President Angela L. Walker Franklin
Angela L. Walker Franklin, a native of McCormick, South Carolina, is a Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude graduate of Furman University. A licensed clinical psychologist, she completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Emory University, followed by a year-long clinical internship at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Franklin, who became Des Moines University’s 15th president in the spring of 2011, has worked in higher education for more than 25 years. Previously, she was executive vice president and provost at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where she oversaw academic and administrative departments. She held a professorship in Meharry’s department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
“Our people bring passion and delight to their work in providing important impacts in health sciences education, research and public service.”
Des Moines University Adds 400-Plus Grads to the Health Care Workforce
Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences awarded graduate degrees in medicine and the health sciences to more than 400 new health professionals at its 124th annual Commencement ceremony.
DMU Students Honor “Silent Teachers” at Body Donor Remembrance
Des Moines University honored the generous individuals who donated their bodies to advance medical education at its annual Body Donor Remembrance Service on May 4, 2024.
Angela’s Angels Raise Walls, Support Families with Habitat for Humanity Build
DMU President and CEO Angela L. Walker Franklin is co-chair of Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity’s 2024 Women Build program and led a team of female DMU employees on a home building effort on May 3.
One Day for DMU Rallies Supporters, Raises $237,614
One Day for DMU, the 24 hour giving campaign for Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences, raised $237,614 from 318 donors April 17-18.
DMU President Franklin Receives CASE Chief Executive Leadership Award
DMU President and CEO Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., received the 2024 Chief Executive Leadership Award for District VI of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
DMU President and CEO Honored by Bankers Trust
Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., president and CEO of Des Moines University, was honored Feb. 26, 2024, as a “Community Difference Maker” by Bankers Trust at its East Branch’s annual Black History Month celebration. Franklin became DMU’s 15th president in 2011.
DMU President and CEO Receives Distinguished Alumni Award
It’s not surprising that in her illustrious career as an academician, administrator and leader in higher education, Des Moines University President and CEO Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., has been revered and honored by more than one educational institution. Her […]
DMU Receives Community Leadership Award from City of West Des Moines
The City of West Des Moines honored DMU with a Community Leadership Award during the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day event Jan. 15, 2024.
DMU Receives $1.2M Rebate for Innovative and Sustainable Space
Des Moines University is fostering a cleaner, more sustainable future by implementing energy-efficient commercial systems in the buildings on its new West Des Moines campus at 8025 Grand Ave. The university moved its 10 graduate medical and health sciences degree […]
Speaking Engagements
President Franklin speaks regularly to both the DMU campus and Des Moines communities and organizations on topics ranging from leadership to current health care issues.
January 11, 2024
Speaker | INSPIRE 2024 Event | West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce | West Des Moines Marriott | West Des Moines, Iowa
January 14, 2024
Guest Speaker| The DMU Story From the Ground Up | Urbandale Historic Society | Urbandale Library | Urbandale, Iowa
January 26, 2024
Guest Speaker | The DMU Story From the Ground Up | Edgewater Coffee Series | Edgewater Performing Arts Center | West Des Moines, Iowa
April 16, 2024
Award | 2024 Chief Executive Leadership Award for District VI | Council for Advancement and Support of Education
May 16, 2024
Panelist | Business Record Power Breakfast Series | Des Moines Heritage Center | Des Moines, Iowa
Other Mentions and Media
- Guest Piece: A Case Study in Integral Leadership — Trusteeship Magazine
- Des Moines University President Angela Franklin ’81 Leads Historic Transformation — Furman University
- Women in AI — Amelia
- Leading in Times of Challenge — DSM Partnership
- Dreaming Big - dsm magazine
- Seeing the Forest and the Trees of a Health Sciences University
- The Key Reporter Member Spotlight, Winter 2018-2019
- Guest Opinion: Raising Boys in a #MeToo World
- New Campus Interview with Black News Channel
Publications
An Unconventional Journey: An Unlikely Choice
by Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D.
This is a story of perseverance and awakening.
Angela Walker Franklin's journey evolved from self-doubt and trepidation into a purpose-driven life that led her to a college presidency in a most unlikely place. The lessons learned along the way have defined her current approach to leadership and should be inspirational to others who are trying to chart their own path.
Now is The Time; Des Moines is the Place: A History of Des Moines University
by Lee Anderson, PH. D.; Kathy Penningroth
Des Moines University has survived against the odds for more than 100 years and successfully built a legacy of excellence in health sciences education.
Throughout those years, there are stories of virtue, vision and hope, as well as episodes of questioned leadership, meager resources and frayed credibility. DMUs history is intertwined with the history of osteopathic medicine and the development of the health care industry in the United States.
This book covers the years 1898 to 2003, illustrating in each chapter how effective leaders can advance an institution and how committed faculty, loyal students and a generous community can defy the odds against success.