Champion the power of design and the arts to transform ideas and practices in other sectors including science, health, sustainability and development
Focus on the academic, social and community well being of our students
Center and advance those designers and artists whose lived experience and professional work are historically under-represented or under-invested
Advance practice and pedagogy that supports design and arts integration into comprehensive, equitable community design and planning
Design and arts research
The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts achieved a remarkable milestone, ranking No. 2 in research expenditures for visual and performing arts, ahead of the University of Arizona, Harvard and UCLA, according to the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) annual survey released in November 2024.
Endless Games and Learning Lab
Endless Games and Learning Lab, a pioneering force in game-based learning and dedicated to creating scalable solutions that transform education worldwide, issued ASU’s first-ever game-based microcredentials. Nearly 100 were earned in courses, hackathons and camps — signaling to the world that learning through play and creation can now be formally recognized. Read the Endless Lab 2025 report for more highlights from the year.
A living canvas of immersive design
At the end of each semester, students and faculty from across the Herberger Institute present work they created at the ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center during the MIXibition showcase.
Changing Futures
ASU launched its Changing Futures campaign and is accelerating solutions to global challenges, with the Herberger Institute advancing design and the arts as essential drivers of a better future. Through the Changing Futures campaign, the Herberger Institute is investing in the creative power of young people and the emerging generation of all ages committed to a creative and abundant world. Join us.
A night of television and fashion in LA
The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts hosted Emmy-winning “Shōgun” costume designer Carlos Rosario alongside former Los Angeles County Museum of Art curator of Japanese art Hollis Goodall and Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) master artist-in-residence Hirokazu Kosaka. Rosario shared insights into designing period-accurate costumes for the FX series, highlighting the intersection of historical research and cinematic storytelling.
State-of-the-art spaces
The Herberger Institute opened the new University Gateway Building — a 128,000-square-foot space on the western edge of ASU’s Tempe campus that features state-of-the-art darkrooms, creative makerspaces, an esports lounge, expansive computer labs, and cutting-edge 3D printing technology, all serving the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. The ground floor offers retail and dining options, welcoming both the public and the ASU community.
Excellence in dance
Herberger Institute Professor Liz Lerman was honored as a Dance Magazine Award winner at a ceremony Dec. 2, 2024 in New York City. According to Dance Magazine, this year’s honorees represent excellence on and off the stage: “The dancers, choreographers and educators in this remarkable group of honorees are invested in work that often transcends the proscenium.” Lerman has received numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, a Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, a United States Artists Ford Fellowship in Dance and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
‘From Earth to Sky’
Wanda Dalla Costa, director and founder of the Indigenous Design Collaborative at The Design School and Institute Professor, was featured in “From Earth to Sky,” a documentary about Indigenous architects and how they incorporate their communities into their designs.
DBR Lab
Institute Professor Daniel Bernard Roumain and his DBR Lab presented their annual spring showcase at National Sawdust in New York City. DBR Lab is a project-based learning experience that empowers cross-disciplinary arts students to develop and present their work on national stages and screens.
Let’s Be Better Humans
Bruce Mau, Institute Professor and professor of practice, helped lead the inaugural Let’s Be Better Humans community meal, a gathering to celebrate the dedication and work of ASU InnovationSpace students as they tackle the complex challenge of homelessness through design and innovation. Inspired by the documentary “I Have A Name,” which follows photographer Jon Linton’s journey capturing the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness in Phoenix, the event was a collaboration between Theorem Media, the film’s executive producer, Massive Change Network, and ASU InnovationSpace students.
Power of design and the arts
After joining the Herberger Institute as the new dean and senior vice provost at ASU, Renée Cheng spoke with NPR affiliate KJZZ about her vision for integrating design and the arts into broader societal challenges, emphasizing creativity as a tool for innovation and collaboration. Her leadership aims to expand opportunities for students and artists to engage in transformative work that bridges disciplines and communities.
Fulbright scholars
Two students from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts were awarded Fulbright scholarships for the 2024–25 academic year. Kendon Jung, a doctoral student in design, environment and the arts at The Design School, is the manager of ASU’s Zero Waste initiative and is studying how service designers advance sustainability outcomes in Cologne, Germany, with Birgit Mager at the Koln International School of Design. Jung also received his master’s degree at ASU and is a graduate of Barrett, The Honors College. Morgan Sutherland, who completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at ASU in 2024, was enrolled in the marimba apprenticeship program with Katarzyna Mycka at the Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk, Poland. The Fulbright program is the largest and most prestigious academic exchange fellowship in the world.
*Faculty and staff numbers are accurate as of October 2025. Student numbers are accurate as of September 2025. Philanthropic impact and research numbers reflect the FY 2024-25. Some numbers were rounded.