and families to alumni, donors, partners and communities. No matter your role, this mindset influences how we communicate, design experiences and build relationships and meaningful connections that support success at every stage of the ASU journey.

Speaker

Harlan Cohen
Bestselling author, journalist and speaker

Description
The hand pitchfork is the most flexible and ownable mark in ASU’s brand toolkit — and in this hands-on design workshop, we’ll put that flexibility to work.

We’ll explore how the hand pitchfork can move beyond a simple graphic element to become a supporting actor — or the star — of your designs. Working from provided materials, participants will remix, reshape and reimagine the hand pitchfork to create distinctly ASU illustrations.

Bring your creative skills. Leave with new concepts — and possibly a lasting mark on the ASU Brand Library.

Speakers
Sarah Hough 
Executive director of digital creative 
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Omar Mota
Multimedia developer
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Alysia Albrecht
UX/UI designer
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Visual creative

Description
ASU recently gained new insights from a refreshed alumni survey exploring how likely alumni are to engage — and what motivates them.

In this session, we’ll share key findings, topline insights and audience segments, along with what they mean for outreach, programs and communications.

Campus partners will highlight how they’re putting insights into action, offering real-world examples and practical takeaways to inform engagement strategies heading into FY27.

Speakers
Cassandra Saba
Alumni outreach manager
ASU Outreach Hub

Cheyenne Carolin
Associate director of market research and insights
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Saidy Cebreros
Marketing research and analytics specialist
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Data and analytics, Marketing strategy

Description
This session dives into the unexpected perks of doodling and how incorporating it into your life can be beneficial to anyone, even if you don't consider yourself a creative type.

Speaker
Jan Janiczek
Senior graphic design lead 
Academic Enterprise Communications

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Visual creative

Description
Every message you send — email, text or Slack — could become a headline. Walk away with tips for communicating with intention, professionalism and foresight while navigating public records, document requests and other realities that may make you a little uncomfortable.

Speakers
Kim Demarchi
Vice president for legal affairs and deputy general counsel
Office of General Counsel

Chris Fiscus
Vice president, media relations and strategic communications
Media Relations and Strategic Communications 

Level of session: Leveling up

Description
How time flies at ASU! In April 2025, ASU announced its multiyear, comprehensive resource raising campaign, Changing Futures — designed to drive more impact than ever before across six bold areas of focus. In this session, we will look back and ahead as we continue to fuel action, innovation and transformation for ASU from Arizona, for the world. We will explore what has been accomplished in the first year of the campaign and how we will collaborate to continue driving momentum in the years ahead. We will also discuss new initiatives in FY27, explore success stories from units and share how all of us across ASU can make the campaign our own.

Speakers
Stacy Bertinelli
Senior marketing manager, campaign
ASU Outreach Hub

Julie Krell
Vice president of marketing solutions
ASU Outreach Hub

Lindsy Manning 
Executive director, Changing Futures
ASU Foundation

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Alumni/Donors

Description
In a distributed communications environment, marketing teams are united by shared goals and recurring challenges, yet often operate in parallel rather than in partnership. This session highlights how the Student Success Innovations communications team in the Office of the University Provost strengthens cross-unit collaboration by developing accessible toolkits and highly customizable assets to support unique unit-level goals while advancing shared institutional priorities. 

By identifying common pain points when communicating about continued enrollment to current campus students, aligning with stakeholders and building flexible resources that anyone can use, regardless of design experience, we created scalable systems that reduce duplication, increase efficiency and preserve brand integrity. Attendees will gain practical insights into fostering alignment, expanding access and driving shared impact.

Speakers
Crystal Miller
Director
Office of the University Provost

Andrea Stark
Assistant director
Office of the University Provost

Jennifer Graf
Creative designer
Office of the University Provost

Isabella Martillaro
Communications coordinator
Office of the University Provost

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Visual creative, Communications

Description
Step into the world of ASU Print Lab and explore the latest tools, materials and creative possibilities available to communicators. As your partners in print, we’re here to help bring your ideas to life — from eye-catching displays and custom pieces to real-world campus applications. We’ll showcase what’s new and how teams are using these resources to elevate their messaging. Stick around for optional hands-on time to explore ideas and get familiar with Print Online.

