NCC Names Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient

Nash Community College Humanities Instructor Ashley Berry is the recipient of the 2013 J. Edgar and Peggie T. Moore Excellence in Teaching Award.

The Excellence in Teaching Award nominees are chosen through a peer and a student evaluation process from all full-time faculty members each year. There is a well-defined set of criteria developed to identify and reward quality teaching. The recipient is chosen by secret ballot by the full-time faculty and represents the best in community college instruction. Berry teaches Speech and Health classes.

“I am pleased when a student declares his or her enjoyment of my class, particularly when it is Public Speaking, one of the most feared classes at NCC.  Communication faculty recognize that our task can be a daunting one, for most students enter our classes dreading the semester,” Berry said.

As the 2013 recipient of the award, Berry received a cash award from Ed and Peggie Moore and will serve as Faculty Marshal for the College’s spring graduation programs. She will also represent NCC in the statewide North Carolina Community College System’s Excellence in Teaching Award process.

“As I prepare my lesson plans each semester, I try to anticipate the needs of my diverse student clientele.  I often ask myself: Is this a lesson my students can take beyond the classroom?” It is because of this philosophy that I am so overjoyed when I get a call or a letter from a former student enthusiastically declaring the usefulness of a particular lesson,” she continued.

Berry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from North Carolina State University and a Master of Arts degree in Health Education from East Carolina University. She lives in Rocky Mount and began her career at Nash Community College in 2003.