Angela Franklin ’81 honored by Des Moines Business Record

Angela Walker Franklin, 15th president of Des Moines University and 1981 Furman University psychology alumna, was named 2025 Women of Influence Alum of the Year by the Business Record. The publication invites Women of Influence alumni to vote for the alum of the year. Franklin was first honored in 2014 by the Business Record for her role in recruiting students to study medicine at DMU, a legacy she continues to uphold. She was praised by fellow nominators for establishing a new campus for DMU in West Des Moines.

Franklin, from McCormick, South Carolina, was the recipient of the Carl F. Kohrt Distinguished Alumni Award at Furman’s 2024 Bell Tower Awards ceremony. In addition to her bachelor’s in psychology from Furman, Franklin holds master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Emory University. She is the author of “An Unconventional Journey… An Unlikely Choice,” which recounts her path to the college presidency.