PHOENIX CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
                September 2025

2025-2026 Board

President: Sydney Fox Fund Development: Marilyn Hayes Membership: Libby Worsley-Crouch University Relations: ASU - Judy LeMarr; NAU - Denise Belt; U of A - Janet Castner Recording Secretary: Kay Berry Treasurer: Anna Maria Matteucci Corresponding Secretary: Sophann Schleifer President-Elect: Andrea Mosely

Above: current Scholars from NAU, U of A, and ASU, respectively, in April 2024.
President's Message

Dear ARCS Friends,
Welcome to a new year of advancing science and supporting the next generation of STEM leaders! As we look forward to the 2025–2026 program year, we are thrilled to mark a major milestone - our 50th Annual Awards Dinner Celebration. Dr. Robert Spetzler and Mrs. Nancy Spetzler are thrilled to serve as our Honorary Chairs for this special event. Nancy Spetzler has been an active member of ARCS since 1989 and served as President of ARCS National from 2013-2015.


Thanks to the incredible dedication of our ARCS Foundation Phoenix Chapter Board
Members, an inspiring year is being planned that highlights work being done across Arizona in science and innovation. This year’s program includes engaging Scholar Speakers at our luncheons, in-depth site visits to all three of our supported universities, ARCS Foundation National Board Meeting at ASU in January 2026, and exclusive behind-the-scenes field trips to TGen and the Palo Verde Nuclear Facility. These events offer a unique opportunity to witness science in action and connect with the scholars and institutions we proudly support.


We hope you will join us for our first luncheon of the year on Tuesday, October 7 th at Paradise Valley Country Club, where we will gather and hear from University of Arizona Biomedical Engineering Scholar Kayleigh Berthiaume. Please look for the registration email in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you this year and feel free to bring a friend as we share in the mission - we are proud of what we have accomplished together, and are excited for what lies ahead.

Thank you for your continued dedication to the ARCS mission. Together, we are making a lasting impact on the future of science, and our chapter is proud to have awarded over $9 million to scholars since 1975!


Warm regards,
Sydney Fox
President, ARCS Foundation Phoenix Chapter
National News
ARCS National
 

The National Board Meeting took place in Seattle, WA in June. Our very own Jill Bray started her tenure as President of ARCS National. Jill has been a member of the Phoenix chapter since 2016. She says that "volunteering is simply part of my DNA" and has served as University Relations Chair and Chapter President in Phoenix. Read her "getting to know Jill Bray" article here and connect with ARCS National news here.   
Chapter News
 
Our Universities in the News
 

Once again, the US News and World Report ranks our universities highly in many STEM disciplines.

Among US public institutions, the U of A ranks:

23rd  overall
2nd in space science 
2nd in in water resources
10th in geosciences


ASU has been named the most innovative university in the country for the 10th year in a row (2024). This is a peer-nominated category indicating the recognition ASU has continously received nationally. 

ASU has also been ranked 36th in the US by QS World University Rankings. The highest scores were in international research network and sustainability.

Sources

U of A, ASU Innovation, ASU QS

 
Scholar Spotlight

STUDENT:  Lucas McClure, NAU

As a PhD student in Astronomy and Planetary Science, Lucas studies small bodies throughout the solar system. His research has focused on speciic populations of asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs).  This past summer, Lucas had a unique opporutnity on the Big Island in Hawaii where he was "at the right place at the right time for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". Read about it from his own words here.
Upcoming Events

All ARCS members are welcome to all events! Look for registration links in your email and bring a friend! 

October 7 - Fall Member Luncheon and Meeting at the Paradise Valley Country Club

register here

October 8 - NAU Site Visit

RSVP to Denise Belt before 9/21 by emailing beltmoore@gmail.com

October 14 - Palo Verde Field Trip

RSVP to Nancy Rink by Oct 1 by emailing turleyrink@gmail.com - field trip is limited to first 20 respondents

November 3 - Board Meeting at the home of Nancy Rink

December 1: Holiday Member Luncheon at The Gladly

Save the Date for the spring 2026 Annual Scholar Awards Dinner: April 24, 2026 Arizona Biltmore Adobe Ballroom
Member Birthdays

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

August

Stevie Eller - 8/8
Sandra Matteucci - 8/8
Jocelyn Stoller - 8/15
Anna Maria Matteucci - 8/23
Paulette Dalke - 8/29

September

Kate Thompson - 9/2
Sandra Seward - 9/6
Alex Shepard - 9/13
Marilyn Hayes - 9/14
Amy Moseley - 9/16
Bettie Crawford - 9/24
Kimberly Olney - 9/28

October

Betsy Thornton - 10/6
Libby Crouch - 10/7
Lynne Sonntag - 10/22
Sophann Schleifer - 10/22
Judy LeMarr - 10/24
Angela Oill - 10/25


Photo from Google posted in 2018 to celebrate the birthday of Dmitri Mendeleev, who created the framework that became the periodic table in 1869.
Scholar Update

NAU scholar Beatric Bock has published a paper in Communications Biology for her work on Mycorrhizal fungi. Beatrice is a Windrow and Templin Endowment Scholar. Read about it here. 

SHARE WITH US

Scholars - did you recently publish an article? Present at a conference? Spend a month doing field work? We want to hear about it! Please share with us by emailing hansa.magee@gmail.com - we want to feature you in a future newsletter!
 

    ADDENDUM

In the June newsletter, we mistakenly noted the incorrect name of a U of A scholar. The correction is that Madeline Dailey is our scholar name (not Christopher Dailey, which was printed in error).
 

OUR MISSION

ARCS Foundation advances science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to academically outstanding United States citizens studying to complete degrees in science, engineering and medical research.
 

OUR IMPACT

Since 1978, the Phoenix Chapter has committed more than $9 million to fund 1,317 Scholar Awards at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and The University of Arizona.

ARCS Foundation Phoenix (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists)
3104 East Camelback Road, PMB 975
Phoenix, AZ 85016
phoenix@arcsfoundation.org

a 501(c)(3) Non-profit Corporation
Tax ID: 86-0319947

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