Spring 2022 Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award Recipients Announced

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 in central Ohio, celebrated its 170th Commencement on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 7 p.m. (EDT). Along with honoring the graduates, Franklin recognized Michael Allbritain and Dr. Rachel Koransky-Matson, from its faculty as recipients of the distinguished Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award.

Congratulations to this trimester’s recipients: Michael Allbritain, undergraduate faculty, and Dr. Rachel Koransky-Matson, graduate faculty.

Michael Allbritain has been a Franklin University adjunct professor since 2004. His classes have included Business Forensics, Legal Elements of Fraud, Business Law, and College Writing & Research. He has dedicated his life to public service with the belief that teaching is the noblest of professions.  

Michael graduated from the University of Dayton and Capital University Law School. In 2006, he began working at the Columbus City Attorney’s Office as an assistant city attorney. Since 2009, Michael has collaborated with various nonprofit organizations and government entities in offering services to victims of human trafficking. Working closely with the Capital Area Humane Society and Columbus Code Enforcement, he was the senior prosecutor for the Environmental Division before being appointed as a magistrate for the Franklin County Municipal Court in 2021.

Dr. Rachel Koransky-Matson is program chair of the Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner programs. Her teaching style is that of a mentor and motivator. She believes every student has an individual story that should be heard, acknowledged and supported.  

As a family nurse practitioner, Dr. Matson has experience working as a provider in multiple situations and private practice, including hospitalist, internal medicine, primary care, urgent care, emergency room, and a specialized practice in homeopathic and holistic health care. She holds a certification from the Centers for Education and Development of Homeopathy.

Dr. Matson has also contributed to two chapters of Fluids and Electrolytes Made Incredibly Easy (seventh edition). Prior to her career in nursing, Dr. Matson worked as a general manager and as an opera singer.

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 Franklin University. 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 the interaction between students and faculty at Franklin University – 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 Franklin University’s Board of Trustees.

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).