W.A. Franke Honors College Academy of Scholars

Dr. Joela Jacobs is currently Associate Professor of German Studies and Director of Graduate Studies for the MA and PhD (dual degree) programs in Transcultural German Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Jacobs’ research focuses on the intersection of 19th-21st-century German literature and film with Plant Studies, Animal Studies, Environmental Humanities, Jewish Studies, the History of Sexuality, and the History of Science. She has engaged Honors students at multiple levels via teaching (including interdisciplinary, international, and collaborative work through the COIL program), mentoring, guiding Honors research assistants, and supporting students in conference attendance. Dr. Jacobs will leverage support from the Franke Academy to hire three Honors students as Research Assistants, one of whom will help her update the bibliography and website of the Literary and Cultural Plant Studies Network (LCPSN) and the other two to assist in reimagining content for her General Education German courses. She will also use the funds to support conference travel for all three of these Honors research assistants and perhaps other Honors students who are well-suited for attending conferences like the German Studies Association in Phoenix in 2026.

Dr. Matthew (“Matt”) Mars is Professor in the Department of Public & Applied Humanities. He is an award-winning teacher whose courses work to enhance students’ capacity to lead change in their communities. He is also an accomplished researcher and writes about community innovation with a particular focus on rural communities. His work with Honors students has spanned nearly two decades and multiple departments and colleges. He has mentored hundreds of Honors students, including many who are Dorrance Scholars (selective group of first generation students). He has taught numerous Honors courses and is currently teaching an Honors seminar as well as HNRS 371 (Creativity and Complexity) as part of the Franke Honors College – University of Sydney Bachelor’s in Creative Intelligence and Innovation program. Dr. Mars will use Franke Academy support to hire four Honors students as research assistants to develop a humanities-based rural community innovation mode, a project that will allow these students to develop unique skills in qualitative design and community engagement.

Dr. Bryan Carter is currently the Director of the Center for Digital Humanities and a Full Professor in Africana Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Carter’s research centers on how using traditional and advanced interactive and immersive technologies change the dynamic within the learning space, and he has involved many Honors students in his work over the years. His current work has also led to exploring the African American and expatriate experience through immersive and augmented technologies using handheld devices and wearable technologies. 

Dr. Zoe Cohen serves in the role of Director of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson (COM-T) Baccalaureate Programs, including the Honors Early Assurance Program (HEAP), an innovative partnership in collaboration with Franke Honors. Dr. Cohen supports an annual cohort of 10 outstanding students by working in close collaboration with the Franke Honors College and COM-T faculty to design and implement a comprehensive summer experience that includes a seminar series, research activities and a student research forum. In addition, Dr. Cohen has served as mentor to a record-setting number of thesis mentees, many of whom have produced creative and celebrated scholarly projects.

Alex Braithwaite is Melody S. Robidoux Foundation Fund Professor and Associate Director in the School of Government & Public Policy (SGPP) at the University of Arizona. He previously served as Director of the Ph.D in Government & Public Policy and is currently an Associate Editor at the Journal of Peace Research as well as Chair of the Political Demography and Geography section of the International Studies Association. He considers time on the W.A.Franke Honors College Advisory Board to have been one of the highlights of his service at UArizona.

Prof. Braithwaite’s research addresses three broad themes of international relations and security studies: the causes and geography of violent and nonviolent political conflict; the movement of forced migrants within and across international borders; and the causes and consequences of government uses of concentration camp systems. He has mentored and supervised dozens of Franke Honors students through independent studies, Honors Thesis projects, and research assistant roles. He recognizes the great value Franke Honors students bring to classes and to broader university life.

In 2018, Professor Braithwaite received the John E. Schwartz Award for Research, Teaching, Service, and Collegiality. He is committed to strengthening students’ access to meaningful opportunities for research and engagement while also committing himself to empowering students in their development of critical thinking skills and their preparedness for what an Honors experience can offer.

Rebecca Gomez is Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Success in the College of Science at the University of Arizona. She studies the mystery of how infants progress from a bundle of reflexes at birth to the abilities they exhibit in early childhood. Her NSF-funded research enables her to work closely with graduate and undergraduate Franke Honors students to address these questions.

Professor Gomez has a deep and longstanding commitment to engaging with the W.A. Franke Honors College students. This engagement is largely through mentorship in her research lab, overseeing students as they complete their theses, and engaging with College of Science Franke Honors students in the classroom and as Associate Dean. She appreciates how valuable Franke Honors students have been in serving as role models and mentors for other undergraduates in her lab. Professor Gomez has a particular passion for mentoring first generation and underrepresented students.

Professor Gomez’s colleagues and students describe her as the kind of colleague, scholar, teacher, and mentor people dream of—someone deeply invested in bringing out the best in those around her. She elevates student success as her first priority and it shows in her thoughtful mentoring and engagement with all students she encounters, including the numerous Franke Honors students who have benefited from her guidance and support.

In August 2023, Professor Gomez was featured on It's an Honor, a podcast of the W.A. Franke Honors College.