Professor honored

A Del Mar College professor recently became just the second community college instructor to be named the Texas Association of Broadcasters’ Educator of the Year. 

“It’s humbling in a sense that you’re honored to have that type of award,” said Mac Aipperspach, professor or radio and television. “My peers have nominated me to be the second from a community college, which I think, is quite an honor also to finally recognize that community colleges also have radio and TV programs that could prepare students as well.” 

Aipperspach said that during his time at John Brown University, he initially was going toward a degree in social science to pursue a teaching career. In his junior year, he decided to transfer to pursue his career in radio and television. 

“My freshman year, there was a fellow on the same floor of the dorm that I was on and he got a weeknight gig at a local radio station. I was kind of like, ‘I can do that,’ so I applied for a position at the radio station,” Aipperspach said. 

Aipperspach was offered a full-time job at the radio station at the university. After graduating with his bachelor’s, he decided to get his master’s degree. 

“I went back to grad school to get my master’s with the expressed goal of going into teaching so that I could have more time off for purposes of traveling because of my wife being Australian and going back to visit her family. When I began looking for more work, Del Mar was one of the colleges that I applied to that had an opening.” 

Since starting with Del Mar College in 1981, Aipperspach has shaped the Radio and TV Program into what it is today. He has inspired many students, including several who now work for CNN in Atlanta, Georgia. 

“Keep pursuing your education. Don’t drop out. Keep going. At least get your associate. Ideally get your bachelor’s,” he said. “A fellow that taught for a while at A&M Kingsville said, ‘Your degree is not going to get you the job, it’s your practical experience that is going to get you the job but in the promotion opportunities, your degree starts kicking in.’ It may be tough working part time but it does help.”

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