The Franke Honors College is excited to celebrate this year's Mensch Prize winners! The Mensch Prizes at the W.A. Franke Honors College are given each year to students in the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) degree who exhibit the creative intelligence and innovative abilities exhibited by the microprocessor pioneer, inventor, embedded intelligence visionary, business founder and philanthropist, Bill Mensch, who, along with his wife, Dianne, have endowed the Mensch Prizes at The University of Arizona.

The W.A. Franke Honors College is thrilled to recognize Dr. Kristy Doran as the winner of the University of Arizona's 2025 5-Star Teaching Award. This award, funded by donors Dr. Margaret M. Briehl and Dr. Dennis T. Ray, is the only student-selected award that recognizes excellence in teaching across The University of Arizona.

Three Franke Honors students will be recognized during the University of Arizona Commencement for their extraordinary accomplishments in and out of the classroom.

The university's 161st Commencement ceremony will be held at Arizona Stadium on May 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Nominated by faculty and peers, this year's student award winners were selected based on their determination, notable achievements and positive contributions to their families and communities.

In this episode, microprocessor legend Bill Mensch joins the show to reflect on a lifetime of innovation—from designing the Motorola 6800 and co-developing the 6502 processor to shaping the field of embedded intelligence. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mensch explores the future of conscious technology, shares insights from his own AI model, and discusses how philosophy, religion, and science converge around ideas of intelligence and self-awareness. Touching on everything from the Super Nintendo to the GAIA conference and the BCII dual degree at the W.A. Franke Honors College, this episode bridges hardware, humanity, and the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Last week, the W.A. Franke Honors College hosted its annual research presentation symposium, Franke Honors Pinnacle. Nearly 100 Franke Honors students presented their work at Pinnacle, showcasing diverse research projects that they have been working on throughout the year. Outstanding research is acknowledged with financial awards for Quest projects, senior thesis work, exploratory mini grants, and other special projects.

University of Arizona junior Ojas Sanghi is one of 53 college students named a 2025 Truman Scholar. Every year, the prestigious award is given to several dozen students intending to enter government work or public service.

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Carter, Director of the Center for Digital Humanities, professor of Africana Studies at The University of Arizona, and an expert in virtual environments, joins us to explore the intersection of AI, XR, and digital storytelling in education.

On March 21, three Franke Honors College students presented their research at the Society for Applied Anthropology's annual meeting "Revitalizing Applied Anthropology" in Portland, Oregon. The panel, "Bridging Divides: Power, Ethics, and Engagement With the Criminal Legal System," was organized by Dr. Victor Braitberg, Associate Professor of Practice at the W.A. Franke College, and Dr. Robin Reineke, Assistant Professor in the School of Anthropology and Southwest Center.

The Franke Honors Ambassadors are forging impactful partnerships through service and fundraising.  

Franke Honors Alumni, Abbie and Buzzi Shindler ‘96 met at the University of Arizona in 1992 and look back on their college experience as the best four years of their lives.