The midterm elections dominated the news scene last week and seem to have left the newsmakers with a bit of a hangover. It is not that news is not happening; it is just nothing seems as satisfying as politics. The feeling I am suggesting here is indescribable, but it probably would be familiar to the Romans after festivities at the Colosseum. Just ask teary-eyed John Boehner, who after all of it just really cares a lot about the American people.
While the midterm results nationally are important, the Republican domination of Arizona ensures continued difficulty for the university as it tries to make its way through the minefield of financing a large, growing university. Yet in spite of the difficulties, potential for future growth can be found in the announcement last week that Dr. Werner Dahm has been appointed as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. The announcement of the arrival of an engineering professor to the university would likely not be newsworthy but Dahm is not just any engineering professor. Dahm comes to ASU after a two-year stint as the chief scientist for the U.S. Air Force. He’s accomplished, having performed widely successful rocket science research, and celebrated, having won the Air Force Award for Meritorious Civilian Service in 2008 — a replica of which can be yours through an online retailer for the low price of $29.95. Operators are standing by.
This is a big deal for the school. As stated in an ASU announcement about Dahm, he will use his military expertise to help establish “an institute dedicated to finding solutions to national and global security challenges” that will focus on “national defense, homeland security, counterterrorism and cyber warfare.”
While this is pure speculation, I bet ASU will house the new defense institute in the interdisciplinary science building that is being constructed now on the corner of Terrace Road and McAllister Avenue. The construction site is already equipped with military-like security: sets of video cameras mounted on top of poles around the site. Big brother watches, in four directions, with flashing red-blue lights that appear to be used exclusively to draw attention to the cameras. Could the flashing lights, usually associated with emergency vehicles, be distracting to passing pedestrians or motorists? Maybe, but it is a small price to pay to make the site look intimidating, futuristic and badass. In the same vein, one wonders if this building will be equipped with iris scanners like its neighboring Biodesign Institute.
Wherever it is located, the presumed increase in defense dollars flowing to the University from the creation of the institute is an interesting substitution for the endangered state funding for university education. Out goes Arizona and, apparently, in comes the Department of Defense. Why would the DoD be interested? Its creation helps the defense department leverage its budget and claim an increasing role in the funding of schools to combat demands for cutbacks.
While I’m opposed to increased defense spending, I cannot blame President Michael Crow and the University for trying to get in on the defense gravy train and funding shell game. This is not to degrade the work that comes from defense funding — ARPANET was key to the creation of the Internet — or at least all of it (i.e. smart bombs, water-boards). I just hope this defense institute, another potential gem of the New American University, is used for the former, not latter, type of work.
Dan is teetering on the edge of the gravy train. Push him at djgarry@asu.edu
