ASU Launches the ASU Center for Heat Preparedeness

Three months after helping announce the two-million-dollar federal government investment at Arizona State University that they had secured, Representatives Yassamin Ansari and Greg Stanton joined Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego in launching the ASU Center for Heat Preparedness.

The Center, the first of its kind, would, according to reporting by ASU News, “Develop solutions that will help mitigate the dangerous effects of extreme heat by bringing together researchers, community members, industry leaders, and policymakers to study how extreme heat affects public health, infrastructure, and vulnerable populations. The center will also develop actionable strategies to help cities prepare for worsening heat.”

Appearing at the launch event, Mayor Kate Gallego posted:

“Phoenix is investing in solutions to address extreme heat, but this challenge demands investment and action at every level. That’s why I was proud to join @RepGregStanton and @RepYassAnsari for the launch of the @ASU Center for Heat Preparedness. The center will bring together experts from throughout the university to help us innovate.”

Representative Yassamin Ansari said:

“We are here to launch the first Center for Heat Preparedness in the country, and I’m incredibly proud to have helped make this possible by securing a two-million-dollar federal investment alongside Representative Stanton to create the center in the heart of Arizona’s third district. We need the research, we need the data, we need the funding, and we need the coordination to prevent people from being in extreme heat danger. That is why I fought for this investment, and I’m glad to have been able to bring it over the finish line.

ASU is creating a place where research can be shaped by real community needs and where strong ideas can become solutions that save lives. Arizonans don’t need to be convinced that extreme heat is dangerous; we live it. We see it in our neighborhoods, we see it in our hospitals and emergency rooms, we see it in our power grid, we see it affecting people who work outside, older adults, families, and people experiencing homelessness.

So as we think about the future of AI and new technology, we have to think about the infrastructure that makes that growth possible. We have to consider our electricity, our water, and our ability to keep communities safe from extreme heat. That is exactly the kind of challenge that I believe that this center can help us tackle.

We need the research that connects the dots between heat, water, energy, public health, and infrastructure, and then turns that research into practical solutions. Arizona has been leading the country on heat preparedness; there is no doubt. I am proud to have played a small role in making that happen, but we cannot stop here.”

Representative and former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton posted:

“Extreme heat is already Arizona’s deadliest weather threat, and climate change is only raising the stakes. We have to be ready for the hotter future ahead. That’s the mission of @ASU’s new Center for Heat Preparedness. Proud to have secured $2.6 million with @RepYassAnsari to make it a reality, and to celebrate today’s launch with
@MayorGallego and Arizona’s leading heat experts.”