Executive Director for the Office for University-School Partnerships
Arizona State University Tempe Campus

Dr. Robert I. Donofrio retired after 18 years as Superintendent of the Murphy Elementary School District No. 21, which is located in Southwest Phoenix. Murphy School District has 92% minority students, 95% low income, 40% mobility rate, and better than 55% of its entering kindergarten students enter the district one to three years developmentally behind.

Bob, as he likes to be called, has been an educator for thirty years. He has served in the positions of Special Education Teacher (EMH, EH & LD), Special Education Director, Principal, Federal Programs Writer and Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services.

Bob serves on several state wide professional and civic committees as follows: Arizona School Administrators Association (ASA), Past President of the Board of Directors for CODAMA (The Community Organization for Drug Abuse, Mental Health and Alcohol Services), served on the State Superintendent of Instruction's Advisory Committee, Governor's Advisory Committee for Block Grant Funds, At Risk Coalition through the United Way, ASA Minority Affairs Committee, was appointed to a fifth 4-year term as a commission member to the Phoenix Excellence in Education and Youth Commission, is a member and Co-chair of the Phoenix Think Tank. He served on Governor Symington's Education Task Force Subcommittee on School Finance and Joint Legislative Study Committees on K-3 and school health issues. He served on the Board of Directors for ASSET, Co-PI for the Phoenix Urban Systemic Initiative for Math and Science, Steering Committee Member for the Phoenix Violence Prevention Initiative, and recently appointed by the Mayor to the Estrella Village Planning Committee and served as Chair, and recently accepted to serve on the Executive Board of the newly formed Arizona Business and Education Coalition (ABEC).

In 1992-93, Bob received the Arizona's Distinguished Administrator Award for the Superintendents' Division, and in 1993-94, he received the All Arizona Superintendent Award for medium sized district by the Arizona School Administrators Association. In 1996-97, he won the Mayor’s Champion Award for Leadership for his efforts on building partnerships and collaborations. In 1999/2000, Bob was named an Arizona State University/Motorola Community Fellow for his work in community building. Recently the Murphy Governing Board named a building in his honor and Mayor Phil Gordon proclaimed May 19TH-Donofrio Community Building Day.
Dr. Donofrio has presented at many state and national conferences on the subject of at-risk youth, reducing violence, alternative educational programming, social service networking and building community schools through community collaboration. In July 1991, the Murphy Elementary School District signed an historic agreement with the Department of Economic Security to set up a satellite facility in the school district.

Dr. Donofrio was recently appointed Executive Director for the Office for University-School Partnerships at ASU: a private consultant for the Just for Kids Foundation and is President and CEO of his own consulting company
He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education from Kent State University; his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Arizona State University; and his Doctorate Degree from Northern Arizona University in Educational Administration.

He is married to his wife Linda of 31 years and they have two children, Julia 20 and Jason 17.