Arizona State University Alumni

Army Col. Bryan L. Babich, an ASU graduate in criminal justice originally from Sierra Vista, Arizona, has been promoted to brigadier general!

Babich, the director of the Fort Leavenworth Mission Command Center of Excellence, is a career field artillery officer. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster; the Bronze Star medal with one oak leaf cluster; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; and the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster.

Congratulations to Brig. Gen. Bryan L. Babich! 🔱

Our next highlight of the Sun Devil 2024 Hall of Fame class is accomplished golfer Azahara Muñoz of Sun Devil Women’s Golf!

After graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Muñoz left ASU as one of the most decorated golfers in program history. Highlights from her college career include winning the 2008 NCAA Individual Title, helping lead ASU to the 2009 NCAA Championship and earning four-time All-American honors with 31 Top-10 finishes in 39 career appearances. Muñoz was a dedicated student, earning the 2009 Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year honor and twice receiving the prestigious Edith Cummings Munson Award, given to the top collegiate female golfers nationally who excel in academics.

Outside of ASU, she competed internationally as one of the top-ranked amateurs in the world and finished as the runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur. She also won the 2009 Ladies British Amateur Championship. Muñoz continues to lead a successful career with six career professional wins and a variety of titles, including her four Solheim Cup wins with Team Europe (2011, '13, '15, & '19). Muñoz is also a three-time Olympian, representing Spain in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.

Stay tuned for more information on the 2024 Sun Devil Hall of Fame honorees!

Sparky’s Touchdown Tailgate is back and better than ever for our first season in the Big 12! 🔱😈

Energize your Sun Devil Spirit this Saturday two and a half hours before kickoff when Sun Devil Football takes on Wyoming. We’ve got activities for the whole family, live entertainment from ASU alum DJ Peachy Keen, mouthwatering food trucks including Sweet Magnolia Smokehouse, LLC, The Diner On Wheels and Doughlicious Desserts, refreshments, photo opportunities, collectible stickers and, as always, an electric rally with Sparky the Sun Devil, the Sun Devil Marching Band and the Sun Devil Spirit Squad!

Come pregame with us: https://alumni.asu.edu/events/gameday

The final entry in our alumni head coach series is Kenny Dillingham, head coach of Sun Devil Football.

Dillingham, a 2013 graduate of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU with a BA in interdisciplinary studies, has been ushering in a new era of Sun Devil Football since his appointment to head coach in late 2022. A Valley native, Dillingham returned home after building his resume with a track record of impressive tenures at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and the University of Oregon, where he most recently worked as the offensive coordinator. In Oregon, Dillingham earned recognition as one of the most innovative and promising young coordinators in the FBS. He is also the first alumni in Sun Devil Football’s recent history to become head coach of the program.

“I truly believe the team we will build here is one that the state of Arizona and all Sun Devils can rally behind and be proud of, as it will take everyone in the Valley to help this program achieve the level of success it is due. I am excited to get to work, and I promise no one will work harder than the staff we will put together,” Dillingham said.

Read more of coach Dillingham’s story below and be sure to join us on Aug. 31 for the first football game of the season!

https://thesundevils.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/kenny-dillingham/5158

How many generations of Sun Devils are in your family?

There is still time to sign up for the Sun Devil Generations Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Breakfast with Sparky on Sept. 7! We would love to have you and your family visit Old Main and enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet, craft activities and photo opportunities with Sparky. This event is a wonderful way to celebrate with fellow Sun Devil families and create lasting memories.

Reserve seats for your Sun Devil family here: https://specialevents.asu.edu/sdgbreakfast

There's nothing more fitting than a monsoon on the first day of class! ⛈

To celebrate the announcement of the Sun Devil 2024 Hall of Fame class, we are highlighting these seven individuals whose storied ASU careers have had a long-lasting impact on their university.

The first Hall of Fame inductee is Sun Devil Diver and Olympian Micky Benedetti of Sun Devil Swimming and Diving. Graduating in 2010 from College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, Benedetti is an eight-time All-American and six-time Pac-10 champion. He set school records after winning multiple Sun Devil Swim and Dive events, and he was named Pac-10 Diver of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Bendetti also represented Italy at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics in the 3M Springboard.

Stay tuned for more information on the 2024 Sun Devil Hall of Fame honorees!

After seven years, Sun Devil Football is back in Lubbock to claim victory against Texas Tech. Don’t miss your chance to rally in Lubbock with maroon-and-gold pride, connect with your Sun Devil community and root for ASU’s victory at this historic tailgate! 🤠🔱

Join us three hours before kickoff for BBQ, drinks, raffles and fun and get a free, limited-edition Sparky rally towel just for Texas.

