Greg Feistman
How did you first get into teaching and where do you teach now?After leaving the corporate world, I kind of fell into teaching. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and saw a posting for a one-year teaching assignment at Temple University in Philadelphia. I had never taught before, although I had been a guest speaker many times at area colleges. I threw my hat in the ring and was hired on a one-year contract. That was 16 years ago now and I’m still teaching at Temple.

What kind of work do you do in your field?

Public relations, which covers a wide range of areas including media relations, crisis communication, analytics, corporate social responsibility, executive speechwriting and coaching, internal/employee communication, corporate sponsorship, etc.

What is a normal day like?

There’s no such thing as “normal.” There’s a set schedule of teaching classes, but I’m also the faculty advisor for two student organizations. In addition, I direct the PR major, meaning I handle class scheduling for each semester, hiring and coaching of adjunct instructors, managing f/t faculty, recruiting students for our major, plus I sit on a couple of advisory boards within our school, including the faculty for our online M.S. program. And then there’s the occasional one-on-one student consultation, staying active in professional groups, etc.

How long did it take to earn all of your education?

I had quite a long break between earning my bachelor’s degree and my master’s degree: 29 years! In between, I earned a certification in Public Disputes from MIT-Harvard. Since receiving my master’s, I obtained certifications in online teaching and Google analytics.

Do you enjoy your career?

I really love the teaching. It’s a chance to make a difference in a young person’s life.

Is there anything you wish was different ?

I certainly miss the money from corporate life! But I don’t miss the levels of stress or constantly being on call all the time. And there’s politics, no matter what field you’re in.

What kind of knowledge would you pass onto a student?

I try to combine the theoretical with the practical and make it relevant to their lives. I often use examples from business or politics to make my points. But at the same time, I encourage them to speak up and voice their opinion. It’s vital students learn to think critically on a wide range of subjects.