PLAS Visiting Research Scholar and Professor, Michael Brescia, is a recipient of the 2023 Al Mérito Award, given by the Arizona Historical Society since 1973 for “outstanding contributions and meritorious service in the promotion and preservation of Arizona’s rich history.” Named for the nineteenth-century award bestowed on individuals by a newly independent Mexico for meritorious service to the Mexican nation, al mérito translates to English as “for merit.”