Contributors

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Host

Liz Evans

Liz Evans has over two decades of experience in civic education and has taught most of the social sciences in a public school setting, including middle and high school.  She has a BS. Ed, Elementary, and an M. ED in secondary History from Northern Arizona University. She is currently a doctoral student studying Educational Leadership. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in Social Studies/History. 


Liz was a finalist for the 2014 Arizona Teacher of the Year and a 2020 Teacher Spotlight for the Arizona K12 Center. She has worked with the Bill of Rights Institute and is now a Civic Education Program Director at Arizona State University. 


Guests

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Allan Carey

Allan Carey is the Director of Sphere Education Initiatives at the Cato Institute where he leads the organization’s efforts to engage grades 5-12 educators, including the annual Sphere Summit, on civic education, civil discourse, and the institutions of civic culture. With nearly two decades of experience in education, Allan has previously taught in high schools, colleges, and nonprofits covering everything from history, philosophy, and economics to management and leadership courses. Allan holds a BA in political science, history, and philosophy from Ashland University and an MA in politics from the University of Dallas. He lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and son.

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Allyson Cook

Allyson is a lifelong learner who has spent the past 12 years ensuring that students and teachers have access to the resources and support they need to thrive. Currently serving as the Chief Program & Impact Officer at Generation Citizen, she leads the organization’s efforts to scale an equity-centered curriculum, strengthen teacher training, and enhance coaching supports—all to empower students to be informed and engaged citizens.  


Before joining Generation Citizen, Allyson spent seven years at CollegeSpring, where she reimagined teacher training and developed a coaching model that built foundational skills for college and career readiness. Her passion lies in equipping young people with 21st-century skills, fostering character development, and expanding access to high-quality educational and professional pathways. She also works to engage families and communities in students’ academic success.  


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Anne Landers

As Chief Operating Officer, Anne Landers is committed to ensuring that the Arizona community has a high-impact and positive experience with JA, so the organization can continue to shape the futures of tens of thousands of students each year. She oversees all programs, external relations, and marketing, and leads the organization’s data management programs for donor and volunteer engagement. She has served on the JA team for the last decade.

https://www.jaaz.org/
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Dr. Andrew Porwancher

A native of Princeton, Andrew Porwancher earned degrees from Brown and Northwestern before completing his PhD in history at Cambridge. He currently teaches History at Arizona State University (SCETL).


He previously served as the May Fellow at Harvard, the Horne Fellow at Oxford, and the Garwood Fellow at Princeton.  In 2023, Porwancher won a national prize for mentorship—the Craig L. Brians Award—from the American Political Science Association.  

His writing has appeared in the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.  He spent twelve years on faculty at the University of Oklahoma before coming to ASU.

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Dr. Kerry Sautner

Dr. Kerry Sautner, Ed.D., is the president and chief executive officer of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, a museum interpreting the legacy of American criminal justice reform from the site of the world’s first penitentiary. The facility pioneered the large-scale use of solitary confinement in the early 19th century and housed approximately 85,000 people during its 142 years of operation. Today, Eastern State Penitentiary attracts hundreds of thousands of guests from around the world each year to explore the site’s fascinating past and contemplate some of the most critical issues facing our nation. Its innovative public history program draws connections to contemporary justice reform through an approach that values multiple perspectives, amplifies marginalized voices, and respects a broad range of visitors’ interests and learning styles.


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Dr. Sean Beienburg

Sean Beienburg, a Phoenix native, earned his bachelor's in politics and history at Pomona College and his doctorate in politics at Princeton University. Before joining ASU, he taught at Haverford College and Lehigh University.


His teaching and research focus on the U.S. and Arizona constitutions, federalism, executive power, American political development, and Prohibition. He authored Prohibition, the Constitution, and States' Rights (2019) and Progressive States' Rights: The Forgotten History of Federalism (2024).


Beienburg serves as Associate Director of SCETL, Director of the Center for American Civics, and leads the Arizona Constitution Project. He has also explored political themes in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and the Daniel Craig-era James Bond films.




https://search.asu.edu/profile/3326978

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Teresa Mungai

Teresa Mungai is the Director of Education Services and Impact at the Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE), where she leads statewide initiatives to enhance economic literacy. With over 20 years of experience in education, Teresa specializes in curriculum development, teacher training, and program management. She holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Economics, bringing a strong interdisciplinary perspective to her work. Passionate about empowering educators, Teresa develops standards-based resources, oversees professional development programs, and fosters key partnerships to expand economic education across Arizona.

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