robert bailey january 2010

Columbus, Ohio - Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults in central Ohio, celebrated its 133rd Commencement in a ceremony held Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010. Along with honoring the graduates, Franklin also recognized Klaus Fricke and Perry Maughmer from its faculty as recipients of the distinguished Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award.

Klaus Fricke has been a Mathematics instructor at Franklin for 30 years, in addition to having three decades of experience in telecommunications, primarily in Outside Plant Planning and Engineering and Network Planning. Fricke brings to the classroom not only strong academic and professional backgrounds, but also a strong desire and great enthusiasm for teaching and helping every student to enjoy a positive educational experience. A student nomination describes Fricke this way:

"Klaus Fricke actually made statistics make sense. He used analogies and examples that were practical and understandable and was able to translate the language of statistics into terms we could all understand. He is very friendly, fair, and genuinely concerned about his students."

Perry Maughmer has been an instructor in Franklin's MBA Program for five years, teaching both online and face-to-face classes in leadership, decision-making, strategy, change, project leadership, and succession planning. Maughmer has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in multiple industries as well as across several functional areas within those organizations. He defines teaching as "enabling the acquisition of knowledge." A student nomination describes Maughmer in this manner:

"ProfessorMaughmer's interest in the course material was evident from the first 15 minutes of the first class, and it really set the tone. He kept the students engaged throughout each class and he brought real-world current events into our discussions. After his class, I knew that my hard work had been rewarded and that my ability to critically examine concepts, theories, and issues has been sharpened."

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 at its Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and three central Ohio locations, and at its newest location in Indianapolis, Indiana, in addition to online. Franklin offers 25 undergraduate majors as well as three graduate programs, and graduates more than 1,500 students annually. The University's MBA Program is offered internationally through agreements with institutions in Europe and the Far East. Further information regarding Franklin University can be found atwww.franklin.edu.