Andrew Herman

Teaching Interests

Despite loving to teach classes that focus on communication theory, my recent teaching has focused on the professional and applied learning classes (though I still work some theory into these too!). 

My primary class is Communication in Career Prep, a class with the primary goal of helping students "think about all the things they know they should think about but are afraid to" regarding their professional journeys after college. The class combines doses of self-reflection, career research, communication practice, and thoughtful integration so students are prepared to enter the job market with a purposeful sense of direction. 

I also focus on the applied learning activities for Communication majors that are not focused on research. This includes overseeing majors completing an internship, as well as those being teaching assistants. In this role I strive to get students to improve their self-awareness and develop a sense of reflective purposefulness in the work they are doing. My goal is that student interns and teaching assistants will think about what they are learning about themselves in their current role and integrate that knowledge into future professional roles. 

Research Interests

My research centers around interpersonal communication, communication competence, and the communication issues people experience throughout the job search process. My goal is to raise our awareness of how communication is at work so people can be more appropriate and effective in their communication choices while searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs. 

After working with students and alumni for 15 years on the early stages of their professional journeys, I have begun work on a book that focuses on the role of communication across the stages of any job search. Supplementing the book work, my current research interests focus on the communication aspects of using a portfolio in a job interview. Another area of interest is the role of communication in the classroom and its effect on student motivation.