The SolarSPELL Initiative at Arizona State University (ASU), which began as a student engineering project, has been recognized as one of TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions. The initiative, which provides solar-powered library devices to communities in 15 regions worldwide, was selected in the “social impact” category.
This is the first time in the 25-year history of TIME’s Best Inventions list that the publication has highlighted inventions for their positive global impact.
“It’s really nice to get recognized at this level, especially in the ‘social impact’ category, because of the impact that our libraries have made in agriculture, education and health care,” said Laura Hosman, cofounder and codirector of SolarSPELL. “To have an organization with the reputation of TIME saying that SolarSPELL is one of the best inventions ever, at the most innovative university on the planet for 11 years, really means something. And of course it’s a team of students, every member of our staff and other faculty that made this possible. If you think of innovation at ASU, this is what it looks like.”
Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise, commented on the recognition: “This is a great example of how ASU explores problems through critical and innovative thinking — and develops solutions that are both locally relevant and have global impact. We are incredibly proud of the SolarSPELL team and thrilled they are being recognized for improving lives in such a significant way.”
Earlier this year, SolarSPELL also received the “best in show” award at the SXSW Innovation Awards.
SolarSPELL, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, started when Hosman tasked her engineering students with designing a solar-powered library that could fit into a backpack. Hosman is an associate professor with appointments in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and The Polytechnic School at ASU. She cofounded SolarSPELL with Bruce Baikie, an adjunct faculty member at ASU.
The devices are constructed from recycled plastic and create a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing users to download locally relevant content without electricity or internet access. Over 600 devices have been distributed globally, including to tribal communities in Arizona.
Baikie, who is codirector and technology adviser for SolarSPELL, led a redesign of the devices last year to make them smaller, more reliable, and resistant to shock, heat, dust, and water. “We wanted to come up with a design that was a little bit smaller and less bulky and had more reliability,” he said. “It was developed not only by my oversight and staff oversight, but we had student teams and other faculty members involved. For example, the external case design was done by a student in The Design School.”
Students are involved not only in building the devices but also in curating content tailored to each community’s needs. Projects in Arizona focus on health care, while others address agriculture and education in regions such as Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Oceania, Africa, and Syria.
SolarSPELL collaborates with local partners, including the Peace Corps and government ministries. In Rwanda, for example, the initiative works with Bridge2Rwanda Farms to train small-scale farmers using climate-smart methods. The nonprofit distributed SolarSPELL libraries to trainers who then shared information with 100,000 farmers.
“We are so excited because this was our biggest single implementation with SolarSPELL yet, with 70 libraries and 100,000 farmers trained by our partners,” Hosman said. “This is where the library can shine because we can reach people right now in ways that many didn’t imagine was possible — even the most remote farmers, even if they have low literacy levels.”
The project has also been deployed in places like Vanuatu, Ethiopia, Phoenix, and the Hopi Reservation. In Vanuatu, Peace Corps volunteers helped provide health-related content curated by ASU’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. In Ethiopia, trainers delivered units to refugee camp schools. In Phoenix, the devices support crisis response units with information for residents at emergency scenes. On the Hopi Reservation, culturally relevant information for cancer patients is provided through collaboration with local health services and ASU students.
ASU has been recognized as a leader in innovation for several years. According to U.S. News & World Report, ASU has been named the number one university for innovation for eight consecutive years, reflecting its ongoing commitment to developing impactful solutions.
In addition to projects like SolarSPELL, ASU collaborates with technology startups on other initiatives. For example, the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department has partnered with ASU tech startup Argos Vision to pilot smart traffic cameras aimed at improving safety through data analysis.
The SolarSPELL Initiative continues to expand its reach, working with local organizations to deliver information where it is most needed.
