Congratulations to Annie Franklin for receiving the prestigious 2025 Division of the Arts Graduate Dean’s Medal for the University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences!
Annie Franklin is graduating this June with a Master in Fine Arts degree in Dance. During her time at the UW, Franklin taught Commercial Dance, Contemporary Modern Dance, Street and Club Dances, and choreographed for the 2024 Chamber Dance Company Concert and for MFA Dance Concerts. Franklin was active in organizing community-oriented events within the department and researching ways to develop courses on street and club dances in higher education curricula, working to make dance as a field and practice more inclusive for all.
“The moment I met Annie, I knew she would flourish in our grad program. In everything she has touched, Annie has been a mighty force––her deeply intuitive teaching, ground-breaking research, riveting performance and joyous dance-making. Annie is about to bring important changes to dance in higher education, and I can’t wait to watch them happen!”
- Hannah C. Wiley, Professor Emerita, UW Department of Dance
“In such a short time, Annie has tremendously impacted our department—from the breadth and depth of her intellectual inquiry to her ability to build community with both students and faculty. I don’t say this lightly: she is one of the trailblazers changing the way Hip Hop is viewed, valued and included in higher education dance curriculum and scholarship.”
- Alana Isiguen, Artist in Residence, UW Department of Dance
After graduation, Franklin plans to continue building community with students as Assistant Professor of Dance at Slippery Rock University.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Dean’s Medal,” said Franklin. “I never imagined being recognized with something so prestigious. But honestly, the real honor is being thought of and nominated by the mentors and faculty I admire so deeply in the Department of Dance. That recognition means everything to me.”