Franke Honors Pinnacle is an opportunity for students to present their research and creative projects to friends, family, and the broader University of Arizona community, with poster boards chronicling their entire journey from concept to finish. The presenters represent a mix of different projects from a wide range of disciplines—from fourth-year Wildcats presenting their long-awaited theses, to first-year, second-year, and transfer students who wanted to get a jumpstart on their research through the Franke Honors Quest program.

Receiving a scholarship can have a huge impact on your college trajectory. It can lead you to explore new places and areas of study that might have otherwise not been possible due to finances and allow you to gain access to pivotal experiences. The process of applying for scholarships can be very simple. Some of our internal scholarships only require you to answer three questions! But it can also be rigorous, requiring applicants to jump through a series of hoops, including essays, interviews, and sometimes tests.

On March 28, The W.A. Franke Honors College will be hosting Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and theatrical producer Jose Antonio Vargas, for an evening of sharing & book signing. Vargas is acclaimed for being a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, as well as, in 2011, revealing his own identity as one of the most well-known undocumented citizens in the United States.

The W.A. Franke Honors College acknowledged Chair Shelly Lowe as the 2022-23 Alumni of the Year, one of her numerous accomplishments, at a reception preceding the University of Arizona Alumni of the Year luncheon. Interim Dean Pollard congratulated Lowe, and presented her with an award for her significant contributions and accomplishments that embody the mission of the W.A. Franke Honors College.

The beginning of February marks the start of Black History Month, and we are kicking off this monumental month with some exciting events in and around the W.A. Franke Honors College including highlighting Black innovation, cinema, culture, movement, and more!  

On January 24, 2023 the Pima County Board of Supervisors held a meeting where Dr. Cheree Meeks, W.A. Franke Honors College Assistant Dean of Programs, Diversity, and Inclusion, was invited to accept the proclamation for Black History Month in Pima County. Dr. Meeks also serves as the president of the NAACP - Tucson Branch.

UR Inspiration is a collaborative project between Florida International University, the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico. It is designed to support and showcase the diverse and powerful research capabilities of undergraduate students around the world. Join the free virtual symposium on February 7!

Franke Honors Assistant Director of Admissions Alex Nuñez will be speaking at the Tucson Desert Art Museum, with a reception to follow. Other featured guests at the reception include Rafael Barcelo Durazo, Consul de Mexico, and Eddie Leon, former professional baseball player for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo and the New York Yankees, and a former University of Arizona Men’s Baseball team member. 

Earlier this semester, W.A. Franke Honors College students Savanna Saunders and Dorothea Stephenson were honored as scholarship recipients at the NAACP-Tucson Branch’s 2022 Freedom Fund Banquet. The scholarship included a financial award as well as a year membership with the NAACP. 

Earlier this month, Franke Honors Associate Professor of Practice Dr. Victor Braitberg was awarded the 2022 Price/Webster Prize, for his publication “Innovation on the Reservation: Information Technology and Health Systems Research among the Papago Tribe of Arizona, 1965–1980,” which he co-authored with Jeremy Greene and Gabriella Maya Bernadett. The Price/Webster Prize is awarded for the best article in Isis, the journal of the History of Science Society, published in issues three years prior to the year in which the award is given.