University presents Herscher with 2018 Teaching Excellence Award

^{Carson-Newman’s Dr. Megan Herscher is congratulated by University President J. Randall O’Brien, left, and Dr. Paul Percy, executive vice president and provost, right, upon receiving the University’s Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award presented during C-N’s Fall Convocation on Thursday.}

(Sept. 6, 2018) – Carson-Newman University named Dr. Megan Herscher as its 2018 Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award recipient. The announcement came during the University’s Fall Convocation.

“During her time at Carson-Newman, Dr. Herscher has worked to enrich the lives of our students and our university through excellence in instruction, professional development presentations, research interest, redesign of the mental health area of the Graduate Studies in Counseling program and development of new courses and course designs to better address the needs of today’s graduate students,” said Dr. Paul Percy, executive vice president and provost.

Herscher joined C-N’s faculty in 2013. The assistant professor of counseling has served continuously as the coordinator of the 60-hour Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and as internship coordinator. She is active in a number of professional organizations including serving as president of the Smoky Mountain Counseling Association and president of the Tennessee Mental Health Counselors Association. In 2016, Herscher was chosen as Educator of the Year by the Smoky Mountain Counseling Association.

“Dr. Herscher is a model professor in the Carson-Newman tradition,” said Dr. Kim Hawkins, chair of the Education and Counseling Department. “Her career embodies strengths in every area of the field of mental health counseling. She is a gifted clinician, has an active research agenda, and is a master teacher in the classroom.”

Presented to non-tenured faculty members since 1990, the honor is awarded to creative and effective professors who foster learning. Considered an indicator of future promise, the honor recognizes exceptional ability and positive student feedback. Beyond receiving a plaque and a monetary award, the recipient’s name is affixed to a permanent Fite Administration Building display.