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:

• The board's partnership with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to launch the Arizona Hub for Agriculture Innovation.
• A new Regents' Grant supporting dual-use technologies.
• The launch of the College Ready AZ FAFSA Scholarship.
• A ticket incentive with the Valley Suns for FAFSA completion.
• An update on the board's civic knowledge general education assessment.
• ASU's partnership with the Department of Energy.
• An NAU student's selection for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
• U of A's partnership with Onvida Health to launch AZ's first rural medical school.

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 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.