Fall 2023 Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award Recipients Announced

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults in central Ohio, celebrates its 175th Commencement is on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at 2 p.m. (EST). Along with honoring the graduates, Franklin recognizes Dr. Kris Wilson and Jo Ann Judy from its faculty as recipients of the distinguished Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award.

Congratulations to this trimester’s recipients: Dr. Kris Wilson, graduate adjunct faculty and Jo Ann Judy, undergraduate adjunct faculty.

Graduate Bailey Award Winner
Dr. Kris Wilson has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare field and is currently a chief information officer and hospital administrator for a regional healthcare system. She holds a bachelor's degree in organizational management, a master's in healthcare administration, and a doctorate in health science. Dr. Wilson empowers her students to be change agents and to position themselves as our future healthcare leaders. She believes in applying concepts and real-world examples to the coursework to prepare students for the challenges in the healthcare field. Her teaching philosophy includes discussing relevant applications of the material to a student's current or future work environment and inspiring students to use the course material to immediately improve their practices. 

Undergraduate Bailey Award Winner
Jo Ann Judy teaches research writing and interpersonal communication. Prior to joining Franklin University, she taught courses at several community colleges and adult education programs and conducted training workshops for a variety of businesses and government agencies. She has enjoyed a career as an independent writer, contributing hundreds of articles to a wide range of consumer, business and trade publications as well as contributing to a post-secondary textbook on communication for the workplace. She also has provided editorial services for several educational publishers and has designed and developed numerous workbooks, training manuals and other educational materials. Jo Ann holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from The Ohio State University.

About the Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award
Each trimester, two faculty members are honored with the Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award. Graduating students are asked to identify one undergraduate and one graduate faculty member who had the most significant influence on them throughout their educational experience at Franklin University. The award recognizes those who have challenged students intellectually and guided them in finding the significance of the course content as it relates to them both personally and professionally.

While more than 100 graduate and undergraduate faculty members are nominated each trimester – clearly showing the magnitude of interaction between students and faculty at Franklin University – the faculty members receiving the most nominations are awarded this honor.

These awards are funded through an endowment established by State Auto Insurance Companies in recognition of Robert L. Bailey, who served State Auto for 28 years in various positions, including President, CEO, and Chairman, until his retirement in 2000. Bailey is also a past Chair and a Trustee Emeritus of Franklin University’s Board of Trustees.
 

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).