Franklin College Faculty Receive Distinguished Awards
Franklin College honored five members of the faculty for their contributions inside and outside of the classroom at the annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 26.
The annual awards presentation, hosted by the Franklin College Board of Trustees, included the addition of a new award: The Hann Family Award for Excellence in Teaching. The inspiration for the award stemmed from Franklin College Board of Trustee member Dan Hann’s experience as a Franklin College economics professor in the early 1980’s. His performance in the classroom merited a surprising and impactful teaching award named after Franklin College alumnus and Indiana’s 42nd Governor Roger D. Branigin. The award included a monetary prize that came at a very crucial time for Hann and his wife, Pam, as they were expecting their first child. The cash prize helped them furnish their child’s nursery and left a lasting impression on the couple. In the same spirit as the late Governor, the Hanns have funded an endowment to honor faculty for their dedication and profound impact on students.
“I know first-hand how hard our faculty work and the impact they have on our students. I also understand the economic realities faced by our faculty who choose a career in higher education rather than industry and the financial sacrifice made by many of them. My hope is that each year this award will recognize and honor the best teachers we have at Franklin College and, hopefully, provide some modicum of financial support for the important work they do for our students,” said Hann, who is a retired executive from Biomet Inc. (now Zimmer Biomet).
Earning the distinction as the first faculty member to receive the Hann Family Award for Excellence in Teaching is Emily Jones, CPA, MBA.
Jones, an associate professor of accounting, received her undergraduate degree from Franklin College in 2009 before obtaining an MBA from Butler University. She returned to campus as a member of the faculty in 2013.
One nomination stated: “Jones has high standards for all students in her classes, but she also provides a high degree of support. Students often comment about how difficult her classes are, but they quickly add how much they learned and how useful the skills taught in her classes are. She forms genuine relationships with the students in her classes, and everything she does is centered on helping them succeed, not only in the classroom but also in life after graduation.”
Students shared what an important impact Jones makes on the economics, business and accounting department. One student said, “She makes an effort to learn information about each of us – like our hobbies and interests – so she can relate the topics in class back to our lives.” Another student said, “She goes above and beyond in so many ways. I’m convinced she has superpowers.”
In addition to the long hours she dedicated to her students, Jones is also a CPA and remains an active tax consultant. She dedicates time to maintaining strong connections with numerous accounting firms and alumni to help provide valuable internship and job opportunities for Franklin College students. She resides in Trafalgar.
Additional faculty receiving awards included:
Arbin Thapaliya, Ph.D., received the Clifford and Paula Dietz Award for Faculty Excellence. The award, given by a vote of the Franklin College Board of Trustees, upon recommendation of the president and the academic dean of the college, recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates extraordinary dedication and commitment in service to the college.
Thapaliya, a member of the Franklin College faculty since 2016, is an associate professor of physics. He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Nepal’s Tribhuvan University before pursuing a master’s and a doctoral degree from Ohio University. Thapaliya specializes in theoretical, computational and material physics, as well as quantum field theory.
Thapaliya is known for going the extra mile to inspire his students and instill a love of learning into each one. In fact, he’s been seen suspended from a rope swing in the Science Center, singing physics songs in class to help students overcome a challenging concept, launching watermelons with a giant catapult that he guided students to build, and on stage wearing an electrified lab coat engaging both students and community members in the science behind a solar eclipse.
During the fall of 2023, while on sabbatical, Thapaliya dedicated his time to writing an open-resource textbook titled “Ultrasound Physics and its Application in Medicine” as part of a grant he received through the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI). “This work not only demonstrates his contributions and knowledge to his field of study, but also shows his commitment to our students. During a time when students are more likely to decide against college due to financial constraints, Dr. Thapaliya is actively working to lower the barriers of attendance by providing no-cost options, not just for his class but for those at other institutions as well,” said one nominator. For this work, Thapaliya received Open Educator Awards from PALNI both in 2022 and 2024 for innovation and excellence in support of higher education, textbook affordability and student success.
Nominators appreciate Thapaliya’s collaborative spirit, “He always displays a positive attitude that’s infectious to others.”
Through a grant that he earned to help provide community educational programming prior to the total solar eclipse in April, Thapaliya presented a fun and educational program to community members at the local Johnson County library branches, as well as on campus, drawing a crowd at each event. He also involved students from his chemistry and physics classes in designing hands-on activities for participants, thus offering them an invaluable experience.
Recently, Thapaliya secured a grant to expand course offerings in sustainable energy education, funding the purchase of electric go-karts to support student learning at Franklin College and extend STEM teacher training to local middle and high schools in Indiana.
Thapaliya is a resident of Greenwood.
Kim Eiler, Ed.D., received the Faculty Steering Committee Distinguished Service Award. The recipient of this award is a faculty member who shows outstanding service to the college.
