About The Event

The first Big Ideas Summit was a tremendous success, generating initiatives that transformed the Norton School’s capacity for teaching and discovery. Outcomes included:

1. The Marriage and Family Therapy M.S. program (launching Fall 2026)
2. The Financial Planning Lab
3. The Student Services Suite renovation
4. The Lundgren Consumer Science Lab
5. The Fashion Studio

In total, these initiatives, along with support for the HDFS graduate program, attracted over $10 million in philanthropic investment. Most of these efforts focused on creating physical spaces that enhance student learning.

The next phase is to leverage these spaces and partnerships to create meaningful research and experiential learning opportunities for both students and faculty. Big Ideas Summit II will bring forward bold proposals that reimagine experiential learning through collaborations with faculty, alumni, business leaders, and community partners.

Selected presenters will share their vision in a concise, action-oriented format designed to inspire collaboration and attract philanthropic support. Final projects will be ranked in order of importance by attendees at the Big Ideas Summit on 2/12/26.

Have questions about the event?

Contact Laura Scaramella at scaramella@arizona.edu