Franklin Hosts 160th Commencement Ceremony

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, will hold its 160th Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019 at 2 p.m., during which the University’s newest degree candidates will receive their diplomas. This commencement ceremony will take place at The Greater Columbus Convention Center, Battelle Grand Hall, 400 N. High St. in downtown Columbus. 

Commencement has always been a time of celebration. For Franklin University, the event marks a tremendous sense of achievement for students who completed their degrees often while juggling work, families and more. The University is proud to honor the achievements of this newest class of graduates and invites the community to join in the celebration.

In addition to recognizing the academic accomplishments of the University's newest group of graduates, the January ceremony will mark the first doctoral students to graduate from Franklin's doctoral programs. Launched in January of 2016, Franklin's doctoral offerings include a Doctor of Professional Studies, Instructional Design (DPS in IDL); Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA); and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), which are designed specifically for professionals seeking to further their careers, broaden their knowledge and increase their marketability by gaining a relevant career and academic distinction. With such a positive response to the initial offerings, the University has added a fourth program to its doctoral offerings, the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) program that will begin January of 2019.

SPEAKERS
Graduating Student Speaker Alyvia Johnson, M.S. in Human Resource Management. Alyvia Johnson’s interest in human resources began in 2016, while working for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio. The fund’s Gender By Us™ initiative, a toolkit to disrupt gender bias through conversation, enabled Alyvia to see the potential of disruption through corporate systems, like HR. The evolution of the toolkit sparked Johnson’s passion for diversity and prompted her decision to explore the HR profession.

Alyvia enrolled in Franklin’s M.S. in Human Resource Management program to further her efforts to ensure diversity in the workforce and an unbiased talent acquisition process. Johnson currently supports the talent acquisition and learning and development team at The Wendy’s Company headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. Ultimately, she hopes to use her degree to work to advance gender equality and diversity in the workplace. 

Alyvia is grateful for her family’s support through this journey and for always encouraging her to speak her mind and do what is right.

Doctoral Student Speaker Tim Meixner,  Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Timothy R. Meixner is chief of the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) Center Information Technology Office (CITO) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In that role, he is responsible for creating the AFSC’s IT strategy and business processes to manage all systems necessary to support the AFSC mission. 

Meixner is also the president of the Montessori School of Dayton. His responsibilities include hiring, retaining, evaluating and compensation for the school’s managers and staff. He oversees all IT-related projects and services including network hosting, website development and technology upgrades. He provides direction and advice to help the school achieve its mission and goals; monitors the financial planning, revenue and expenditures during the school year; and prepares yearly budget and tax forms for board approval. 

Tim and his wife, Toby, have two teenage children, Madison and Cade. In his spare time, Tim enjoys hiking, cooking (and eating) and spending time with his family and friends.

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).