Universities are the real world! ASU is a massive economic driver for PHX metropolitan area, AZ & the nation. ASU graduated 21,000 students this year! More than 306,150 ASU grads work in AZ. ASU employs > 21,750 people (around 1/4 are faculty) & contributes $1.78-$2billion in state & local taxes - ThreadSky

mkfeeney.bsky.social • 43 days ago

Universities are the real world! ASU is a massive economic driver for PHX metropolitan area, AZ & the nation. ASU graduated 21,000 students this year! More than 306,150 ASU grads work in AZ. ASU employs > 21,750 people (around 1/4 are faculty) & contributes $1.78-$2billion in state & local taxes

Reposted from Evan Torner

There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.

University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.

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mkfeeney.bsky.social•43 days ago

ASU has an annual economic impact of ~$6.128 billion on the state's gross product. Since 2023, ASU research has resulted in ~5,000 invention disclosures + >1,500 U.S.-issued patents. But it's not just ASU, federal STEMM dollars (NIH, NSF, NASA, DoD etc) via universities propel Arizona’s economy!

mkfeeney.bsky.social•43 days ago

STEMM contributes around $199.2 Billion to the state’s economy. Including $30.8B Federal tax revenue and $13 Billion State and local tax revenue

mkfeeney.bsky.social•43 days ago

STEMM sector accounts for 37.6% to AZ's GDP. Around 1,495,877 people (34.2% of our workforce) are employed in STEMM. 53% of those working in STEMM DO NOT have a bachelor’s degree. STEMM is not just a university thing, it’s an economy thing! https://scienceisus.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/science-at-work-economic-impact-report-arizona.pdf

mkfeeney.bsky.social•43 days ago

Trump's cuts to NIH are going to directly affect people all over AZ, not just at universities. NIH funds more than just faculty research & students, it supports clinics, medical professionals, & hospital partnerships (e.g. Banner/UofA, Mayo-ASU) + general economic activities (e.g. med supply chains)

mkfeeney.bsky.social•43 days ago

NSF funding to AZ goes far beyond the walls of universities to create jobs, education opportunities & business ventures. Science investments mean education + jobs (janitorial, HR, supplies, etc). Trump's attacks on universities (via federal spending) will hurt all Arizonans!

mkfeeney.bsky.social•43 days ago

Arizona politicians, universities, scientists, & residents need to demand an end to the federal science cuts and attacks on universities. We all need to do more to educate the general public on the economic and social value generated by universities, education, and public investments in STEMM.

hermitshota.bsky.social•43 days ago

That’s a whole lot of bread 🍞

amarcklynn.bsky.social•43 days ago

People buy homes in college towns and especially university towns because of the amenities and the medical facilities available

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