Franklin College retirees Professor of Art Svetlana Rakic, Associate Professor of Education Sherri Hall and Associate Professor of Economics and Business Steven Scheer pose for a photo at their retirement reception.
Photo provided
Franklin College announces the retirement of three beloved professors, Sherri Hall, Svetlana Rakic and Steven Scheer.
Recent retirees are Associate Professor of Education Sherri Hall, Professor of Art Svetlana Rakic and Associate Professor of Economics and Business Steven Scheer. Hall and Scheer retired in May, while Rakic retired in December 2023, according to recent press release recognizing retirees.
Sherri Hall
Sherri Hall retired after 22 years of preparing the minds of future educators. She specialized in English and language arts secondary education.
Hall, of Franklin, also served as the campus adviser to the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity, earning the honor of National Adviser of the Year for the fraternity seven times. In addition, she and her husband, Ellis Hall, retired vice president of student affairs and dean of the students at Franklin College, generously supported the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, which was established on campus in 2017, according to the college.
Cindy Prather, director of teacher education and licensing adviser, shared a statement on the impact of Hall’s retirement.
“We have been close education department colleagues for most of those years. When secondary education alumni are asked about influential instructors in their teaching preparation, they often cite Professor Hall,” Prather said.
Svetlana Rakic
Svetlana Rakic, Ph.D., retired after 27 years at Franklin College. She served as the chair of the art department for over a decade. Rakic said she is grateful to the college for the chance to develop professionally and for a successful career as a professor.
When Rakic, of Bloomington, first came to Franklin College, she was the only art professor and art was only offered as a minor. During the last 27 years, she played a key role in the department’s growth, according to the college.
“Since 1996, she has shared her passion for art history and studio art with students, igniting their curiosity and nurturing their talents. With her guidance, the art department has flourished, expanding from a few classes to six art majors and three minors, leaving an indelible mark on the college’s academic landscape,” said Randi Frye, assistant professor of art.
Frye also noted Rakics’ numerous scholarly contributions throughout her career. “Her scholarly contributions have earned her accolades and recognition from prestigious institutions and organizations around the world, from the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. to the British Academy in London.” Rakic also guest taught at two universities in China.
In addition to creating art, Rakic was also an author. She produced several books on Serbian Orthodox icons and the interrelatedness of modern art and religious thought. Throughout her Franklin College career, her colleagues recognized her numerous times with coveted annual awards for excellence in teaching and scholarship.
At the 2024 Franklin College Commencement, she was recognized one final time with the designation of Professor Emerita of Art.
Steven Scheer
During his 14 years at Franklin College, Steven Scheer shared his expertise on a wide range of subjects and served as the chair of the economics, business and accounting department.
Scheer, of Franklin, taught students lessons on business management, worker motivation, management from for-profit, non-profit and public administration perspectives, and applied managerial economics. Scheer was known by students for interweaving practical life advice with the technical information delivered in his courses, and for his creative use of acronyms, according to the college.
Scheer is the author of an educational publication, “The A-B-C’s of MGT” for the ORG, 2nd edition published in 2015. He has also been the presenter of “Liberal Arts’ Unconventional Defense Team” in Lexington, Kentucky and “The linkage of market failure regulation to biblically informed ethical principle” in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
“Dr. Scheer has been a wonderful leader, colleague, and mentor for many faculty in the economics, business, and accounting department. He is full of vibrant life, endless ideas, and is always up for lightening the mood with a quick joke or witty statement,” said Emily Jones, CPA and associate professor of accounting.
