Six members of the Franklin College faculty were honored on Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Faculty Recognition Luncheon for their outstanding contributions, both inside the classroom and beyond. The annual awards presentation is hosted by the Franklin College Board of Trustees.

Faculty receiving awards included:

Susan Crisafulli, Ph.D., received the Hann Family Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award provides a prize of $6,000 made possible through the generosity of recently retired Franklin College Board of Trustee member Dan Hann and his wife Pam. Hann was inspired to fund this award after receiving an impactful teaching award himself while serving the College in the 1980s as a professor of economics.

Crisafulli, a professor of English, joined the Franklin College faculty in 2008. She received a bachelor’s degree from Presbyterian College, a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University. Her expertise is in the field of British and French medieval literature, Shakespeare, advanced grammar and composition pedagogy.

Crisafulli’s dedication to literacy extends well beyond her role as a college professor. In 2017, she helped establish the Johnson County chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, raising funds, registering families and distributing books to young readers. Today, the program is approaching 5,000 enrolled children.

Learn more about Crisafulli here.

Jamie Bromley, 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. The award, which provides a prize of $5,000, plus a professional expense allowance of $1,000, is made possible through the generosity of late trustee Dr. Clifford Dietz and his wife, Dr. Paula Dietz, both of whom were generous donors to many areas on campus.

Bromley, a member of the Franklin College faculty since 2009, is a professor of psychology. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas, a master’s degree from Duquesne University and a doctorate degree from the University of Akron. She is a counseling psychologist with experience in a variety of clinical settings including community mental health, domestic violence, private practice and university counseling centers.

Bromley’s service at Franklin College is impactful. She has served as the psychology department chair for nearly a decade, contributing significantly to curriculum revisions, program reviews, faculty searches and partnerships, including Franklin’s new nursing program. She has also chaired the Faculty Development Committee, led the Joy of Learning series and helped the Promotion and Tenure Committee revise processes to better support faculty.

Learn more about Bromley here.

Angie Walls ’88, M.S., received the Faculty Steering Committee Distinguished Service Award. The recipient of this award is a faculty member who shows outstanding service to the College.

Walls, assistant professor of mathematics and computing, joined the Franklin College faculty in 2007. An alumna of Franklin College, she continued her education, earning a master’s degree from Purdue University. Wall’s area of expertise lies in helping students see the relationship of their major with mathematics, as she teaches students across all disciplines.

Walls has been recognized in the past for her excellence with the following honors: Student Organization Advisor of the Year in 2020, the Faculty/Staff Service Award in 2015, and as the inaugural recipient of the Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012.

Learn more about Walls here.

Jessica Mahoney ’96, MLS, 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.).

Mahoney serves as the director of library services & assessment and as an associate professor. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Franklin College in English and secondary education she enjoyed a career teaching at both the middle school and high school levels before pursuing a master’s degree in library science from Indiana University. She began working for Franklin College in 2011 as the information literacy librarian before being promoted.

Mahoney was instrumental in transforming the B.F. Hamilton Library into a more welcoming and student-centered space. She has also played an important role in securing grants for the College that enabled the Spirit of Community mural through the Council of Independent Colleges and the library’s Advancing Racial Equity Collection.

Mahoney has served the College in many areas, including as past chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Faculty Development Committee, co-representative of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a mentor for Building Opportunities through Support and Structure (BOSS), a member of the Faculty and Staff Digital Fluency Steering Committee, a faculty advisor for Pi Beta Phi Sorority and a co-creator of the College’s Faculty-Staff Fans group, a program designed to encourage fan participation and involvement at Franklin College athletic contests.  In addition, she sits on the Board of Directors for the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) and recently completed a two-year term as an At-Large Board Member for the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI). She was recently selected for the Independent Colleges of Indiana Leadership Academy due to her unique perspective as an academic librarian and her important role in supporting Franklin College’s strategic planning, academic programming and student success.

Learn more about Mahoney here.

Lourdes Hurtado, 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 provides helpful feedback to other students in several ways.

Hurtado, a professor of history, joined the faculty in 2012. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru before obtaining a master’s degree and a doctorate degree from the University of Notre Dame. She specializes in the Peruvian military and the history of the Cold War in Latin America. She is also a trained anthropologist.

Hurtado has also committed many years serving on the Faculty Curriculum Committee, where she has been integral in shaping the curriculum and advocating for the liberal arts. She also represented the College on a national level by participating in a faculty seminar at the National World War II Museum during the summer of 2024, showcasing her commitment to expanding her own knowledge and her commitment to her students.

The final honor bestowed at the Faculty Recognition Luncheon was the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award. It is designed to honor a commendable faculty member who is not in a tenure-track position, has completed two or more semesters teaching and has taught a minimum of 12 credit hours at Franklin College. The award was established in 2012.

Learn more about Hurtado here.

Jeremy VanAndel is the recipient of the 2025 Franklin College Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award. He serves the College as the director of professional development, instructor of business and holder of the Johnson Professor of Leadership. He began employment at Franklin College in 2019.

VanAndel received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, earned an M.B.A. from the University of Indianapolis, and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of the Cumberlands. He spent more than 10 years in leadership roles in the hospitality and tourism industry before shifting to a career in nonprofit fundraising and executive leadership.

VanAndel advises the Economics, Business and Accounting Club; has helped to launch Franklin’s Collegiate DECA chapter; and has revived Franklin’s chapter of a national leadership honor society. He has also played a key role in securing and implementing a $1 million grant to enhance tech-driven student preparation. Beyond campus, VanAndel also served as the project leader and principal investigator for LAUNCH Johnson County, a regional initiative supporting entrepreneurship.

Learn more about VanAndel here.

Contact the Franklin College Office of Communications for more information at (317) 738-8185.