Ann Marie Hess serves as the Director for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University, where she leads strategic initiatives in research development. Guided by ASU’s charter, which emphasizes inclusivity, advancing public value, and improving the overall well-being of communities, Ann Marie ensures that all research initiatives contribute to both academic excellence and societal good.
Her career has been shaped by her early work with Indigenous tribes in the Midwest, where she gained valuable experience in community-based participatory research (CBPR). This approach, which emphasizes collaboration, mutual respect, and inclusivity, continues to influence how she engages with faculty and stakeholders at ASU. Ann Marie applies the lessons learned from these partnerships to current projects, working across diverse academic and professional domains to address the planet’s most pressing challenges—from environmental degradation to social and economic inequalities.
At Global Futures Laboratory (GFL), Ann Marie collaborates with faculty to develop impactful, transdisciplinary research initiatives. GFL, which spans diverse focal areas such as food systems, new energy solutions, water, and human economies, is designed to ensure that humanity not only survives but thrives. Through her work at GFORDS (Global Futures Office of Research Development and Strategy), Ann Marie provides faculty with the tools and support they need to develop grant proposals that are competitive and aligned with ASU’s mission. She helps them integrate impact assessment, sustainability, and collaborative governance into their projects, ensuring that research is responsible, inclusive, and solution-driven.
Ann Marie is passionate about fostering partnerships that are inclusive of diverse perspectives, creating a collaborative platform where stakeholders can co-develop solutions that address global sustainability challenges. By embedding ASU’s charter values and focusing on sustainability, equity, and public good, Ann Marie ensures that the work of the Global Futures Laboratory has lasting, meaningful impact on both local and global communities.