Columbus, Ohio - Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults in central Ohio, celebrated its 132nd Commencement in a ceremony held Sunday, August 16, 2009.  Along with honoring the graduates, Franklin also recognized Stephen Stewart and Don Slobodien from its faculty as recipients of the distinguished Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award.

Stephen Stewart has been a Management and Business Administration instructor at Franklin for the past three years. Currently managing sales, marketing, operations, and service at Star Leasing, Stewart earned an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Marshall University. He and his wife Laurie have been married for 25 years and their daughter Paige attends Cedarville University.

Don Slobodien has been teaching face-to-face courses in Franklin's Graduate programs since 2003. He currently owns Benbrook Associates, a small business that focuses on the needs of not-for-profit agencies and small businesses, including grant writing, direct mail strategies, marketing, and organizational development. Most of his professional career has been spent with non-for-profits, for which he has raised money for local medical centers and served as executive director of a statewide health charity. Slobodien has a Master of Arts degree in Art Education from The Ohio State University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Botany from Ohio Wesleyan University, and a Diploma in Information Technology from DeVry University. He lives in Columbus with his wife Amy and his two sons Ben and Brook, for whom Benbrook Associates is named.

The Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award is determined each trimester by Franklin's graduating class. Students select a faculty member who challenged them intellectually and guided them in finding the significance of course content as it related to them both professionally and personally. The graduate and undergraduate faculty members receiving the most nominations are identified for this honor.  Robert L. Bailey, retired CEO and Chairman of State Auto Insurance Companies, is a past Chairman of Franklin's Board of Trustees.

About Franklin University

Founded in 1902, Franklin University is central Ohio's leading and most experienced educator of adult students. Annually, more than 11,000 students attend Franklin, both on-campus and online. Franklin offers 25 undergraduate majors (with 4 beginning in Fall 2009) and three graduate programs, including an MBA, and graduates more than 1,500 students annually.