Speaker
Kyle Pendley
Director
Print and Imaging Lab

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Events, Project management

Description
ASU doesn’t land among the top public universities for employable graduates by accident — it’s the result of intentional, student-centered design and strong connections to industry.

In this session, Career Services introduces CareerLink, a new platform that helps students explore careers, connect with employers and build meaningful relationships that shape their future. Learn how CareerLink supports ASU’s commitment to career readiness — and how it turns connections into real opportunities and outcomes.

Speaker
Sarah Lascuola 
Senior director 
ASU Career Services 
 

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Marketing strategy 

Description
Cut through AI hype with real examples from ASU. Learn when LLMs, RAG and agents actually work, how they scale impact across the institution and what patterns point to where applied AI should go next.

Speakers
James Hedges 
Director of data science
ASU Enterprise Partners, Data Analytics and Insights

Nishtha Wagh 
Assistant, data science
ASU Enterprise Partners, Data Analytics and Insights

Rahul Deshmukh
Assistant, data science
ASU Enterprise Partners, Data Analytics and Insights

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Artificial intelligence

Description
The Sun Devil Teacher Pack program brings the ASU Charter to life by equipping alumni educators with resources that strengthen classroom connections while extending ASU’s reach far beyond campus. This session begins with a focused 15-minute overview of the program’s impact, our cross-unit collaboration model and the targeted marketing strategies we use to engage ASU alumni teachers. Then we shift from presentation to participation. The majority of our time will be spent assembling Sun Devil Teacher Packs together, giving attendees a hands-on opportunity to actively contribute to the initiative. Come ready to roll up your sleeves and create ASU magic for teachers and the students they serve!

Speaker
More information to come

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Events, Alumni/Donors

Description
You’ve used AI to rewrite a paragraph or brainstorm a headline, but how do you make it part of your workflow? In this session, we’ll introduce CreateAI Builder, ASU’s tool for creating tailored AI assistants built around your content, processes and goals. Learn how it goes beyond public tools with secure, guided AI experiences that drive high-quality, consistent work. We’ll also explore an emerging ASU use case: a writing assistant being developed with the ASU Thrive magazine team to review content for grammar, AP style and ASU brand standards. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to move from using AI as a brainstorming partner to building AI that works alongside you.

Speakers
Saba Prasla
AI product marketing manager
Enterprise Technology, Artificial Intelligence Acceleration Product

Chris Hagan
Senior director, creative
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Artificial intelligence

Description
Stepping into a new marketing unit demands speed, judgment and adaptability. When two marketing pros effectively swapped roles, they faced a universal challenge: how to assess a new team’s needs while thoughtfully applying lessons from past success. In this session, we’ll share practical frameworks for distinguishing transferable principles from context-specific tactics, building trust quickly and customizing strategy without losing momentum. Designed for experienced marketers navigating transitions, this workshop offers actionable insights for landing strong and leading with impact.

Speakers
Julie Kurth
Assistant director, marketing and communications
Global Futures Laboratory

Jason Franz
Assistant director, marketing and communications
Biodesign Institute

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Project management, Marketing strategy

Description
This session explores how to reduce or eliminate custom CSS by strategically leveraging Bootstrap’s built-in utility and component classes. Rather than writing redundant style rules, participants will learn how to compose layouts and UI patterns using Bootstrap’s spacing, flexbox, grid, typography, display and helper utilities.

Speakers
Jeremy Bolanos
Web application developer (IT)
Academic Enterprise Communications

Rudy Mendez Cardona 
Web site specialist (IT)
Academic Enterprise Communications

Archana Vannela 
Web application developer senior
Academic Enterprise Communications

Chizuko Swanson
Web application developer senior
Academic Enterprise Communications

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Web/UX, Standards and management

Description
The ASUniverse is vast and, much like our own universe, always evolving and expanding. We have a robust brand structure that keeps our units cohesive and allows us to move quickly. But how do we differentiate between units while remaining aligned with the ASU brand? We’ll take you through a dynamic case study detailing how the Outreach Hub partnered with ASU Foundation’s Women and Philanthropy to evolve and expand their visual identity. We’ll discuss methods and strategies, such as incorporating the Brand Portfolio work, to define subtleties in unit tone, voice, audience and look and feel. Whether you're aiming to recruit or retain students, engage more alumni or attract more donors, we’ll provide tools to help you reach your goals.

