Angela L. Walker Franklin

Dr. Franklin serves as the 15th President of Des Moines University, a 118 year old Health Sciences University in Iowa. She is a native of McCormick, SC and a 1981 Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude graduate of Furman University, a small liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina. A licensed clinical psychologist, she completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Emory University, followed by a yearlong clinical internship at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Franklin has worked in higher education for more than 25 years. Prior to her arrival at DMU, she held faculty and administrative positions at both Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Since becoming the President of Des Moines University Dr. Franklin has completed a new strategic plan, beginning with updating the university mission and vision statements. She has reorganized several administrative units and embraced change in restructuring the university clinic to become a better resource for the training programs as well as the surrounding community.

Dr. Franklin is actively involved in the Des Moines Community, now serving on the boards of the Science Center of Iowa, Bankers Trust, The Greater Des Moines Partnership, The Harkin Institute National Advisory Council, and The United Way of Central Iowa. She is also a member of the nationally recognized Association of Academic Health Centers Board (AAHC). She has served as Chair of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women movement in Des Moines twice, and also chaired the JDRF Walk Fund raiser.In September 2013 Dr. Franklin was honored by the African American Museum of Iowa as an African American History Maker, she received the Inspire Award from Dress for Success Des Moines in May 2014 and was also honored as a Woman of Influence by the Business Record in August 2014. In January 2016 she was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Achievement Award from the Iowa Department of Human Rights.