Andy Hershberger won the New England College Adjunct Award for Teaching Excellence for the 2024-2025 academic year. The award is given to one Adjunct Faculty and is chosen by the students, staff, and faculty of NEC. Hershberger has been teaching communication and journalism courses at NEC for two years.
According to an email from Academic Affairs, the award honors the dedication of an adjunct faculty member who goes above and beyond for students.
“The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate adjunct faculty who have distinguished themselves as outstanding teachers, with a track record of mastery of the subject matter, ability to inspire students to learn, innovation in content and course delivery with a focus on student success, experiential learning, and professionalism in all interactions with the College community.”
NEC has approximately 600 adjunct faculty.
Hershberger brings 30 year of field experience in broadcast journalism prior to NEC, spending the last 20 years at WMUR in Manchester, N.H. as a TV news reporter.
Hershberger has taught a number of classes throughout his two years at NEC, including Broadcast Writing I and II, Sports Reporting, Introduction to Journalism, and in the fall he will be teaching History and Criticism of Film. Hershberger is also heavily involved with and volunteers his time to NEC-TV, showing up every Thursday (his day off) to teach students his craft and also serve as a mentor for this group.
In an email to NEC Communication students Professor Colleen McElveen, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Communications said students are lucky to have him in the classroom.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Professor Hershberger in the Communication program at NEC. He brings expertise, patience, and kindness to the classroom. He has supported many of you in your educational journey and it’s clear that he takes great pride in watching you succeed.”
In a 2023 interview with the New Englander about his arrival at NEC, Hershberger said he appreciates the small class sizes on campus.
“I went to Penn State, and I had a class with 600 people. I didn’t know anyone; students, or the professor. At NEC in my broadcast class I have ten people. I get to know all of them, and I like the individual contact.”
Kyle Dobrie, NEC Communications Studies graduate and former Editor in Chief of the New Englander said he was grateful to have Hershberger as an instructor.
“I was in Andy’s first class, and he was awesome from the jump. He found ways to have fun and also teach us key lessons about reporting. We were able to joke around and have serious discussions which is key in classes. Even though he’s a Philly fan, he’s one of the best teachers I’ve had and an even better person,” Dobrie said.
A note from the writer:
Transparently, I have had Professor Hershberger in class. In fact, I have taken every class Andy has offered. As a student of Andy’s I can most certainly say that he has been true to his word. Sports Reporting was my very first class at NEC my first year, and the first class Andy taught at NEC. We learned together. However, when he said he likes getting to know his students and the individual contact he truly means it. Andy has become more than a professor to me and many other students. He is also a mentor and a friend. Andy’s love for the craft of broadcast journalism is evident. Donating his time every week just to share his knowledge and help us learn. He is thorough, ethical, patient, and always encourages his students to produce high quality work.