Speakers
Ashley Erbes
Director of client solutions
ASU Outreach Hub

Amy Noonan
Art director
ASU Outreach Hub

Kara Nakamura
Visual designer
ASU Outreach Hub

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Visual creative, Marketing strategy

Description
Headlines, layouts, calls to action — we all have opinions about what works. A/B testing replaces opinions with evidence. In this session, we’ll share what we’ve learned from live experiments across ASU’s student-facing digital experiences, including wins, surprises and lessons that challenged our assumptions.

From reimagined degree pages to small but meaningful CTA changes, see how testing drives smarter decisions, strengthens cross-functional collaboration and improves conversion. Walk away with practical insights for building a culture of experimentation — and using data to sharpen, not replace, great UX thinking.
 

Speakers
Grant Stoltz
Director, marketing technology and analytics
EdPlus at ASU

Cristin Duerinckx
Associate director of product
EdPlus at ASU

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Web/UX

Description
Have you ever had two ideas for a headline, social media post, creative style or story and wanted to know which would resonate most with your audience? There is a solution. In this session, you will learn how to create social media tests on Meta and LinkedIn. We will also share insights from tests conducted over the past year.
 

Speakers
David Murray
Senior social media specialist, performance and analytics
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Danielle Swanberg
Social media director
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management
 

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Data and analytics, Social media

Description
Back by popular demand, join us for this lunch celebration of this year's "Best of brand"! We'll take a deep dive into the creative and what about it makes it strong. Come curious and leave inspired by your peers.

Speakers
Lindsay Kinkade
Managing director of creative strategy
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Sarah Hough
Executive director of digital creative
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Anna Consie
Executive director, creative and brand strategy
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Visual creative

Description
Last summer, the Herberger Institute demonstrated how we created a new design system and visual identity within the ASU Brand. This year, we will present a case study on how we implemented that system on the web. We are applying the design system across all areas — print and digital collateral, social media, email campaigns and video — but this presentation will focus on how our design and web teams worked together to integrate the system into our websites, including developing new home pages, assets for the web and texture patterns. This process helped unify visual design, UX design and ASU web standards to enhance our websites and create more engaging, user-friendly experiences.

Speakers
Adam Hunt
Creative designer
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Carolina Pesqueira
Web designer/front end developer
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Visual creative, Web/UX

Description
This session introduces a forward-looking framework for predicting student academic progress and outcomes over time — and shows how it has been implemented as an automated, production-ready capability. The talk explains how early-funnel and preenrollment signals can be linked to downstream academic progress indicators, such as credit accumulation and persistence. It then walks through the high-level system architecture, including how BigQuery and Vertex AI support retraining, iteration and scale. Finally, the session demonstrates how these predictions inform real downstream decisions — such as online campaign optimization — and how the approach creates durable value across marketing, enrollment and institutional strategy.

Speakers
Shrujan Penmetsa
Senior data scientist
ASU Enterprise Partners, Data Analytics and Insights

Venkata Sai Akshith Reddy Ganta
Student assistant, data science
ASU Enterprise Partners, Data Analytics and Insights

Claire Slattery
Director, marketing data analytics
ASU Outreach Hub

James Hedges
Director of data science
ASU Enterprise Partners, Data Analytics and Insights

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Data and analytics, Marketing strategy

Description
Thanks to ASU’s partnership with OpenAI, social media communicators across the university have access to the ChatGPT Edu plan — and it can do a lot more than write captions. In this session, you’ll learn practical ways to use AI to support your social media work beyond content creation. We’ll cover how AI can help improve accessibility, optimize content for SEO and SMO, analyze performance data, generate insights and support smarter decision-making overall. Whether you’re AI-curious or already experimenting, you’ll walk away with ideas you can start using right away.

Speaker
Monica Ballesteros
Senior social media manager
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Social media

Description
This session introduces Campaign Builder as a practical tool for creating more targeted and intentional student audiences. Across ASU, teams often reach the same students in different ways, and audience lists play a key role in shaping that experience.

