The Kansas Independent College Association (KICA) proudly announced the selection of seventeen college faculty members to receive the association’s Faculty of Distinction award. Michele Hershberger, Hesston College Bible and ministry faculty member, was named Hesston’s recipient of the award. The honorees will be recognized at a workshop and award reception in Newton, Kan., on Nov. 3.

The KICA Faculty of Distinction program celebrates excellence and achievement among faculty at the 18 accredited private colleges and universities in Kansas. Honorees are nominated by the President and/or Chief Academic Officer of each KICA member institution.

Hershberger has been chair of Hesston College’s Bible and Ministry Department since 2000. In addition to teaching, she is the author or co-author of three faith resource books as well as curricula and articles for periodicals and academic journals. She has also been a frequent speaker and playwright for Mennonite Church USA youth conventions. During her tenure at Hesston, Hershberger took time to serve as adjunct instructor in youth ministry at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) (Elkhart, Ind.) in 2003, and taught Bible and youth ministry classes at LCC International University (Klaipeda, Lithuania) in 2009-10.

Before coming to Hesston, Hershberger served as youth pastor at Zion Mennonite Church (Hubbard, Ore.), conference youth minister for the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Mennonite Church, head of the Bible Department at Western Mennonite School (Salem, Ore.) and project associate for The Giving Project for Mennonite Church USA.

She holds an associate degree from Hesston College, a bachelor’s degree from Goshen (Ind.) College and a master of arts degree in theological studies from AMBS.