Rebecca Gomez, PhD, is a Professor in the College of Science, the Director of the Child Cognition Lab at the University of Arizona, and one of our incredible 2023 Franke Academy of Scholars award recipients. In this episode, we discuss how Rebecca became interested in developmental psychology, her current research with child cognition, and the importance of sleep as a guiding principle in her classroom. 

Twins Elizabeth and Andrew Ghartey are incoming Franke Honors students who are planning to study engineering. Both Ghartey twins, who graduated from BASIS Mesa charter school in Mesa and have been admitted to the W.A. Franke Honors College, decided on UArizona after just one visit in April.

Franke Honors student Justin Begay transferred to the University of Arizona last year from Mohave Community College. He is now a rising senior at the Franke Honors College studying Psychology, and has recently been awarded two competitive scholarships, both of which have allowed him to make the most out of his Honors experience.

Teresa Rosano is an architect and professor in the College of Architecture, Planning, & Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona, whose award-winning work has been featured in over 300 books and magazines worldwide. In addition to her celebrated architectural work, Teresa has been recognized for her excellence in teaching. Most recently, she received the 2023 Margaret M. Briehl and Dennis T. Ray Five Star Faculty Award. This award is the only student-selected faculty award at the University of Arizona.

This fall, the University of Arizona W.A. Franke Honors College will launch the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) degree, inspired by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This transdisciplinary degree can be combined with a range of degrees to examine design-led innovation through a future facing and industry engaged curriculum.

As a contribution to the Center for Creative Photography's mobile app experience, CCP Interactive, W.A. Franke Honors students had the opportunity to correspond with Sir Paul McCartney, one of the most celebrated singers, songwriters, and musicians of the last century, and ask him questions about his late wife Linda’s profound photography career.

Franke Honors Assistant Professor of Practice Dr. Nadia Alvarez Mexia published an article on Pedagogy for Short-Term Programming. Her article examines the transformation in the design of international academic offerings such as student mobility programs.

In this inaugural episode of “It’s an Honor”, Franke Honors Interim Dean John Pollard has a conversation with Dave Franke, philanthropist and Principal of Franke & Co. They dissect change in its many forms—from change in higher education and business to relationships and technology.

Jayne Reines, a recent Franke Honors graduate, presented her thesis work last semester at a medical conference in Ohio. Her research explores the overlap of health and the humanities—how physicians interact with patients spiritually. If you are interested in studying this overlap like Reines, we recommend registering for HNRS 395M: Medicine, Spirituality, & Healing: The Rise and Limits of the Biomedical Scientific Program.

Franke Honors Professor of Practice Patrick Baliani has been awarded the Gerald J. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence. This award was created through a gift from the Thomas R. Brown Foundation in honor of Gerald J. Swanson, University of Arizona Professor Emeritus, and is given to recognize distinction in undergraduate teaching.