Eiler, professor of exercise science, joined the Franklin College faculty in 2004. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Biola University (California), a master’s degree from Manchester University and a doctor of education degree from Auburn University. Eiler’s area of expertise lies in physical education pedagogy in addition to being a licensed instructor for the American Red Cross with the ability to certify students in Basic Life Support (BLS), CPR/AED and First Aid. Eiler is also a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Eiler’s nominations praised her strong commitment to service through college committee work and special initiatives, including her role as the Faculty Athletic Representative and Franklin College’s voting representative at the annual NCAA Convention. In this capacity she closely monitors the eligibility and academic performance of student-athletes throughout the year, communicating with an effective balance of encouragement and candor.
Eiler, who previously served as the women’s basketball coach at Franklin College, understands the impact faculty/staff support can have on student-athletes. She helped launch the Faculty/Staff Fans Program, which strategically coordinates employee attendance at athletic events. In addition, it also serves to bring employees together with similar interests for bonding time outside of regular work hours. She extended the program to support not only athletes, but students performing in the college’s fine arts programs.
Eiler also makes an impact on the greater community through the physical education program she coordinates to give valuable career experience to Franklin College education majors while providing social and physical activities to homeschooled students. She also founded the Grizzly Grandparents program, pairing women’s basketball team members with residents at a local retirement community to help bridge intergenerational understanding and camaraderie.
Eiler’s expertise in training her students in lifesaving techniques recently made local news headlines when one of her students used her skillset to successfully deliver a baby and then later perform CPR and administer an AED to save a life at her workplace. Both Eiler and the student were recognized by a regional representative of the American Red Cross for their lifesaving efforts.
While her efforts outside of the classroom make a difference in so many ways, it is the personal approach she applies with her students that makes the greatest impact. One student wrote, “She is continuously engaged with students even when they are no longer in her classes. She also always makes and effort to push students to their highest ability.”
Kim Eiler is a resident of Franklin.
Bill Eiler, Ph.D. received the Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award. The award recognizes a faculty member’s scholarly achievement at the college, as well as his/her work outside the college (publications, presentations, etc.).
Eiler, associate professor of psychology, joined the Franklin College faculty in 2017. His educational background includes a bachelor of art degree in biology as well as a bachelor of science degree in psychology, both from Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI); a master’s degree and a doctorate degree from IUPUI and a postdoctoral fellowship from Indiana University School of Medicine.
Eiler’s expertise includes functional neuroimaging of chemical senses and neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol abuse, obesity and feeding behavior. One nominator described Eiler as “an excellent and highly productive researcher” with numerous publications in peer-reviewed neuroscience journals. Eiler’s publications have been cited an impressive 754 times as sources in other work.
One nomination emphasized that this faculty member is an exceptional student mentor, enthusiastically training psychology students to use diagnostic medical equipment and 3D printers to enrich their research projects and gain workforce preparation. In addition, Eiler has led the psychology department’s participation in several regional and national conferences, gathering recognition for best practices in teaching neuroscience to undergraduates. Most notably, his latest presentation on Integrating Neuroscience into Introductory Psychology led to an offer by a publisher to produce a lab manual based on the activities he developed.
Eiler shared, “The human brain is the most fascinating and complex object in the universe and neuroscience gives us a window into its inner workings. I love sharing my enthusiasm for neuroscience and seeing that excitement echoed in my students.”
Bill Eiler is a resident of Indianapolis (46219).
Hilary Florian, Ph.D., received the Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who exhibits excellence in mastery of subject and effective communication, has respect for all students, and believes that all students can learn and provide helpful feedback to other students in several ways.
Florian, an assistant professor of chemistry, joined the faculty in 2020. She received her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her doctorate degree from Purdue University.
Florian is known by both students and colleagues for her creative teaching strategies, which have earned admiration and respect. Popular classes have included “Baking: It’s Chemistry You Can Eat” and “From Frankenstein to Freddy: A Journey Through the Horror Genre.” One nominator wrote, “Students became so invested in the classes they forgot they were actually learning complex chemistry formulas.”
Florian not only excels in her teaching pedagogy, but also stands out as a dedicated lifelong learner. She recently earned a prestigious national fellowship from the Neilson Center at Eckerd College and spent the past academic year exploring innovative models for student support and success in liberal arts settings across the country, bringing best practices back to the Franklin campus. She has also been commended for learning Python computer programming and incorporating it into her upper-level courses, helping students gain valuable workforce skills.
One nominator also commended Florian for her work to amplify underrepresented student voices at Franklin College by coauthoring a National Science Foundation grant proposal aimed at improving STEM recruitment and retention for low-income students and co-launching the Gender Minorities in STEM organization to help empower students in navigating barriers that traditionally have kept the physical sciences male-dominated.
Florian is a resident of Indianapolis (46205).