Carly Franklin Receives Most Supportive Professor Award at Spark of Hope Event

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Carly Franklin

Carly Franklin, retention and success undergraduate program director for the School of Social Work in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, received the Supportive Professor Award from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas. 

The award was presented at the Single Parent Scholarship Fund's annual Spark of Hope Event June 22 at the Fayetteville Town Center. Each year the organization selects one employer and one university professor to recognize as awardees at its annual event. 

Patricia Rodriguez, a 2017 graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work program, nominated Franklin. As Rodriguez states in her nomination letter, "Professor Franklin's experiences as a mother, social worker and professor have created a culture of support and collaboration in the classroom and during social work supervision. I appreciated her firm but supportive style as an educator; it was easy to approach her with any challenges related to social work, school, internship and even personal worries and fears."  

Franklin understands the challenges of being a single parent. In fact, Franklin was a single parent while pursuing both her undergraduate and graduate degrees and went on to receive the MSW Student Excellence Award.

According to Franklin, "when I was a student, the support I received from my faculty was critical. My professors challenged me in crucial ways while also encouraging me as I navigated life as both a parent and student. This affirming educational experience has energized my commitment to 'paying it forward' through teaching and service." 

According to Yvette Murphy-Erby, director of the School of Social Work, "Social workers understand the importance that social support, outreach and service play in a person's ability to achieve positive outcomes." 

Franklin is an alumna of the School of Social Work's undergraduate (2010) and graduate (2011) programs, and she received a Certificate of Excellence for Demonstrating Social Work Values as well as the Outstanding Service to the School of Social Work award.

"Even as a student, she exhibited an extraordinarily high level of excellence in this regard," Murphy-Erby said. "We are very proud of Professor Franklin; she is committed to the success of all students and goes beyond expectations to support students towards that end. She certainly deserved the most supportive professor award."