About Us

A High-Quality Healthcare Degree is Within Your Reach

With a combined 275-year history grounded in career-focused education, Franklin University possesses the resources and expertise to successfully prepare nurses and healthcare professionals according to U.S. standards to meet the needs of an ever-changing world. Offering online and in-country education solutions, the Center’s programs and services are accessible and affordable to accommodate traditional-age students, entry and mid-career level professionals, as well as healthcare organizations that desire to advance their mission and provide a greater impact on the communities they serve.

University Details

About Franklin University 

Established in 1902, Franklin University has built its reputation on removing barriers to higher education for ambitious adults who balance their educational goals with other commitments.

Regionally accredited and respected by employers, the University offers degrees online and on campus that are convenient, accelerated and affordable in order to provide the ultimate flexibility to all our students. A pioneer in online learning and curriculum development, the University partners with corporations and educational institutions both domestically and internationally.

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Enhancing the Educational Experience with Real-World Expertise

The competencies needed to lead today’s business, healthcare, cybersecurity and public safety organizations are continuously evolving. In recent years, our understanding of the importance of leaders having the capacity to adapt, innovate, and facilitate change centers along the traditional focus of graduate academic programs.

The consideration and thoughtful integration of executives/practitioners in residence are increasingly recognized as practical methods to bridge the worlds of academia and practice in ways that can help instill these competencies in students and inspire them towards transformative leadership. Recognizing this, the Executive in Residence (EiR) program at Franklin University invites semi-retired or retired executives, who are recognized as significant leaders within their industry, to serve 1 or 2 concurrent terms at Franklin University in a distinguished academic role to mentor students, teach courses (optional), keynote a distinguished lecture and/or serve on an academic panel. 

Former Executive in Residence

David Meckstroth, MBA, DHA
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Dr. David Meckstroth is a consultant with more than 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Over the course of his career, he has worked through several mergers, a major consolidation to a new hospital, and an affiliation of a healthcare system into a larger system. For 14 years, he was the president and CEO at Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy, Ohio. Meckstroth is a fellow in the Healthcare Financial Management Association, served on the board of directors for the Ohio Hospital Association and was the board chair for the Greater Dayton Hospital Association. He has a doctorate in health administration from Central Michigan University, an MBA from the University of Dayton and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University. Dr. Meckstroth is married and has two grown children. 

Team of Experts

Jonathan McCombs, Ph.D.
Dean of COHPA, Executive Director CPSCE, Co-Executive Director GCHE

Jonathan McCombs is an educator, former police officer and investigator. An extensive career of over 20 years in public safety and higher education provided experience in narcotics investigations, intelligence analysis, anti-terror investigations, gun trafficking investigations, street patrol, campus law enforcement administration, higher education administration and advanced training. He holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. His dissertation topic was a study of problem-based learning in law enforcement in-service training. As an industry expert in the field of law enforcement, problem-based learning and online learning, Dr. McCombs is currently the Dean of the College of Health & Public Administration at Franklin University. He has responsibility for multiple public safety undergraduate and graduate academic programs.

Alyncia Bowen
Dean, Ross College of Business, Co- Executive Director GCHE

Dr. Alyncia Bowen earned her doctorate in Organization and Management from Capella University, MSA in Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University and Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Capital University. She currently serves as Dean of the Ross College of Business, Chair of the Doctorate in Healthcare Administration Program, Director of the Global Center of Healthcare Education. Dr. Bowen serves as faculty advisor and or instructor for the DHA, DBA, DPS, and EdD programs. Dr. Bowen teaches domestically and globally for the University. While at Franklin University she was instrumental in the development and launch of Ohio National University, a division of Franklin University. She also served as Dean of Doctoral Studies and the School of Nursing, Department Chair, Program Chair and Lead Faculty. Dr. Bowen has also served as an instructor for Mount Carmel College of Nursing where she taught and developed curriculum for their Healthcare Systems, Policy and Economics course. She has served as a guest lecturer on the topics of research and project management. In addition to education Dr. Bowen has worked in healthcare for over 23 years and has held several leadership and operations management positions. She is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, has completed 11 projects, and has trained several Green Belts. Dr. Bowen enjoys presenting and has presented on the following topics: Developing and Sustaining a Community of Practice, Creating a Culture of Learning, Building, Developing and Implementing Best Practices in a Multi-generational Educational Environment, Cultural Competence, Transformational Teaching and Transnational Education. She currently serves on the Community Board at COSI, Quality Board for Ohio Living, Mount Carmel Foundation Board and Board of Directors for IACBE.

