Building Leaders, Strengthening Systems: 15 Years of ArizonaLEND

Since its founding in 2011, ArizonaLEND has trained more than 840 trainees across dozens of disciplines, supported over 3,000 activities across 24 projects, and contributed more than 600 scholarly and educational products to the field. This year, for the first time, the program is telling that story in one place: a new Program Impact Report capturing 15 years of interdisciplinary leadership training.

The report highlights ArizonaLEND's reach across five key areas — workforce development, interdisciplinary education, knowledge dissemination, community engagement, and systems-level leadership. With many alumni sharing their voices, the report includes reflections from alumni and trainees on their work across healthcare, education, research, and advocacy.

Their voices speak to the program's lasting impact. Genetic counseling trainee Melanie Clawson credits the program with helping her "see gaps in my field that I could advocate to fill." Alum Brie Seward, now a nonprofit leader, says the program "changed my life." Special education alumna Dr. Nerissa Birdsell credits ArizonaLEND with helping her define her leadership identity, sharing that the program "equipped me with both the practical skills and the confidence to engage in systems-level work and advocacy." Across cohorts and disciplines, a common thread emerges: training individuals ripples outward into stronger systems of care statewide.

You can find our Program Impact Report on our new ArizonaLEND website:
https://medicine.arizona.edu/pediatrics/divisions/developmental-pediatrics/arizonalend