Get your tailgate tickets here: https://na.eventscloud.com/sttattexastech?categoryid=5405681

Sun Devil alumni at bat! ⚾

Join Sparky and fellow Sun Devils for ASU Night at the Arizona Diamondbacks as the Snakes take on the New York Mets Aug. 28. This special ticket comes with a co-branded D-backs x ASU baseball cap that you can’t buy anywhere else. Get your ticket today! 🔱

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/tickets/promotions/themes/asu-night

If you know a first-year Sun Devil, make sure to encourage them to head to the base of “A” Mountain this Saturday from 8-10 a.m. for Echo From the Buttes!

In one of ASU’s oldest traditions, first-year students meet and hike up “A” Mountain together to paint the gold A white, signifying a fresh start to a brand-new school year and celebrating a new class of Sun Devils!

In this week’s entry to our alumni head coach series, we are honoring Marc Briggs, head diving coach of the Sun Devil Swimming and Diving program!

Coach Briggs was promoted in 2021 after volunteering with the team to coach, organize and oversee home meets since 2011. Boasting a proven track record for producing and developing young talent, he spent 17 years as the head diving coach for his own organization, Sun Devil Divers, which focuses on the instruction and development of divers ages five and older.

At the time of Briggs’ hiring, the Sun Devil Diving program had zero divers, but that changed quickly as he welcomed two transfer students to the team in January 2022, Zachory Lundgren (Hawaii) and Thomas Wesche (GCU). Nearly two weeks after their arrival in Tempe, Briggs had readied his pair of divers for competition at Stanford and Cal, marking the first time the Sun Devils would compete in diving since before COVID-19.

Briggs had a terrific athletic career with the Sun Devils, where he was a three-time All-American and a conference champion from 1999-2001 and twice-named the team's Most Valuable Diver. Briggs graduated from ASU in 2002 with a BAE in secondary education (physical education) from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.

Read more about head coach Briggs here: https://thesundevils.com/staff-directory/marc-briggs/3869

School is starting next week, which means it’s time to show off our Sun Devil summer vacations! We are calling for all our alumni to submit their favorite photos from the summer, showing off their maroon and gold pride across the globe! And who knows, your photo may even be featured as our Sun Devil Family of the Month in the community! 🙌 💛

Kicking off the challenge is alumnus Mark Novello, a 2020 graduate of the ASU Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, with his 6 month old daughter Maeve (Sun Devil class of 2042). He and his wife Kelly live just west of Philadelphia, and spent much of their summer renovating their historic home and traveling to various beaches along the Carolina coastlines.

Send us yours here: https://forms.gle/AAZ2denBsgtz5G7D9

Sun Devils were well-represented in this year’s 2024 Paris Olympics, with 25 ASU Olympians earning 10 medals across 8 sports!

A huge congratulations to all of our Sun Devil Olympians for showing us the heights of excellence that we can achieve! Special shoutout to these Sun Devils who earned medals:

🏊 Léon Marchand - four gold and one bronze medal in men’s swimming events.
🏊 Ilya Kharun - two bronze medals in men’s swimming events.
🤼‍♀️ Kennedy Blades - silver medal in women’s wrestling.
🤽‍♀️ Lieke Rogge - bronze medal in women’s water polo.
🤽‍♀️ Bente Rogge (’22 BS in biomedical science, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) - bronze medal in women’s water polo.

If ASU was a country, it would be tied with New Zealand for no. 11 in medal count! 😈🔱

Grandparent’s Day is less than a month away, which means the annual ASU Alumni Association’s Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Breakfast with Sparky is fast approaching… and you’re invited! 🍳🥓

Join us Saturday, Sept. 7 at Old Main to celebrate your family’s Sun Devil pride while creating a lasting love for ASU with the littlest Sun Devils in your life. With a delicious breakfast in the iconic Carson Ballroom, photos and exclusive time with Sparky, it’s going to be a lot of fun for the whole family!

Reserve seats for your Sun Devil family here: https://specialevents.asu.edu/sdgbreakfast

Huge shoutout to Sun Devil Kennedy Blades bringing home the silver medal in women's freestyle wrestling at the Paris Olympics!

ASU and Sunkist Kids' wrestler Kennedy Blades wins silver in women's freestyle at Paris Olympics

In this week’s entry to our alumni head coach series, we are honoring Willie Bloomquist, head coach of Sun Devil Baseball!

Graduating from the W. P. Carey School of Business - ASU in 2001 with a degree in management, Bloomquist led a successful three-season baseball career at ASU earning 1999 Pac-10 Player of the Year honors, tying a 1998 College World Series single-game record with five hits in a game and leading a team that competed for the National Championship. He was an All-American in both 1998 and 1999 and finished his college career with a .394 average. He went on to play in the MLB and was the first Sun Devil to play for the Diamondbacks.

With over 20 years of experience in professional baseball, Bloomquist was named head coach in 2021. In three seasons with the program, Bloomquist has seen 18 of his players drafted into the MLB Draft and three times has his program overcome seven-run deficits to win a game, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since the 2000 season

We can’t wait to see more Sun Devil Baseball in the next season!

