5 points of pride at ASU Polytechnic campus
You should not miss these ASU Poly sites.
Located in Mesa in the heart of the dynamic East Valley, the Polytechnic campus is home to students who are exploring professional and technical programs. The 600-acre campus has approximately 56 buildings in use for academic programs and student services.
If you’re visiting or if you’re a student who’s looking to experience the beauty of the Poly campus, then this list is for you.
Algae Lab
Look at all that green! Housed in the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building III at the Polytechnic campus, the Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology is the perfect example of green technology research at ASU.
Researchers at the lab explore ways to use more than 50 strains of algae as a renewable and sustainable source of oil for biodiesel and other bioproducts, as well as study many other potential uses for the slimy stuff.
Arboretum Date Palms
The Polytechnic campus is home to a rare assortment of 140 date palm trees, the largest date palm collection of any public garden in the U.S. Arboretum volunteers tend to the trimming, pollinating, bagging and harvesting of the trees, which are comprised of over 50 varieties, including Medjool, Black Sphinx, Honey and Halaway.
EcoCAR3
ASU is part of the EcoCAR3 competition — a U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors challenge for 16 North American universities to redesign a Chevy Camaro to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining its muscle. This project is expected to be finished up this year, 2018, so definitely try to see this and have a student tell you all about it!
Poly Garden
By producing locally grown food, the Poly Garden was created to spotlight nutrition while reducing the Polytechnic campus’ carbon footprint. Each semester, 12 Poly Garden plots are leased to students, faculty and staff to cultivate, and some of the food grown there is given to food banks. You won’t want to miss a chance to see all the wonderful produce coming from this garden!
Startup Labs
The ASU Polytechnic Startup Labs are covered from floor to ceiling in whiteboards (because inspiration can strike anywhere, anytime) and has rooms and tools for students to prototype and build their projects. And we don’t mean the kinds of tools you find at the big box hardware stores. We’re talking 3-D printers, laser engravers, 3-D wood routers and lots more. Students learn how to use this special equipment so they can start creating.
