Associate Teaching Professor Richard Herron has been awarded the Best Teacher Award by the D'Amore-McKim graduate Class of 2026. The award, which was established by students in 1992, is voted on directly by students. The winner was announced at the school's graduate celebrations on Thursday, April 30, at Leader Bank Pavilion.
Herron is a member of the Finance group and a key contributor to the Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program. He has taught data analytics in finance, investments, and corporate finance at D'Amore-McKim since joining the school in 2019. Before entering academia, he served as a submarine warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, completing two deployments aboard the USS Alexandria and teaching at the U.S. Naval Academy.
The award was presented by Sandeep Nalamaru, a 2026 MSQF graduate and enthusiastic supporter of this year's winner. Students who nominated Herron praised both his teaching style and his ability to connect coursework to real-world applications.
“His real-world experience brought the subject to life in a way that no textbook could,” one student says. Another notes that his investment analysis course was well structured and easy to follow, with weekly quizzes that reinforced concepts throughout the semester.