Barry Franklin

Barry is the Director of Preventive Cardiology/Cardiac Rehabilitation, Division of Cardiology at Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, MI. He is also a Professor of Physiology at Wayne State University, School of Medicine in Detroit, MI and a Professor of Internal Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

Barry’s years at Penn State were among the best in his 73 years of life. He remembers how he and his wife Linda loved walking around the campus, stores and restaurants downtown, attending athletic events, especially football games at Beaver Stadium and of course, getting ice cream at the Creamery. When visitors came to town, the first stop on the town tour was to the Nittany Lion Shrine. Other highlights of his time in Happy Valley were learning to catch trout at Whipple’s Dam while enjoying a cold Rolling Rock beer.

His education at Penn State was shaped by two professors, Drs. Karl Stoedefalke and Elsworth Buskirk. These two had a profound and favorable impact on his life and career direction. Words cannot express the priceless experiences and lessons learned, from these two dear friends and esteemed colleagues. Dr. Stoedefalke's noon fitness program, his insistence that Barry travel to Aspen, Colorado to meet the giants in the field and encourage him to receive his American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certification, were all life-changing experiences. Dr. Buskirk taught me about research methodology and more importantly, how to write.

Barry has many “favorites” of his time at Penn State. The best class he ever had at Penn State was "physiology", taught by Dr. Theodore Hollis. An associate of his, Dr. Bob Mitchell, taught a great course on ageing. But his favorite memory, was driving all night with his wife Linda, from Ann Arbor, Michigan to State College to interview with Dr. Buskirk for the PhD program at Penn State in Exercise Physiology. Barry was notified shortly after his visit that he was accepted at Penn State with a paid research assistantship. People said he was crazy to leave Ann Arbor, MI, where he received his Masters degree, to go to Penn State. Other than marrying his wife Linda, it was the best move he ever made!

Barry has two unattained career goals, one to serve as a Visiting Professor at Penn State before he retires, and two, to give a commencement address as he has done at the University of Michigan. His hobby and passion is studying highly successful people in all walks of life. His new book (the 27th he’s authored, co-authored or edited) was published May 2022 and is entitled "GPS FOR SUCCESS: Skills, Strategies, and Secrets of Superachievers" (Productivity Press, NY, NY). For more information on Barry visit www.drbarryfranklin.com