Exploring Sustainability in Arizona E20

Thanks for getting connected for this episode of STEM Unplugged. Host Kelly Greene the Chief Operating Officer of SciTech Institute, a collaborative nonprofit organization making STEM connections in Arizona and beyond and Kaci Fankhauser, who is working to build the Arizona STEM Ecosystem celebrate Sustainability in Arizona.

During the discussion, guests share about the importance of the work in our growing economy and commerce in Arizona, their career path and what got them interested in Sustainability.

Listen in to tips from industry professionals on ways to make an impact on the lives of others, mentor students and collaborate with other organizations to launch SciTech Festival Events! The discussion encourages events, tours, showcases, STEM career panels and more.

The Arizona Sustainability Alliance (AZSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit action and advocacy alliance that aims to create and support cutting-edge, project-based sustainability solutions in Arizona through civic engagement, collaboration, and education within our four priorities: Sustainable Food Systems, Urban Forestry, Renewable Energy, and Conservation.

AZSA has three cross-cutting themes (Workforce Development, Education, and Youth) that transect the work that they do. All of their projects have an educational component and most focus on youth in vulnerable communities.

AZSA empowers Arizona citizens to work together toward more verdant, equitable, and sustainable communities. With the focus on youth, education, and workforce development, their projects go beyond impacting individuals and impact communities in the long term.

Michele Caporali is the Education Programs Manager at AZSA. Prior to this position, she was a high school science teacher for ten years in both Chicago and in Arizona.

She is currently working on her Ph.D in Sustainability Education at Prescott College. Prior to this she received a Masters in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins, a Masters in Secondary Education from Roosevelt University, and a Bachelors in Nutrition Management from Rochester Institute of Technology.

** The American Tree Foundation that Michele mentions in the podcast is actually the American Forest Foundation for AZSA **

Follow AZSA on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Center for the Future of Arizona brings Arizonans together to create a stronger and brighter future for our state. We listen to Arizonans to learn what matters most to them, share trusted data about how Arizona is doing in those priority areas, bring critical issues to public attention, and work with communities and leaders to solve public problems.

The Arizona We Want is a shared vision of success around what matters most to Arizonans that expresses their highest aspirations and hopes for the future. Arizonans want a world-class education for all, to live in healthy and vibrant communities, and to have rewarding jobs that use all our talents and help our economy thrive.

Arizonans are committed to stewardship of our state’s natural beauty and resources for generations to come, and believe in equity and justice for all. The Arizona We Want is based on the things that bring us together as Arizonans and on which we can all agree. CFA’s goal is to ensure that the public values we share are realized for all Arizonans.

Melanie Baca joined the Center for the Future of Arizona in 2020 to support the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Grant, including scheduling and logistics, communication and implementation support for schools, and support for the EIR Collaborative and the Project Management Team in order to ensure success of the project outcomes.

Before joining CFA, Melanie worked at Arizona State University on two U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) five-year education grants; a Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) project titled Ready-for-Rigor and a Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) project titled iTeachELLs.

Melanie began as an administrative assistant on the Ready-for-Rigor project and on the most recent project, iTeachELLs held the role of Business Analyst. On both projects she led the project team and community partners through the application of improvement science, monitoring, measuring and assessing change in teacher classroom practices and communicating the broader social impact of grants to community stakeholders.

At the heart of each project was cultivating a shared purpose by curating a set of experiences and connections around three main skillsets: building relationships, project evaluation, and managing the human side of change.

Follow the Center for the Future of Arizona on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At Arizona Public Service, their mission is to serve their customers with clean, reliable and affordable energy. As the state’s largest energy company, they power Arizona’s prosperity, serving more than 1.3 million homes and businesses in 11 of the state’s 15 counties.

They are focused on delivering an exceptional customer experience – with some of the best reliability in the country, resources to help customers manage their usage and extra support for those facing difficult times.

Arizona is a beautiful place to live. Together, we can keep it that way. They are committed to providing 100% clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050 and are already halfway there with an energy mix that is 50% clean today.

Palo Verde Generating Station, the nation’s largest clean energy producer, is the foundation for their carbon-free energy future. Investments in solar, wind and energy storage are vital – as are continued advances in energy technology and efficiency. Collaboration with customers, regulators and other stakeholders is key to their plan’s ultimate success.

As an Arizona-based company with 6,000 employees throughout the state, the communities they serve are also where we live and work. They are dedicated to their success and to doing what is right for the people and prosperity of our state – working to make every day brighter.

Charlene Saltz is the Manager of ESG Reporting & Data Analytics in the Sustainability organization at Arizona Public Service. Her role at APS is to lead the Sustainability team in informing and engaging employees, stakeholders, and customers about the actions APS is taking to accomplish their vision of providing a sustainable energy future for Arizona.