We’ll explore how Campaign Builder simplifies audience creation, helps refine lists without advanced query skills and supports use with tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Attendees will learn how to build and manage audiences more efficiently while supporting more coordinated communication across teams.
 

Speaker
Sarah Foster
Business analyst senior
Student Success Innovations

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Marketing data and technology, marketing strategy

Description
Everyone likes to say, “We are data-driven,” but what does that mean for content creators and writers? In this session, you’ll gain insights and practical tips to inform data-driven messaging using ASU Thrive readership data, alumni click trends and a reengagement email case study that reactivated more than 15,000 alumni.
 

Speakers
Kari Redfield 
Director, magazine
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Renae Hintze 
Marketing content manager
ASU Outreach Hub
 

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Data and analytics, marketing strategy

Description
In this session, Optimizely will walk teams through building and scaling experimentation and personalization programs using Opal and web experimentation. A live demo will show how to generate ideas, refine hypotheses and accelerate variant creation within the platform. Attendees will also get a refresher on the experimentation UI and best practices for integrating Opal into daily workflows.

Speaker
Cam Hayes
Principal strategy consultant
Optimizely

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Data and analytics

Description
Learn how to align campaign goals — awareness, enrollments and applications, engagement — with the right success metrics, including reach, impressions, traffic and conversions. We’ll review how platforms define audiences and guide you in building segments tied to budget and timeline. This hands-on session includes creating a persona based on real campaign scenarios.

Speakers
Glenn Fuller
Digital media specialist 
ASU Outreach Hub

Lynae Berryhill
Paid media coordinator 
ASU Outreach Hub

Philip Moses
Digital media strategist 
ASU Outreach Hub

Riley Snow
Media associate
ASU Outreach Hub

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Marketing strategy, Data and analytics

Description
This session is for brand creatives who want their marketing visuals to do more than just look good. We’ll explore how intentional pattern design can strengthen brand identity, support storytelling and create cohesive marketing systems. You’ll learn the fundamentals of brand pattern strategy, from concept development to visual consistency, and see real examples of how patterns move from aesthetic to purposeful. After a guided overview, we’ll shift into a hands-on workshop where you’ll design your own brand pattern system and apply what you’ve learned in real time. Come ready to think strategically, experiment creatively and leave with something you actually made.

Speakers
Candy Choi
Design director
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Rik Boberg
Asstant director, design
Academic Enterprise Communications

Andrea Hodges
Graphic designer lead
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Adam Hunt
Creative designer
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Silvia Neretti
Graphic designer
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Visual creative, Standards and management

Description
ASU’s degree pages are a defining moment in the decision process — where prospective students determine whether they can truly see themselves here. Today’s learners are in different life stages: recent high school graduates, transfer students, working adults and career changers studying on campus or online. Our pages must reflect that reality. Through cross-enterprise collaboration between EdPlus, AE Comms, Enterprise Technology and the Office of the University Provost, we identified what matters most, redesigned the experience, validated it with users and launched an A/B test. In this session, we’ll share the framework we used so you can strengthen your own high-stakes digital decision points.
 

Speakers
Cristin Duerinckx
Associate director of product
EdPlus at ASU

Katie Jensen Ord
Director, curriculum development
Office of the University Provost

Kirsten Rutherford 
Associate director of user experience
EdPlus at ASU

Kevin Kovaleski
Associate vice president
Academic Enterprise Communications

Anna Consie 
Executive director, creative and brand strategy
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management
 

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Web/UX

Description
In this session, the ASU Alumni Association will walk attendees through the full lifecycle of a trackable link, from setup to storytelling. The session will demonstrate how custom, trackable Stova links are built to capture meaningful engagement data across social platforms and how those links are used in real-world social media reporting to evaluate campaign performance, optimize content strategy and clearly communicate impact to stakeholders. Attendees will leave with a practical understanding of how tracking links connect social media activity to measurable outcomes and how to use that data to make smarter marketing decisions.

Speakers
Gabriella Herran
Social media manager
ASU Alumni Association 

Parker Storry
Program manager
ASU Alumni Association

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Data and analytics, Events

Description
AI is everywhere — but how are students actually using and thinking about it?

