Yuman to receive honorary UA degree

  Yuma businessman Robert Barkley is one of four people scheduled to receive honorary degrees from the University of Arizona today during its 138th spring commencement.

  Barkley, president and chief executive officer of Barkley Ag Enterprises, will be presented an honorary doctor of laws degree by Eugene G. Sander, vice provost and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

  "I was stunned when I was told that they were going to award me that," Barkley said. "What I've done to deserve that is really just because I have a lot of great people around me that are every bit as responsible for it as I am."

  The UA confers honorary degrees to recognize significant achievements within the academic environment and in the world at large.

  Barkley Ag Enterprises provides administration and oversight to affiliates Barkley Company of Arizona, a family-owned company that farms several thousand acres of vegetables, cotton and grain annually, and Barkley Seed Inc., which conducts research and breeding of new varieties of small grains as well as production and merchandising.

  Barkley is being honored in part for his role in securing private funding, in addition to his own, for the UA Yuma Agricultural Station and the new Glen Curtis Building, the Agriculture Science Complex at Arizona Western College that will be shared by the UA, Northern Arizona University and Arizona Western College.

 "I'm not a UA alumni, I'm actually an alum of Northern Arizona University," Barkley said. "The thing is I'm involved in agriculture, that's where I make my living, and UA College of Agriculture is just a fabulous resource to the industry. I have spent quite of bit of time over the years trying to assist the college of Ag and their endeavors, which also allows more opportunities for me."

   Barkley also has been instrumental in developing the Yuma County Ag Producers Scholarship for students attending AWC and UA, as well as other community philanthropic endeavors.

  He is also being honored for his work with federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies to guide agriculture policy. He has served as president, chairman or board member of such organizations as UA's BIO5 Institute, the UA Institute for Collaborative Bioresearch, the UA Ag "100" Council, the Arizona Cotton Growers Association and the Supima Association of America.

  Barkley previously received the UA Honorary Alumnus Award in support of the university and its programs.

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Sun staff writer Stefani G. Soucy contributed to this article.