Dragonite G. Morafkai

Courtyard Coordinator

Dragonite Gopherus Morafkai is the Flinn Foundation’s Courtyard Coordinator, joining the staff in 2021 in his first professional role. He holds a Bachelor of Science in geology from Northern Arizona University, Master of Science in soil, water, and environmental science from the University of Arizona, and Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from Arizona State University.

A Sonoran desert tortoise and an Arizona native, Dragonite lives in a burrow tucked into the Foundation’s east courtyard. In warmer weather, he makes daily rounds, providing facility inspection and morale boosts for colleagues, whom he greets with ground-level window taps, his courteous signal to request strawberries and lettuce.

Over his tenure, Dragonite has built a particular rapport with current and alumni Flinn Scholars, who exchange selfies for morsels of unhurried professional-development advice, e.g., “Stay grounded and remember that small routines can make a place feel like home.”