In more than 20 years of work in sustainability, she implemented and marketed energy efficiency programs, developed customer tools for self-service initiatives, and lead the development of enterprise -wide ESG business practices and initiatives.

Prior to joining APS, she spent time developing workshops for teachers integrating urban ecology studies into their classrooms, being a classroom and outdoor educator, and finding ways to make the world a little bit better than she found it.

Connect with Charlene on LinkedIn and follow Arizona Public Service on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Dorie Morales is the Publisher and CEO of Green Living magazine, Arizona’s premiere eco-conscious lifestyle publication. The monthly publication aims to educate, inspire and empower readers to make eco-conscious choices for a healthy life and healthy planet. Our Vision is a world where we leave the earth a better place today and for future generations.

A magazine veteran, Dorie Morales has been in magazine publishing since 1997. She started at Apartment Guide magazine as a sales representative and was quickly promoted to publisher.

Dorie Morales left Apartment Guide in 2004 to embark on a new business venture: partner in the start-up print publication Apartment Showcase. Three years later, at the height of Apartment Showcase’s success, The Apartment Finder purchased the magazine, and Dorie Morales continued as publisher.

In 2010, Dorie Morales partnered in her second start-up magazine, Green Living Magazine. The magazine was met with warm reception when it debuted, as it provided a functional and fun approach to leading a sustainable life, and continues to do so today.

Dorie Morales is deeply rooted in the Phoenix “green scene.” She is involved in many organizations that focus on sustainability, including the Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Forward, Local First Arizona, Arizona Foundation for Women and USGBC Arizona.

Currently, she sits on the board of the USGBC Arizona chapter and was a past board member of the Green Chamber of Commerce and has been on the Phoenix Final Four sustainability committee. In previous years, she served on Arizona Forward’s Environmental Excellence Awards committee, sat on the Central branch of the USGBC and was co-chair of the trade show, membership committee, associate member council, and Big Hearts for Little Hands committees of the Arizona Multi-housing Association.

Dorie Morales received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona in 1993.

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About Our Sponsor

SciTech Institute™ was established as the Arizona Technology Council Foundation as the conduit for collaboration among STEM industry, academia, civic, and non-profit organizations in Arizona. Now, rebranded and named the SciTech Institute™ the goal centers around aligning assets and resources to motivate individuals to pursue STEM-related educational and career paths or find a passion while engaged in community events during the SciTech Festival.

The Chief Science Officer program highlights the 6th-12th graders that have been selected as leaders in their schools and communities to receive training to build a world-class community of diverse STEM-literate workers and knowledgeable, engaged citizens. Science For All allows for tax credit donations to provide engaging experiences for students while RAIN (Rural Activation Innovation Network) focuses on resources for the rural areas of Arizona.

As a STEM Learning Ecosystem, SciTech Institute™ focuses on collaboration and connecting individuals with opportunities! STEM Professionals are encouraged to engage with the future workforce by serving as a mentor, leadership coach, panelist, keynote and session trainer during a variety of conferences hosted or sponsored by SciTech Institute™ and The Arizona Technology Council.

Teachers and Administrators are invited to connect with the resources available while activating a large network of STEM champions for student projects, judges at events, volunteers, exhibitors and more. SciTech Festival Event Coordinators are supported during the planning and execution of community STEM events around the state by the SciTech STREET Team Members and the growing network of volunteers. The possibilities are endless! SciTech Institute™ looks forward to connecting with you today. Visit SciTechInstitute.org today for more information.

Follow SciTech Institute on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Your STEM Unplugged Hosts

After grow up in rural New York and joining the United States Army, Kelly Greene learned quickly to adapt to her surroundings to be successful. She attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.

She also enlisted in the United States Army and after graduating from training, Kelly traveled the world with the military. While stationed in Misawa, Japan, she fell in love with learning about cultures around the world. Even as a deployed Soldier during Operation Iraqi Freedom for two tours, she found opportunities to connect with the local children to form the Victory Base Council Girl Scouts with her fellow servicemen.

In 2013, she was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and traveled the country by air. During this deployment, she had the opportunity to utilize the most advanced technologies available to the tactical HUMINT operations in theater. Upon return from combat, she retired with 21 years of service and began teaching. From 6th grade Math to 7th grade STEM, Kelly used her enthusiastic nature combined with her strong classroom management to design curriculum based on the Engineering Design Process!

Now, as the Chief Operating Officer at SciTech Institute, Kelly is excited to serve the communities in Arizona and beyond to share their interest in STEM!

Claire Conway is the STEM Ecosystem Programs Manager at SciTech Institute.