While many Gen Z students are eager adopters of AI, Gallup research shows rising skepticism among 14- to 29-year-olds. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication invited students to voice their AI aspirations and worries in a visual display this April. Using the Principled Innovation framework, the school synthesized those insights into strategic areas for moving forward. We discuss what we learned and what other units might consider as a result.

Speaker
Melanie Alvarez
Assistant dean, assistant teaching professor
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Student experience, Artificial intelligence 

Description
This session is for early outreach and recruitment teams looking to better use Salesforce. Beyond cases, calls and reports, you’ll learn how to use built-in tools to grow your applicant pool and strengthen relationships with prospects. This beginner workshop covers key features, best practices and how recruitment actions connect to support prospective and future students.

Speaker
Yazmin Reyes
Assistant director of recruitment
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Email

Description
Retirement-ready Boomer colleagues? Check. High-anxiety Alphas wanting to change the world? Check. Millennial parents? Check. Gen Xers, often in the middle, are just glad to be remembered. And Gen Z is entering the workplace.

Every day requires shifting communication and management styles. In this session, learn what drives generational decision-making, communication and leadership styles. Walk away with practical strategies to work more effectively with students, families and colleagues.

Speakers
April Crabtree
Associate vice president
Academic Enterprise Enrollment

Charlotte Bentz
Program manager
Admission Services, Student engagement, visits and events

Evan Lis 
Coordinator, international recruitment
PRV Admission Services - International Recruitment Initiatives I

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Recruiting and admissions

Description
An inside look at how coordinated communications can support rankings performance before and during the voting cycle — and how to effectively amplify results once released. Panelists will share best practices and lessons learned.

Speakers
Kourtney Kelley 
Director, strategic communications and media relations
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Craig Smith
Director, strategic marketing and communications 
Ira Fulton Schools of Engineering 

Scott Brenden 
Assistant director, analytics
Office of the University Provost

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Email, Social media

Description
We all have access to data — but using it to make better decisions is where the real shift happens.
In this panel conversation, ASU marketers share how data and insights have changed the way they plan, prioritize and measure their work, including real examples from Sun Devil Athletics. Hear what decisions looked like before, what changed and what impact followed.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your approach, this session will help you move from having data to actually using it to drive outcomes.
 

Speakers
Brandon Buser 
Senior director
Sun Devil Athletics Business Insights, Department of Marketing

Tanya Amos
Director, digital experience
Arizona State University

Kyle Rassel
Senior director, marketing operations
ASU Learning Enterprise

Claire Slattery
Director, marketing data analytics
ASU Outreach Hub

Jonathan Carroll
Senior director, marketing technology
ASU Enterprise Partners 

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Data and analytics , Marketing strategy

Description
Some communications strategies build trust and amplify your story. Others quietly undermine your brand. Modeled after the show "The Traitors," this session turns brand communication into a game of strategy, asking participants to identify which tactics deserve loyalty — and which should be banished. From social media and newsletters to media relations and AI-driven SEO content, attendees will explore how to distinguish their brand, engage audiences across platforms and ensure their message survives in an increasingly competitive communications environment.

Speakers
Kourtney Kelley
Director of strategic communications and media relations
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Andrea Estrada
Senior digital communications specialist
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Elise Llamas
Email marketing coordinator
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Nathan Stetson
Web content editor
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
 

Level of session: Leveling up

Category: Web/UX, Email

Description
Explore how empowering student workers through a scalable and sustainable system transforms student employment into a high-impact, career-building model that moves both students and the institution toward ideal marketing outcomes and career readiness.
 

Speakers
Olivia Diem 
Social media manager, creative and operations
Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management 

Kaitlyn Beickel
Assistant director, digital content and social media 
Educational Outreach and Student Services 

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Social media, Project management

Description
This presentation will cover how communicators can apply the university design aspiration of being socially embedded to their work as a daily practice, empowering them to connect the dots, partner on developing new programs and contribute to impactful work that drives the university forward through powerful storytelling.

Speakers
Matthew Oxford
Assistant director, strategic marketing and communications
Rob Walton College of Global Futures

Christina Ngo
Assistant vice president, Social Embeddedness
Office of University Affairs

Julia Davis
Fellow, Principled Innovation and Social Embeddedness
Office of University Affairs

Level of session: Foundations

Category: Alumni/Donors, Marketing strategy