Chenelle Jones, Ph.D.
Program Chair, Public Safety Programs, Director CPSCE

Chenelle Jones currently serves as Assistant Dean of Community Engagement and Program Chair for Public Safety Programs at Franklin University. Dr. Jones received her Ph.D. in the Administration of Justice from Texas Southern University in Houston. Her research interests include race and crime, policing, and juvenile delinquency. She is particularly interested in issues of police/community relations, disproportionate minority contact (DMC), mass incarceration, and the intersection of race and gender in the criminal justice system.

Dr. Jones currently serves as the national director of research for the Teen and Police Service (TAPS) Academy, a federally funded program designed to reduce social distance between police officers and at-risk minority youth. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on public perceptions of the police, race and the administration of justice. She is the co-editor of A Critical Analysis of Race and the Administration of Justice. She is a reviewer for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, and several academic journals including the Journal of Juvenile Justice, the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, and Race and Justice. She is a crime analyst for TV One’s hit show “For My Man.” She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Conley Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Visionary Award by Columbus City Council and the Create Columbus Commission. Dr. Jones is also a member of several community and professional organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the Create Columbus Commission, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American Society of Criminology, the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, and the Racial Democracy and Criminal Justice Network.

JoAnn Jordan
Department Chair, Allied Healthcare, and Program Chair, MS in Heath Informatics & BS in Public Health

Dr. JoAnn Jordan is the Chair of the MS in Health Informatics, the BS Health Information Management, and BS Health Sciences Program. She is also Lead Faculty for three doctoral Health Informatics courses, a member of the DHA teaching faculty, as well as a doctoral student advisor and dissertation committee member.

See Dr. Jordan's faculty profile page for more information

Melanie Brewer
Department Chair, School of Nursing, Chief Nursing Administrator, Program Chair, DNP

Dr. Melanie Brewer is the Department Chair of Nursing and Chief Nursing Administrator, and Program Chair of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program at Franklin University. As a nurse for over 30 years and family nurse practitioner for over 20 years, she has held several positions in clinical practice and academia. As Director of Research in a hospital system and Professor of Clinical Nursing, Dr. Brewer has mentored numerous clinicians and doctoral students to conduct research and implement evidence to improve patient outcomes. With an interprofessional team, she led the development of a Center for Evidence-Based Practice and Research in a children’s hospital, mentoring healthcare providers to develop new guidelines and standards for practice with children and their families. Dr. Brewer led the successful submission and directed a multi-million-dollar Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration Project to increase access to care with academic-practice partners. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and a Hartford Geriatric Institute Research Scholar. The focus of her clinical practice is oncology phase I clinical trials, previously internal medicine and movement disorders. Dr. Brewer holds a Doctor of Nursing Science from Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include improving psychosocial and physiological outcomes for patients with cancer and their families. In addition, her research focuses on improving educational outcomes for students across all levels of nursing.

Mary Bynum
Department Chair, Health Programs & Program Chair, HCA

Dr. Mary Bynum is a higher education leader and healthcare industry expert with experience in both the public and private sector. Her collection of health interests include disease prevention, vulnerable populations, health disparities, health policy, and social determinants of health. She also has an extensive background in operational excellence, project management, regulatory adherence and healthcare policy. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio State University, and a Doctorate in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Bynum is a registered nurse and hold certifications in both health coaching and case management. She is a distinguished national speaker, former marathon runner, and wellness enthusiast. Dr. Bynum is the recipient of numerous awards including the Stephan Shank award for Teaching Excellence. She is also a member of several community and professional organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Dr. Bynum is on the Board of Directors for PrimaryOne Health, the founder of the Legacy Wellness Group LLC.

See Dr. Bynum's faculty profile page for more information.