Pictured at the award ceremony, left to right: Dr. John Pollard, Sue Vaughn, Dr. Mari Ricker, Bob Vaughn, Dr. Michael Abecassis.

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (AWCIM) is proud to announce that Dr. Mari Ricker, award-winning physician, professor and Director of the Integrative Medicine in Residency Program, has been installed as the inaugural SueBob Vaughan Leaders Endowed Chair at the W.A. Franke Honors College.

Dr. Ricker was formally installed on August 18 during a ceremony at the Arizona Inn, where she received a medallion recognizing her appointment.

“Dr. Ricker’s appointment marks a new chapter for Franke Honors students,” said Franke Dean John Pollard. “One that will be marked by an emphasis on explicitly supporting holistic beyond the classroom and further cultivating future leaders in health care and integrative healthcare.”

A Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and a board-certified family medicine practitioner, Dr. Ricker has devoted her career to medical education and to helping undergraduate students, residents and faculty members learn to care for themselves as healers. At AWCIM, she serves as Director of the Integrative Medicine in Residency Program, where she helps advance the Center’s mission to transform health care through integrative medicine education and whole-person care.

Her new role as Endowed Chair closely aligns with that mission, providing an opportunity to bring principles of holistic health and wellness to undergraduate education while creating new connections among the Franke Honors College, the College of Medicine – Tucson and the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.

"It is an incredible honor to serve as the inaugural SueBob Vaughan Leaders Endowed Chair. The undergraduate years are a formative time in a person's life, and I am grateful to the Vaughans for their vision of supporting students' lifelong well-being," said Ricker. "This enduring partnership with the W.A. Franke Honors College reflects the kind of collaboration that strengthens the University of Arizona and creates new opportunities for students to benefit from expertise across disciplines.”

The SueBob Vaughan Leaders Endowed Chair was established through a $2 million gift from Drs. Bob and Sue Vaughan last fall.

The Vaughans are remarkable community leaders with longstanding backgrounds in healthcare and research. Since 2014, their generous philanthropy has created incredible opportunities for students across the University of Arizona, including endowed scholarships within the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, the College of Science, the College of Nursing, the W.A. Franke Honors College, and the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.

“Our hope for the endowed chair is to put forth a vision of wellness for students that starts as soon as they enter the W.A. Franke Honors College, and serves them long after they graduate,” said Sue Vaughan.

As the SueBob Vaughan Leaders Endowed Chair, Dr. Ricker will have the opportunity to create and teach courses for Franke Honors students that will contribute to a culture of holistic health and wellness. She will also forge collaborations with the College of Medicine – Tucson and the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, further expanding opportunities for students to engage with integrative approaches to health and well-being.

For AWCIM, Dr. Ricker’s appointment represents a meaningful extension of the Center’s commitment to educating the next generation of health professionals and promoting whole-person approaches to health and wellness across disciplines.