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Contact:

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

As proudly celebrates its 179th Commencement on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at 2 p.m. (ET), the University honors the dedicated educators who play a pivotal role in the success of its graduates. Congratulations to this trimester’s Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award recipients, Dr. Anita Hunter and Sara Rollo, who exemplify Franklin’s commitment to providing impactful and personalized education to working adults.

Graduate Bailey Award Winner
Dr. Anita Hunter has been teaching graduate-level nursing courses at Franklin since 2022. Anita worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner before moving into academia, where in addition to teaching, she began her journey into international nursing. For 22 years, she enlisted nursing students in significant efforts abroad including working with victims of The Troubles in Northern Ireland and establishing sustainable health programs in Mexico, the Caribbean and Africa. Anita’s career, which spans more than 50 years, also includes publishing extensively. Since retiring, she has enjoyed teaching online, as she loves working with students. Dr. Hunter holds a master’s in nursing from the University of Massachusetts, a pediatric nurse practitioner degree from Northeastern University and a doctorate from the University of Connecticut.

Undergraduate Bailey Award Winner
Sara Rollo has been teaching undergraduate mathematics courses at Franklin since 2021. In addition to actively engaging students through discussion posts and weekly live meetings, Sara encourages her students and displays compassion, understanding and empathy. Additionally, Sara created two co-requisite remediation courses, presented at the Student Success Leadership Institute, and serves on the Ohio Public University and College Math Chairs and Leads Network. Sara continues to seek opportunities to support and promote student success. A graduate of the University of Akron with a master’s degree in applied mathematics, Sara is currently working toward a doctorate in organizational leadership with a focus in higher education leadership.

Explore Excellence in Teaching
Watch this trimester's Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award recipients share their inspiring acceptance speeches here: .

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 ¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ. 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 ¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ – 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 ¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ’s Board of Trustees.

About ¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ

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.

¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ 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 ¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).