Read more about head coach Bloomquist here: https://thesundevils.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/willie-bloomquist/5066

There are just over three weeks left until the first Sun Devil Football game of the season, marking ASU’s historic entrance into the Big 12 Conference.

When Game Day returns, so does Sparky’s Touchdown Tailgate! Celebrate your ASU pride and enjoy free, family-friendly fun at our official tailgate celebration. This season, we’re including new events, vendors, musical guests and locations for away tailgates in Lubbock and Cincinnati.

See what we have in store this year and kick off the season with us on Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. at our first tailgate. We can’t wait to see you there!

https://alumni.asu.edu/events/gameday

Needing an escape from reality? Book a vacation to French Polynesia!

Join fellow Sun Devil alumni in experiencing paradise on Earth as you set sail for the idyllic islands and archipelagos of French Polynesia. Formed over millennia by underwater volcanic activity, Tahiti and the Society Islands – Mo’orea, Ra’iatea, Taha’a, Bora Bora and Huahine – are the perfect places to take a break from your daily life and immerse yourself in French Polynesia’s spectacular history, rich culture and unique topography. Enjoy the splendor of the South Pacific on this seven-night cruise.

Every detail has been arranged for you, complete with meals and luxury accommodations. You book the trip, we’ll handle the rest!

Learn more here: https://alumni.asu.edu/travel/2025-tahiti-french-polynesia-sail-roundtrip-papeete

It may only be our fifth-most represented Olympic sport, but that tide is changing! 🤽

Sun Devil Water Polo is continuing its rise this year with four Sun Devil Olympians competing in Paris! Since 2008, ASU has only sent nine Sun Devils (including this year’s Olympians) to the Games for water polo, resulting in a bronze medal from Rowie Webster in 2012. This year, it’s our third-largest showing!

Keep an eye out for these Sun Devils in Paris:

🔱 Blaire McDowell (Canada), ’22 BS in engineering, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
🔱 Bente Rogge (Netherlands), ’22 BS in biomedical science, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (pictured)
🔱 Lieke Rogge (Netherlands)
🔱 Mia Rycraw (France), ’18 BA in interdisciplinary studies, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU

Heads up! We updated the Sun Devil Generations webpage with a new section: Sparky’s Fun Zone! 🔱

In addition to upcoming Sun Devil Generations events, the page now hosts engaging ASU-themed games, coloring sheets, activities and videos.

While you’re browsing our new additions, be sure to RSVP for this year's Grandparents' and Grandfriends' Breakfast on Sept. 7 and download your exclusive colorable invitation. 💛🙌

Sun Devil Generations webpage: https://alumni.asu.edu/sundevilgenerations

Can you spot your chapter?

With 55 in-person Send-Offs and one virtual gathering completed, the Sun Devil Send-Off program for incoming ASU first-year students was a success this year!

Over 2,000 students received a warm Sun Devil welcome from nearly 400 alumni and Arizona State University Admission Services staff across the country. Thank you for being such a welcoming alumni community! 🔱💛

Sun Devil Women’s Golf has the most competitors of any women’s golf program at the 2024 Paris Olympics!

In fact, between our Sun Devil Men's Golf and Sun Devil Women’s Golf teams, the eight Sun Devil Olympians in Paris make up the largest showing of Sun Devil golfers at the Olympics in the program’s history. With 12 Sun Devils competing since 2016, golf is tied for our third-most represented event at the Olympics, making this the perfect year for a Sun Devil Olympian to medal for the first time!

If you’re a golf fan, you may recognize these eight well-decorated alumni of ASU Golf ⛳:

🔱 Carlota Ciganda (Spain)
🔱 Alessandra Fanali (Italy), ’22 BA in sports business, W. P. Carey School of Business - ASU
🔱 Alexandra Fösterling (Germany), ’22 BA in interdisciplinary studies, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU
🔱 Linn Grant (Sweden)
🔱 Azahara Muñoz (Spain), ’09 BA in psychology, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
🔱 David Puig (Spain), ’23 BS in communication, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
🔱 Jon Rahm (Spain), ’16 BA in communication, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
🔱 Kevin Yu (Chinese Taipei), ’21 BA in liberal studies, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU

What a history of ASU Olympic excellence!

ASU Olympic gold medal winners A photo collection of Olympic medal winners Arizona State University has produced over the past 60 years.

Track and Field is ASU’s second-most awarded Olympic sport, with 17 medals earned (10 gold, two silver and five bronze) since alum Bill Miller won silver in the 1952 Javelin Throw!

Keep an eye out for these Sun Devil Olympians going the distance in Paris🏃‍♀️:

Beatrice Nedberge Llano (Norway) ’21 BA in interdisciplinary studies, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU
Dubem Nwachukwu (Nigeria), pictured
Jorinde Van Klinken (Netherlands) ’22 MGM, Thunderbird School of Global Management