The AZ Opportunity Podcast is a production of the Arizona Board of Regents and a helpful source for the latest news, activities and updates on how Arizona’s public universities are preparing tomorrow's workforce, advancing innovation and research, expanding access to education, and driving Arizona's economy.

In this special episode Regent Gregg Brewster hosts a conversation with Provost Patricia Prelock of the University of Arizona and Dr. Ben Schwartz, president of academic delivery at Banner Health, to reflect on a decade of collaboration between the two organizations.

The episode highlights milestone achievements, personal stories of impact and a forward-looking vision for addressing the evolving needs of Arizona’s health care system. It offers insights for policymakers, educators, health professionals and community members invested in building a healthier, more resilient Arizona.

Key topics discussed include:

• Expanded access to quality patient care across Arizona.
• Advanced academic medicine through hands-on clinical training and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs.
• Accelerated medical research and innovation, leading to critical breakthroughs.
• Strengthened the health care workforce, with a focus on primary care and rural communities through the AZ Opportunity initiative.

For more details and to read the full economic impact report executive summary, visit https://www.azregents.edu/sites/default/files/2025-10/Banner-U-of-A-one-pager-2025.pdf.

For videos and b-roll from the convening, visit: https://azregents.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/ABORPublic/EpVgOCisRtRFoijfnShA1PQBpJAZlclDCuJNrPD_9caKyA?e=hxAoa2

For more information on the Banner Health – U of A partnership visit: https://www.bannerhealth.com/celebrating-10-years-of-partnership

Stay informed, inspired and connected to the future of Arizona’s public universities by visiting azregents.edu and AZOpportunity.com.

The AZ Opportunity Podcast is a production of the Arizona Board of Regents and a helpful source for the latest news, activities and updates on how Arizona’s public universities are preparing tomorrow's workforce, advancing innovation and research, expanding access to education, and driving Arizona's economy.

In this news digest, we cover:

• Arizona Board of Regents Committee on Free Expression reviewed a draft of its 2025 Free Expression Annual Report.
• The latest on the Arizona Tri-University Recharge and Water Reliability Project including the research team’s updates from the 2025 Summer Newsletter.
• Highlights from ABOR’s latest Future of Arizona series convening at the Biosphere 2, focusing on wildfire resiliency.
• The board’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Education to lead national beta testing for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and ticket incentive partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Back to school campus resources from ASU, NAU and the U of A
• https://housing.arizona.edu/move-in
• https://housing.asu.edu/move-in
• https://nau.edu/flagstaff-campus/campus-living/

University spotlights include:

• A team of international scientists led by ASU has discovered 13 fossilized teeth in northeastern Ethiopia that date back between 2.6 and 2.8 million years.
• Governor Katie Hobbs recent visit to NAU as part of her statewide Arizona Promise Tour, spotlighting efforts to fill critical healthcare gaps in the state, especially in rural and underserved communities.
• U of A has set a new record for innovation in fiscal year 2025, reporting 324 invention disclosures

Stay informed, inspired and connected to the future of Arizona’s public universities by visiting azregents.edu and azopportunity.com.