Franklin University Recognizes Faculty Excellence in Inclusive Teaching and Instructional Coaching

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Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: [email protected]

Inclusive Teaching Excellence and Instructional Coach of the Year awards highlight Franklin University faculty who strengthen student success through connection, support and real-world learning

Franklin University is recognizing two faculty members whose work reflects the role strong teaching, individualized support and meaningul connection play in student success.

For Franklin University students, many of whom balance college with careers, families and other responsibilities, faculty support can be a critical part of the learning experience. As artificial intelligence and other technologies continue to change how people search for information and engage with education, Franklin's faculty remain central to creating the human connection, practical guidance and encouragement students need to persist and succeed.

That commitment is reflected in Franklin University's recognition of Professor Brittany Blalock as the 2026 recipient of the Center for Teaching Excellence Inclusive Teaching Excellence Award and Professor Barbara Carder as the 2026 Instructional Coach of the Year.

Together, the awards highlight two essential components of faculty excellence at Franklin University: inclusive teaching that helps students feel supported and instructional coaching that helps faculty strengthen their practice.

Franklin faculty bring academic expertise and professional experience into the classroom, helping students connect what they learn with how that knowledge is applied in the workplace. Adjunct faculty are an important part of that model because they bring current industry perspective, real-world examples and direct professional insight to the student learning experience.

Inclusive Teaching Excellence at Franklin University
Franklin University's Inclusive Teaching Excellence Award recognizes faculty who demonstrate inclusive excellence in the classroom by creating welcoming learning environments, responding to individual student needs, adapting teaching practices and supporting student success.

This year's recipient, Professor Brittany Blalock, demonstrates those qualities in a clinical nursing course where students move from structured coursework into the complexities of patient care, documentation and professional judgment.

Recognizing that the transition can be challenging, Blalock makes herself personally available to students, meeting with them one-on-one and even outside normal business hours to ensure they understand critical concepts and are prepared to apply them.

Her approach demonstrates how inclusive teaching can extend beyond course design. It can mean recognizing when a student needs additional support, adapting an approach to meet that need and investing the time necessary to help that student move forward with confidence.

Instructional Coaching That Supports Faculty and Students
Franklin University also recognized Professor Barbara Carder as its 2026 Instructional Coach of the Year. The annual award honors a Franklin-certified instructional coach who demonstrates strong engagement with coaching recipients, provides meaningful feedback and goal setting, adapts to individual faculty needs and makes an exceptional effort to support new faculty.

Carder has distinguished herself by helping new faculty get "off the ground and running from the first class" while maintaining a student-focused approach and creating a welcoming, low-stress environment for faculty members learning to navigate their instructional roles.

Her work illustrates the ripple effect of faculty development. When experienced educators invest in other instructors, that support ultimately reaches students through stronger teaching, greater faculty confidence and a more consistent learning experience.

Faculty Excellence and Student Success at Franklin University
Together, Blalock and Carder demonstrate that teaching excellence is both instructional and relational. It is found in the faculty member who takes extra time to help a student master a difficult concept and in the coach who helps a new instructor become more confident and effective.

Those relationships matter. Tools and technologies will continue to evolve, but the ability to understand a learner, offer meaningful feedback, share professional experience and provide encouragement at the right moment remains distinctly personal.

Through its Inclusive Teaching Excellence and Instructional Coach of the Year awards, Franklin University celebrates faculty who make those connections part of how they teach, coach and contribute to student success.

These honors are part of Franklin University's broader commitment to recognizing the faculty members whose expertise, dedication and impact strengthen the student learning experience. Learn more about Franklin University's faculty awards, recognition programs and previous honorees on the University's Faculty Awards and Recognition page.

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).

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