Sally C. Morton tabbed to lead ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise

PHOENIX — Arizona State University announced on Monday that statistician Sally C. Morton will become the first woman to lead ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise.

Morton, who has spent much of her life working as a statistician focused on combining statistics and data science in health care, will head an organization that spends $640 million researching various topics such as space exploration and food systems, according to a press release.

She comes to Tempe after serving as the dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Science and has served as the chair of biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh as well.

Morton called joining ASU’s research arm a perfect fit, given her background in biostatstics and educational research.

“I’m tremendously honored and excited to be joining ASU,” Morton said. “There is no more important time than now given the issues facing the world to conduct research of importance to our society.

“We need to do so using transdisciplinary approaches, integrated into our educational mission, and in partnership with industry and our communities. ASU Knowledge Enterprise is the place to make this difference.”

Morton earned her bachelor’s in statistics from Stanford University, before achieving a master’s in statistics from the London School of Economics.

ASU President Michael Crow said that Morton will add her vast amount of experience in a variety of fields to ASU’s research efforts, making the university better in the long-run.

“Sally is an unbelievably accomplished scholar in her field and will bring tremendous focus, discipline and rigor to our mission of attaining the highest public value and impact through our research activities,” Crow said in the release.

Morton will assume her new role on Feb. 1, replacing Sethuraman Panchanathan, who left ASU to work as the director of the National Science Foundation in June.

Follow @KTAR923