Celebrating Honorary Degree Recipients

Congratulations to the 2025 Honorary Degree Recipients: Ginny L. Clements, Honorary Doctor of Science; William A. Franke, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters; and Mark Smith, Honorary Doctor of Science.

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Ginny L. Clements received an honorary Doctor of Science from the College of Medicine – Tucson Department of Pediatrics. Clements is a Tucson businesswoman whose philanthropy has benefited cancer research, athletic initiatives and art programs at the U of A. She has made gifts to the Ginny L. Clements Academic Center, the Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute, the Ginny Clements Breast Cancer Research Fund, the William M. "Bill" Clements Golf Center, the Lute Olson statue at McKale Center, the Dr. David Alberts Endowed Fellowship for Cancer Prevention and the Men's Basketball Excellence Operations. Clements, a breast cancer survivor, has served on more than 50 boards throughout Arizona and nationally, including the advisory board of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. 

William A. Franke received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the W.A. Franke Honors College. Franke is managing partner of Indigo Partners LLC, a global private equity firm that specializes in the aviation industry. He oversees several airlines, including Frontier Airlines in the U.S., Wizz Air in Hungary, JetSMART in Chile and Argentina, and Volaris in Mexico. He also serves as chair of APiJET, an aviation software platform, and CleanJoule, a sustainable aviation fuel company. The university's W.A. Franke Honors College was named for Franke following a $25 million gift from him and his wife, Carolyn, to support student scholarships, stipends and study abroad opportunities. 

Mark Smith received an honorary Doctor of Science from the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. Smith is a U of A alumnus and president and CEO of Smith Farms Company of Yuma. Under his leadership, Smith Farms has become a leader in developing resource-conscious farming strategies that promote sustainable practices in arid environments. In 2013, Smith co-founded the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, a public-private partnership with the U of A focused on research and best practices for desert crop production. Smith and his wife, Caroline, are supporters of the U of A College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences and were instrumental in renovations of the CALES Career Center.

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