Dr. Keith Herndon, the William S. Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management, was named to the University of Georgia’s inaugural Fellows for Transformative Teaching program.

The program, operated by the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), was created to bring together experienced faculty from across non-tenure track lines to explore and engage in conversations about advanced teaching practices.

Herndon, who is entering is 12^th year of teaching and service at the Grady College, is one of 10 faculty members from across the University selected for the initial cohort. Herndon is the executive director of the Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership and he is a professor of practice in the Department of Journalism.

“Dr. Herndon is exactly the kind of professor who should be a Fellow for Transformative Teaching. He is already highly skilled and innovative, and he will contribute significantly to discussions about advanced teaching practices,” said Jonathan Peters, journalism department head. “At the same time, he is always searching for new ways to connect with students and to explore content in fresh and compelling ways.”

CTL has several goals as it launches the program during the upcoming academic year, including creating an opportunity for senior faculty to share ideas with other dedicated, highly motivated, and innovative teachers. CTL said the program will help reinforce an instructional environment that honors and recognizes the skills and values of dedicated instructional practitioners across campus.

“My time in the classroom has provided the most rewarding experiences of my professional career,” Herndon said. “It is an honor to represent my students and my colleagues through participation in this fellowship. I’m eager to engage with the faculty selected for this program as we share experiences and learn from one another.”

Herndon’s teaching acumen has long been recognized. He was the Department of Journalism’s Teacher of the Year in 2014. He won a teaching fellowship in 2016 from the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, and in 2019 he received a UGA Creative Teaching Award.

Prior to joining the Grady College faculty full-time in 2012, Herndon was president of a strategic planning firm focusing on the media and technology sectors. He also had a 22-year career with Cox Enterprises, serving as a vice president in its internet division following his work as a reporter and editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Herndon received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Grady College. He earned a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Oklahoma and completed his Ph.D. in Media and Information from Australia’s Curtin University.